m WHITING ? 133 



to come out of house, 'Is thic fellow going to be 

 all night getting ready?' asked Richard. 



'Iss,' said Benjie, following his own train of 

 thought and peering to sea with his keen old eyes; 

 *I shouldn't wonder if thee doesn't make a haul 

 t'night. Two or three boats from the west'ard 

 had 'em last night, so many as they could haul 

 aboard. Got a good mind, I have, to shove off 

 thy sailing-boat, Richard, an' come down t'night 

 an' see what you'm 'bout. Might take a line, too, 

 an' see w'er there's any o' they whiting left to the 

 out-ground o' Refuge Cove. I've a-see'd plenty 

 caught there thees time o' year.' 



Richard stood up on the heap of nets in the 

 boat and spoke very deliberately. 'You'd better 

 to,' he said. 'If us gets more'n us can carry, an' 

 has to cut away nets, you may just so well hae 'em 

 as they chaps from the west'ard, what tears 'em 

 abroad for 'ee anyhow, an' p'raps you never sees 

 'em again. Can take my boat all right. Her 

 don't leak much. — Whenever's thic fellow coming? 

 Time us was there, now, wi' our nets shot. 

 Waiting 'bout yer !' 



We arranged to be on the out-ground of Refuge 

 Cove by seven o'clock; to show we were there by 

 dipping a flare in threes, with one minute intervals; 



