«i A HARBOUR CRAFT 137 



craft, asking the course to a west'ard port. 'Yu'm 

 heading for it,' they replied. — 'G'out, 'tis Benjie. 

 What be doing yer?' 



'Lame duck hunting, for sure. Have 'ee 

 catched ort?' 



'Us been foul an' had to haul in. Shooting 

 their nets all up in heaps, they be, t'night.' 



'Aye ! an' so they will when there's herrings 

 about. Where's Jim and Richard?' 



'Right down there to the west'ard.' 



Next we boarded a large harbour craft that had 

 a fore-cabin. They made us hot coffee on a red- 

 hot stove which leaked till the air was thick and 

 stifling. Fishermen in their stockinged feet lay 

 around smoking, while Benjie sat bolt upright and 

 lectured on what the likes o'us have to contend wi' 

 and on the discomforts of our small open boats 

 compared with such craft as we were in. Another 

 mug of coffee each; then 'Gude night to 'ee, an' 

 thank you,' and the cold open sea. 



From one of the two westernmost boats a man 

 came aboard of us. We rowed him half a mile 

 down his nets, found them foul of a harbour 

 craft's longer fleet, hauled several fathoms in- 

 board, and shot clear again. The other western- 

 most drifter was ours. 'Row quiet,' said 



