FRIGHTS FOR ONCE 297 



shot into the bunkers. Moorings were cast off. 

 The big barked mlzzen-sail was hoisted aft — to 

 steady the ship while steaming, I suppose, and 

 afterwards to keep her head to the nets. The 

 skipper chmbed up to the bridge, put an arm 

 through the wheel-house window, and gave three 

 blasts on the steam-hooter. With the devil-may- 

 care confidence of fishing skippers on entering 

 and leaving harbour, he signalled 'Full steam 

 ahead.' The Marie-Alar the woke up. 



'Can us go up on the bridge,' asked Jim, 'an' 

 sing out "Good-bye!" to they there maidens 

 what waits on the pier-head wi' their baskets?' 



Up we went, thereby attaching ourselves to 

 the bridge for the rest of the trip; — and we had 

 imagined ourselves taking part in the jollity of 

 the crew, who, when their boat is putting to sea, 

 gather together, a brown crowd upon the fore- 

 peak, loll over the gunwale, and as often as not 

 sing themselves out of harbour. 'Up here,' I 

 said to Jim, 'we'm nort more nor less than 

 frights [freights, i.e. passengers]. Hast ever 

 been a fright in a drifter before?' 



'Aye!' he replied, 'so us be. Tfj a gert 

 thing of a drifter. What did 'ee say they carries? 

 Twenty hands? But,' he added, unbuttoning his 



