now to need a red necktie to set them off;
and so the gorgeous result of Dick's fishing and trading came out of its
hiding-place, and was arranged on the white coverlet of her own bed,
with the rest of his best garments.

"Jus' de t'ing for a handsome young feller like Dick," she muttered to
herself.

"Wot for'd an ole woman like me want to put on any sech fool finery?
He's de bestest boy in de worl', he is. Dat is, onless dar ain't not'in'
happened to 'im."

Her husband brought her home no news when he came, and Dick's good
qualities were likely to be seen in a strong light for a while longer.

But if the folk on shore were uneasy about "The Swallow" and her crew,
how was it with the latter themselves, as the darkness closed around
them, out there upon the tossing water?

Very cool and self-possessed indeed had been Captain Dab Kinzer; and he
had encouraged the others to go on with their blue-fishing, even when it
was pretty tough work to keep "The Swallow" from "scudding" at once
before the wind. He was anxious, also, not to get too far from shore;
for there was no telling what sort of weather might be coming. It was
curious, moreover, what very remarkable luck they had; or rather, Ford
and Dick, for Dab would not leave the tiller for a moment. Splendid
fellows were those blue-fish, and hard work it was to pull in the
heaviest of them. That was just the sort of weather they bite best in;
but it is not often that such young fishermen venture to take advantage
of it. No, nor the old ones either; for only the stanchest old "salts"
of Montauk or New London would have felt altogether at home in "The
Swallow" that afternoon.

"I guess I wouldn't fish any more," said Dab at last. "You've caught ten
times as many now as we ever thought of catching. Some of them are
whoppers too."

"Biggest fishing ever I did," said Ford, as if that meant a great deal.

"Or mos' anybody else, out dis yer way," added Dick. "I isn't 'shamed to
show dem fish anywhar."

"No more I ain't," said Dab; "but you're getting too tired, and so am I.
We must have a good hearty lunch, and put 'The Swallow' before the wind
for a while. I daren't risk any more of these cross seas. We might get
pitched over any minute. They're rising."

"Dat's so," said Dick. "And I's awful hungry, I is."

"The Swallow" was well enough provisioned for a short cruise, not to
mention the bluefish, and there was water enough on board for several
days if they should