"Well, you must know that once upon a time there was a homeward-bound
Poole man just coming up Channel, and not far off the land, when, the
night being somewhat dark, do ye see, an old owl flew by `Howe! howe!
howe!' cried the owl.
"The master, who had been dozing aft, thinking all the time, exactly as
many another man does, that he was wide awake, just heard the sound as
he roused up, and fancied that another skipper was hailing him.
"`From Newfoundland!' he sang out, rubbing his eyes, and dreaming that
he saw the strange ship abeam.
"`Howe! howe! howe!' hooted the owl again.
"`With fish,' answered the Poole man.
"`Howe! howe! howe!' once more cried the old owl, as he was flying off.
"`Over Poole bar with the next tide, please the pigs,' sang out the
skipper at the top of his voice, for fear those in the other craft
wouldn't otherwise hear him. Nothing would ever persuade him that he
hadn't been talking all the time with the skipper of some outward-bound
craft.
"That's all very well, and it is not a bad story, and may be true, or it
may not; but you Hampshire men are not all of you so very clever,"
answered Mr Bexley, our Poole friend, who had himself been skipper of a
merchantman. "Have none of you ever heard speak of Botley assizes, eh?"