Ill FORESTALLED 169 



have found their food, If not unhatched or un- 

 grown, at any rate comparatively scarce. On the 

 other hand, we cannot explain why they still kept 

 away after the brit had become plentiful, unless, 

 being out in the colder deep water, it took them 

 a month or so to find out what a feast was waiting 

 for them alongshore. 



Come they did, however, at last; hungry and 

 in multitudes. 



About twilight, at the end of August, a few 

 little schools of small mackerel played up Inshore. 

 It was Sunday, and the sea roughish; nobody 

 troubled to shoot seine. Next morning I was out 

 on the beach before It was fully daylight, in order 

 to make sure that the boats were clear of high tide. 

 Nothing was to be seen; the gulls were not 

 screaming; nor was anybody about. The air was 

 cold; full of dew. I went back to bed. And 

 when I got up a couple of hours later, Jim was 

 saying, 'The mackerel's been In; I know'd they 

 'ould; an' they chaps from t'other end have a-shot 

 seine an' catched two or three thousand right under 

 our boats. If we'd been out a bit earlier, we'd 

 have had they.' 



T was out,' I said. 'Out before daylight, to 

 see the boats were all right.' 



