Rob sold out his share in MacDougall's boat, and bought jerseys and black boots and yellow oilskins for his companions; so that the new crew, if they were rather slightly built, looked spruce enough as they went down to the slip to overhaul the Mary of Argyle.
VII.
Then came the afternoon on which they were to set out for the first time after the herring.All Erisaig came out to see; and Rob was a proud lad as he stepped on board, and took his seat as stroke oar.
It was not until they were at the mouth of the harbor that something occurred which seemed likely to turn this fine setting out into ridicule.This was Daft Sandy (a half-witted old man to whom Robert MacNicol had been kind), who rowed his boat right across the course of the Mary of Argyle, and, as she came up, called to Rob.
"What do you want?" cried Rob.
"I want to come on board, Rob," the old man said, as he now rowed his boat up to the stern of the yacht."Rob," said he, in a whisper, as he fastened the painter of his boat, "I promised I would tell you something.I'll show you how to find the herring.""You!" said Rob.
"Yes, Rob," said Daft Sandy; "I'll make a rich man of you.I will tell you something about the herring that no one in Erisaig knows,--that no one in all Scotland knows."Then he begged Rob to take him for that night's fishing.He had discovered a sure sign of the presence of herring, unknown to any of the fishermen: it was the appearance, on the surface of the water, of small air- bubbles.
Rob MacNicol was doubtful, for he had never heard of this thingbefore; but at last he could not resist the pleading of the old man.So they pulled in, and anchored the boats until toward sunset.Then, taking poor Sandy on board of the Mary of Argyle, they set forth again, rowing slowly as the light faded out of the sky, and keeping watch all around on the almost glassy sea.
VIII.
The night was coming on, and they were far away from home; but old Sandy kept up his watch, studying the water as though he expected to find pearls floating in it.At last, in great excitement, he grasped Rob's arm.Leaning over the side of the boat, they could just make out in the dusk a great quantity of air-bubbles rising to the surface.
"Put some stones along with the sinkers, Rob," the old man said, in a whisper, as though he were afraid of the herring hearing."Go deep, deep, deep!"To let out a long drift-net, which sometimes goes as deep as fifteen fathoms, is an easy affair: but to haul it in again is a hard task; and when it happens to be laden, and heavily laden, with silver gleaming fish, that is a breakback business for four young lads.
But if you are hauling in yard after yard of a dripping net, only to find the brown meshes starred at every point with the shining silver of the herring, then even young lads can work like men.Sandy was laughing all the while.
"Rob, my man, what think you of the air-bubbles now? Maybe Daft Sandy is not so daft after all.And do you think I would go and tell any one but yourself, Rob?"Rob could not speak; he was breathless.Nor was their work nearly done when they had got in the net, with all its splendid silver treasure.For as there was not a breath of wind, they had to set to work to pull the heavy boat back to Erisaig.The gray dawn gave way to a glowing sunrise; and when they at length reached the quay, tired out with work and want of sleep, the people were all about.
Mr.Bailie came along and shook hands with Rob, and congratulated him; for it turned out that, while not another Erisaig boat had that night got more than from two to three crans, the Mary Of Argyle had ten crans--asgood herring as ever were got out of Loch Scrone.
Well, the MacNicol lads were now in a fair way of earning an independent and honorable living.And the last that the present writer heard of them was this: that they had bought outright the Mary of Argyle and her nets, from the banker; and that they were building for themselves a small stone cottage on the slope of the hill above Erisaig; and that Daft Sandy was to become a sort of major-domo,--cook, gardener, and mender of nets.
DEFINITIONS:--Details, particulars.Lythe, saithe, cuddies, kinds of fish.Thole pins, pins to keep the oars in place.Trawl, to fish with a net.Vertical, upright.Dint, means.Interest, attention.Prevailed, existed.Seething, a stir, a boiling.Told, had a great effect.Thwarts, benches.Crans, barrels.Daft, weak- minded.Major-domo, steward.
