Long usage had made the principal fishermen who lived by seine-fishing
and trawling as thoroughly acquainted with the bottom of the bay as if
they could see it like a piece of land. Every rock and its position was
in their mind's eye, every patch of sand and bed of stone, so that they
had no difficulty in getting the net in closer and closer towards one
side of the bay, where it formed a broad sandy slope, up which it was
determined to draw the net, gradually opening the ends, or rather one
end, the other being packed deeply down in the seine-boat.
This was done, the small boats being rowed out of the circle of corks,
and one going to the free end of the net, while the others, with Uncle
Abram's and its load, going to the back of the net, about the middle, so
that the visitors might have a good view.
All this took time; but at last the net was so managed that the two
seine-boats were ashore, their stems run right on the sands, and the net
between them formed a bow towards the coast, the ends being about eighty
or ninety yards apart.
There was no mistake now about there being some large fish inclosed; and
the excitement of the boys grew intense when they saw Josh take hold of
the hitcher, and hold it, spear-fashion, ready to attack the great fish
should he see a chance.
"Don't strike at her, Josh," shouted Pollard, "unless she be coming
over. I think we can manage her easy enough now."
He was quite right, for long custom had made these men wonderfully
clever in the management of a net, which, fragile in its single threads,
becomes, in its combination of thousands of meshes, an engine of
tremendous power.