.

The sea was running higher. The new topmast was up, and within half an
hour the _Rosan_ heeled to the wind and plowed her way northward after
the remainder of the fleet.

CHAPTER XV

THE CATCH OF THE ROSAN

At the forecastle head of the _Rosan_ stood a youth tolling the ship's
bell. The windlass grunted and whined as the schooner came up on her
hawser with a thump, and overhead a useless jib slatted and rattled.

The youth could scarcely see aft of the foremast because of the
thickness of the weather, but he could hear what was going on. There
was a thump, a slimy slapping of wet fish, and a voice counting
monotonously as its owner forked his forenoon's catch into the pen
amidships.

"Forty-nine," said the voice. "All right, boys, swing her in." And a
moment later the dory, hauled high, dropped down into her nest.
Immediately there was a slight bump against the side of the schooner,
and the slapping and counting would begin again.

"Eighty-seven, and high line at that!" said the next man. "I'll bet
that's the only halibut on the Banks, and he's two hundred if he's an
ounce."

The great, flat fish was raised to the deck by means of the topping
haul that swung in the dories.

Bijonah Tanner, who stood by the pen watching the silver stream as it
flowed over the side into the pen, mussed his beard and shook his
head. The fish were fair, but not what should be expected at this time
of year. He would sail along to another favorable anchorage. This was
his first day on the Banks and two days after Nellie's discovery of
Elsa's packet.

It was only noon, but Bijonah was speculating, and when he saw the fog
bank coming he refused to run any risk with his men, and recalled them
to the schooner by firing his shotgun until they all replied to the
signal by raising one oar upright.

It must not be thought that it was the fog that induced Bijonah to do
this. Dorymen almost always fish when a fog comes down, and trust to
their good fortune in finding the schooner. Bijonah wanted to look
over the morning's catch and get in tune with the millions under his
keel.

By the time the last dory was in, the pile of fish in the pen looked
like a heap of molten silver.

The men stretched themselves after their cramped quarters, and greeted
the cook's announcement with delight.

"You fellers fix tables fer dressin' down while the fust half mugs
up," said Tanner. "Everybody lively now. I cal'late to move just a
littl