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--as good 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.