ening, so I am to act captain. We shall be back, I hope,
soon after ten, as he always wishes us to be home early on Saturday
night, and as the weather looks pretty thick, and there is a nice lop of
a sea on, we may expect to get a good haul."

Michael kissed Nelly's clear brow, and bestowed his usual "buss," as he
called it, on granny's withered cheek; then shouldering his oilskin
coat, he took his way towards the landing-place at the mouth of the
harbour.

David and the rest of his crew were sitting about on the rocks with
their short pipes in their mouths in readiness to go on board. Uncle
Reuben had come down to see them off, and seemed half inclined to
accompany them.

"If it were not for these aches in my back and sides, and that I
promised my dame to stay on shore this evening, I would go with you,
lads. But keep your weather eyes open. I cannot say I quite like the
look of the weather. It may turn out fine, but it is very thick away to
the southward."

"It will be fine enough for what we want, Uncle Reuben, and the
`Sea-Gull' does not mind a bit of a swell and a stiffish breeze, and we
shall be back again almost before there is time to send a second hand to
the bellows," answered Michael.

"God go with you, lads," said the old fisherman as the lads sprang on
board. "If the weather gets worse, haul your nets and make the best of
your way back. We will keep the light burning on the point, so that you
will not miss your road into harbour at all events."

The "Sea-Gull" was shoved off, the oars got out, and, with her attendant
drift-boat towing ahead, her hardy crew soon swept her out of the
harbour. Her tanned sails were then hoisted, and, close-hauled, she
stood away to beat up to her intended fishing-grounds some distance to
the southward, off the Gull Rock.

The old fisherman stood watching her for some time, more than once
saying to himself, "I wish that I had gone, the trip would not have hurt
me; but Michael is a careful lad, and, even if the weather does come on
bad, he will not risk staying out longer than is prudent."

Bad, indeed, there shortly appeared every probability of the weather
becoming. Dark green seas came rolling in crested with foam, and
breaking with increasing loudness of sound on the rocky shore; the wind
whistled and howled louder and louder.

Uncle Reuben buttoned up his coat to the chin as he gazed seaward. At
last his daughter came to call him in to tea.

"Mother s