e standing-room. It had been a good
morning's work.

Percy told his story as the _Barracouta_ nosed home through the fog.
When he had finished, Jim dropped his hand on his shoulder.

"Perce," said he, "you certainly put up a great fight and saved your
fish. Nobody could have done any better."

Those few words, Percy felt, amply repaid him for what he had gone
through that morning. He had won his spurs and was at last a
full-fledged member of Spurling & Company.

XV

MIDSUMMER DAYS

Half past twelve found the _Barracouta_ again at her mooring in Sprowl's
Cove. Throppy and Filippo were landed, with instructions to haul the
lobster-traps the next morning if the fog would allow them to do it
safely. Without waiting for dinner, Jim, Budge, and Percy started in the
sloop for Rockland to dispose of their catch. They had no ice, so it was
necessary to get the two swordfish to market as soon as possible.

"Thicker 'n a dungeon, isn't it?" said Jim as they rounded Brimstone
Point and headed northwest into the fog. "Lucky we've got a good
compass! Without it we wouldn't stand the ghost of a show of getting to
Rockland. We'd pile up on some ledge before we'd gone half-way."

Shaping their course carefully by the chart, and keeping on the alert to
avoid passing vessels and steamers, they drove the _Barracouta_ at top
speed. Ten miles from Tarpaulin the increased height of the ocean swells
told that they were crossing the shoal rocky ground of Snippershan. Five
miles farther on they left behind the clanging bell on Bay Ledge and
soon passed the red whistler south of Hurricane. A straight course from
this brought them at five o'clock to the bell east of Monroe's Island,
and before six they were alongside the steamboat wharf at Rockland.

"Look out for her, boys!" directed Jim. "I want to get up-town before
the markets close."

He landed, and started on the run for Main Street. In twenty-five
minutes he was back.

"Sold 'em!" he announced. "Sixty dollars!"

A little later an express-wagon with two men drove down on the wharf.
The swordfish were hoisted from the _Barracouta_, the agreed price paid,
and the team hurried away.

"Not a bad day's work," said Budge.

"Fair! Now let's go somewhere and get a good supper!"

They found a restaurant on Main Street, unpretentious but clean, and sat
down at one of its small tables. Two months ago Percy would have turned
up his nose at the idea of eating in such a place; n