9 8 WILD LIFE ON A NORFOLK ESTUARY 



" Grey mullet?" he continued; " why, I've 'erd old Calver 

 once took a boatload on 'em, and made 8. 153. with the 

 catch up in Billin'sgate. 1 You put that down in your book 

 afore, you know." 



" My best catch of them old mullet," interposed " Snicker," 

 " was in the bight agin the Dickey Works " 



" That's the place," edged in Short 'un." 



"Shut up, 'on't you?" said "Snicker," turning on "Short 'un." 

 " My catch brought in about 13, which was about half what 

 it would ha' brought in nowadays. We orter copt more, 

 only so many on 'em popped over the net back into 

 Breydon." 



"I've had 'em jump over my hid!" said "Short 'un," 

 laughing. 



" Your heed !" snapped " Snicker," "why, you ain't more 'an 

 three feet nothin' in your water butes, 2 though you've got as 

 fat a heed as annyboddy. I'll allow they can jump though, 

 and more 'an once I've know'd the lot to go over like a flock 

 of sheep, and left nothin' in the net. Nine pounds was the 

 heaviest mullet as I ever took." 



" Nine " 



" Shut up, 'on't yer? Nine stone I suppose youve copt 'em, 

 though I once got a sturgeon over eleven stone. 3 I've got a 

 skate as nearly pulled me overboard, and nice plaice useter 

 come up now and agin. I once helped to land a twenty-six 

 pound conger what got in a smelt-net." 



" Nice job ? " I queried. 



" I should think so. My own mother wouldn't ha' known 

 me for mud and filt when we'd settled his hash for him." 



"You've known some queer chaps up here?" I asked. 



" Hev I ? " he answered. " Why, yes. I hain't been up here 

 nigh sixty year without. There was old Bessy, 'Gabey' 

 Thomas " 



" You knew old ' Bugles ' ? " 



" Knew him ! Why, yes ! He was the superstitiousest old 

 fule I ever know'd. Johnny Bloom, he was, and took more 

 barrels of beer down on him than I've ever smelt, though we 

 might let the dade rest. He couldn't abear frogs ! He'd 



1 Vide Nature in Eastern Norfolk, pp. 284-5. 



- " Short 'un" Page stands about four feet in height. 



3 Vide Notes of an East Coast Naturalist, p. 248. 



