ped the stern of the skiff with the other.

Now Rob was angry. Many of the Erisaig people would still be watching
their setting-out; and was it to be supposed that they had taken this
doited old body as one of the crew? But then Daft Sandy was at this
moment clambering into the boat; and Rob could not get up and fight
with an old man, who would probably tumble into the water.

'Rob,' said he, in a whisper, as he fastened the painter of his punt,
'I promised I would tell ye something. I'll show ye how to find the
herring.'

'You!' said Rob, derisively.

'Ay, me, Rob, I'll make a rich man of you. I will tell you something
about the herring that not any one in Erisaig knows--that not any one
in Scotland knows.'

'Why havena ye made a rich man of yourself, Sandy?' said Rob, with more
good nature.

The half-witted creature did not seem to see the point of this remark.

'Ay, ay,' he said, 'many is the time I was thinking of telling this one
or telling that one; but when I would go near it was always "Daft
Sandy!" and "Daft Sandy!" and there was always the peltin' wi' the
broken herring--except from you, Rob. And I was saying to myself that
when Rob MacNicol has a boat of his own, then I will show him how to
find the herring, and no one will know but himself.'

By this time the MacNicols had taken to their oars again; and they had
pulled outside the harbour, the old punt still astern. Then Rob had to
speak plainly.

'Look here, Sandy, I will not put ye ashore by force. But I canna have
your punt at the stern of the boat. It'll be in the way of the nets.'

But the old man was more eager than ever. If they would only pull into
the bay hard by, he would anchor the punt and leave it. 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. What was the
phosphorescence in the sea?--the nights were too clear for that. What
was the mere breaking of the water?--a moving shoal that might escape.
But this sign that the old man had discovered went to show the presence
of large masses of the fish, stationary and deep: it was the appearance
on the surface of the water of small air-bubbles. He was sure of it.
He had watched it. It was a secret worth a bankful of money. And
again, he besought Rob to let him accompany him; Rob had stopped the
lads when they were throwing herring at him; Rob alone should have the
benefit of this va