CHAPTER XXII 



THE RUSSIAN OUTRAGE 



MIDNIGHT on the Dogger, three days before full moon, 

 late in October ; the weather hazy, with Scotch mist at 

 times, but nothing to prevent ships' lights being seen 

 at a considerable distance. On the ground 200 

 miles east-by-north of Spurn, in 23 fathoms of water, 

 thirty steam-trawlers of the Gamecock Fleet, with 

 about a dozen steamboats belonging to Messrs. Leyman 

 & Company, were fishing peacefully. For ten years 

 the Gamecock vessels had trawled on the same ground, 

 which for a quarter of a century had been a rendezvous 

 for fishing-craft. With or near the fleet were two of the 

 hospital steamers of the Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen 

 and three carriers, all engaged in trawling, with their 

 gear down and steaming at about two and a half knots 

 an hour. Without exception the mizzen was set, and in 

 some cases the mainsail also. The regulation lights 

 were burning and other lights were showing, for many 

 of the crews were gutting and boxing the fish in 

 readiness to ferry to the homeward-bound carrier in 

 the morning. The fishing numbers and the letters in- 

 dicating the ports of registry were visible, and there was 

 no mistaking the nature of the little busy fleet of steam- 

 trawlers, industriously employed. They were working 



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