90 A MEDLEY OF SPORT 



with the remark, " 'Twas as masterful a 'set' as I've seen 

 made to fowl for many a long day, and it wor a wholly 

 long shot, Maister Jack, and ye cut 'em down bootiful, 

 ay, bootiful ! " " But," added the old chap, " do 'ee get 

 aboard smart-like, for us should run for shelter afore the 

 cussed fog overhauls us." 



To unrig the stanchion gun from the punt and 

 hoist it aboard the yacht was but the work of a very 

 few minutes, and the Semnew was sent " up-along " 

 towards the safe harbourage of Leigh Swatchway. 

 Before the Nore lightship was fetched, however, the 

 breeze, which had been gradually waning, died away 

 almost to a dead calm, and the fog came rolHng on and 

 over the foam-flecked waters until the headlands and 

 shipping lying away to the eastward were veiled within 

 the folds of the wreathing grey vapour. 



" There's nothin' for it but to He here till the fog hfts, 

 and heaven knows when that will be," growled the 

 skipper, as he went forward to let go the anchor. 



There was a good deal of shipping passing up and 

 down the fairway, and the discord set up by the sirens 

 and foghorns was quite pandemonic. Fortunately we 

 were berthed on the safe side of the buoys, but even then 

 more than one huge liner and rusty-sided " tramp " 

 passed unpleasantly near the Seamew. For six mortal 

 hours that sea-fog held us in its chill and sullen thraldom, 

 and when it did hft sufficiently to allow us to again get 

 under way, the first shades of night had already fallen. 

 The prospects of further sport that day were, therefore, 



