292 ALONGSHORE v 



it, and added, In the vain hope of forcing a 

 decision, 'What about it, then?' 



'Do as you'm minded,' he repeated. 'You'm 

 skipper here, not me. Three or four days to sea 

 is a long time when you'm on a hoHday. Bit too 

 much like work, ain't it? Might nearly so well 

 be at home herring-catching in one of our own 

 little packets. 'Tisn't as if us had brought any 

 ol' clothes : us'U spoil these here. I'm ready 'nuff, 

 if thee's give the word. Thic craft there' — point- 

 ing to a laden sailing drifter that was being towed 

 up harbour — 'her's got plenty o' herrings, seems 

 so; an' they an't been out two nights, not unless 

 they was out in that nor' westerly gale. 'Twas 

 thic perty li'l maid to the cafe put this here mazed 

 turn-out into thy head. What did 'ee say to each 

 other? I wish I could pick up the lingo. . . . 

 Be 'ee going or not? They'm waiting for thy 

 answer, looks so. We'm stuck up here like two 

 poops!' 



The skipper, a snug little man in the brown 

 jumper of French fishermen, was eyeing us steadily, 

 without a sign of persuasion either way. The 

 patron of 'Le Bon Pecheur,' who had brought us 

 from his cafe of that name to the ship, sniffed and 

 twisted on his heel, as if to say, 'Well, I've done 



