174 ALONGSHORE «i 



A message came from not a hundred miles 

 up-country that mackerel there would fetch five 

 shillings a hundred; and still no boxes were to 

 be had. 



Mackerel lay in the boats, in buckets, in heaps 

 on the beach and along the sea-wall. Every 

 other person on the Front had mackerel dangling 

 from his hand. In all directions one's eye caught 

 the shine of them. 'Go'n see,' we said to the 

 kids, 'if thee ca'st sell half-a-dozen. Gie thee a 

 'ap'ny out o' it.' 



'Git 'ome !' they retorted. 'I'll gie thee a 

 sweet out o' my next 'ap'orth If thee ca'st sell 

 dree.' 



And still the mackerel were playing up all 

 alongshore. 



In a light which made everything seem shadowy 

 and distant, even the sound of voices and the 

 crunching of shingle; tired, as much with the 

 confusion and chatter as with rowing and hauling, 

 — we stood upon the beach waiting for the rest 

 of the boats to come in. We waited and looked 

 around. 



'A bloody slaughter, that's all 'tis!' said 

 Richard at last; and for once the expression was 

 appropriate. 



