278 ALONGSHORE v 



up the quay. The locomotives In the roadway 

 whistled, and luggage trunks bumped. Syrens 

 shrieked. 'I thought last night,' Jim called across 

 the room, 'as these here Frenchles was nice quiet 

 people. Do 'em waken up at night? DIdn' us 

 ought to be out an' about if there's ort to see? 

 / can't sleep.' Whereupon he fell a-snorlng. 



When we did get up, Boulogne was all alive. 

 The harbour was crowded with fishing craft. 

 Whilst crossing the bridge we caught sight of a 

 steam-drifter deeply laden with herrings. 



'My senses !' cried Jim. 'Lookse, there's fish 

 for 'ee !' 



'What do you think now of our last winter's 

 twenty-two-thousand catch ?' 



'Why, that weren't nort 't all. This here's 

 the thing. Look ! they'm all over the deck, fore 

 an' aft. But ours was a good catch all the same, 

 after the rate.' 



Jim was for moving on down the quay to look 

 at the other drifters. 'Let's find breakfast,' I 

 said, 'and come back here directly afterwards. 

 Aren't you hungry?' 



'Don't know as I be. Look sharp, then. — 

 Aye ! I could eat half a dozen o' they herrings. 

 Ask somebody w'er this is onusual like.' 



