d let her help at the dressing,
and mother had brought down hot coffee for them all and then "fallen
to," herself and worked like a man. How they all had worked to get
the barrels packed full of the shining layers in time for the steamer
next morning!

All this Judith remembered as she crept silently away through the
darkness and turned toward the salty spray that the wind tossed
in her face. That had been a phenomenally large school of
mackerel--eighteen barrels for market in the distant city. Judith was
not quite sure, but she thought the check that came back to father
had been for a hundred and fifty dollars. Mackerel had been in great
demand then. A hundred and fifty dollars! Judith stopped short and
caught her breath.

"But my school was just a little one," she thought, "and maybe people
aren't very mackerel hungry now." Still, a hundred dollars--or even
fifty--fifty dollars would go so far toward that doctor across the
sea! Supposing she had lost fifty dollars! She hurried on through the
black night, not knowing what she should do when she got to her
destination, but eager to do something. The lantern she carried cast
a small glimmer into the great dark.

Judith was not afraid--how long had it been since she was afraid of
the dark? But a distant thrill shot through her when she saw another
faint glimmer ahead of her. Then it seemed to divide into two
glimmers--they blinked at her like evil eyes. They were straight
ahead; she was going toward them! She must go toward them if she went
to the old dory drawn up on the beach.

"And I'm goin!" Judy said defiantly. "Blink away, you old bad-y
two-eyes! Wait till I get there and fix you!" It helped to laugh a
little and nod defiance at the blinking eyes.

The salty spray increased to a gentle rain, buffeting her cheeks. The
steady boom of the breakers was in her ears like the familiar voice
of a friend. Judith tramped on resolutely.

The lights were two lanterns, sheltered from the wind, beside the old
black dory. Judith came upon them and cried out in astonishment. For
she had come upon something else--a boy, dressing fish as if his life
depended on it!

"Jemmy Three!" she ejaculated shrilly.

The boy neither turned about nor stopped.

"Hullo! That you, Jude? Got a lantern? Take that knife there an' go
to work like chain lightnin'. I've filled two barrels--there isn't any
time to lose, now, I tell you! Steamer's due at seven."

"But--but--I don't understand-