pped in and around and passed on by.

After the Dreamer came the Madeline, with "Black Jack" Hogan, a fleshy
man for a fisherman, who minded his way and remained unmoved at the
compliments paid his vessel, one of the prize beauties of the fleet.
The Marguerite, Charley Falvey, a dog at seining, always among the
high-liners, who got more fun out of a summer's seining than most men
ever got out of yachting, who bought all the latest inventions in gear
as fast as they came out and who had a dainty way of getting fish. The
Marguerite dipped her bow as she passed, while her clever skipper
nodded along the line.

The King Philip, another fast beauty, made her bow and dipped her
jibs to her mates in harbor. At sight of her master, Al McNeill, a
great shout goes up. "Ho, ho! boys, here's Lucky Al! Whose seine was
it couldn't hold a jeesly big school one day off here last spring but
Billie Simms'? Yes, sir, Billie Simms. Billie fills up and was just
about thinking he'd have to let the rest go when who heaves in sight
and rounds to and says, 'Can I help y'out, William?' Who but Lucky Al
McNeill, of course. Bales out two hundred barrels as nice fat mackerel
as anybody'd want to see. 'Just fills me up,' says Al, and scoots to
market. Just been to New York, mind you, that same week with two
hundred and fifty barrels he got twelve cents apiece for. 'Just fills
me up,' says Al, and scoots. No, he ain't a bit lucky, Captain Al
ain't--married a young wife only last fall."

Then followed the Albatross, with Mark Powers giving the orders. Then
the Privateer, another fast one, but going sluggishly now because of a
stove-in seine-boat wallowing astern. Then the North Wind, with her
decks swept clear of everything but her house and hatches. Seine-boat,
seine and dory were gone.

After her was a big, powerful vessel, the Ave Maria, with the most
erratic skipper of all. This man never appeared but the gossip broke
out. Andie Howe had his record. "Here comes George Ross. What's this
they say now?--that he don't come down from the mast-head now like he
used to, when he strikes a school. When I was with him he was a pretty
lively man comin' from aloft--used to sort of fall down, you know. But
now he comes down gentle-like--slides down the back-stay. Only trouble
now he's got to get new rubber boots every other trip, 'count of the
creases he wears in the legs of them sliding down the wire. I tell you
they all lose their nerve as they get older