w SEINE-HAULING 227 



at the foot of the beach. Small crowds watched; 

 no one could tell, while the ropes were being 

 hauled ashore, what was underneath the semicircle 

 of bobbing corks, what was rolling over the sand 

 in the bunt of the net. And when, at the end 

 oT each haul, the bunt was coming in, with its 

 rotund mass of seaweed inside it, though some 

 rushed down to look, the most part remained on 

 the wall, inquiring, 'Have they got it? Have 

 they got it?' 



What they did get was a few fish that no one 

 hastened to buy. 



Next day the seining continued, and the next. 

 It was at least something to do. Then men began 

 to ask: 'An't none o' his folk been out eet? 

 They chaps what's been seining have a-losted three 

 days' work for nort. 'Tisn't that they wants to 

 be paid; us knows that; they'd be so glad as 

 anybody else if they could find 'en. But I reckon 

 somebody ought to thank 'em an' make some 

 acknowledgement, like, to 'em for what they've 

 a-done. 'Tisn't giving o'em no encouragement.' 



And meanwhile, without doubt, the relatives 

 sat in house, trying in vain to give each other 

 some encouragement; thinking there was no 

 sorrow like theirs, and how kind people were; 



