ere the first since the early
flurry, and the biggest stock so far that spring was to our credit.

We stood on the deck and watched the porgy steamer come in and tie up,
too late for that day's market. Some of our fellows had to ask them
where they got their fish--to the s'uth'ard or where?--and two or
three fights came out of it, but no harm done. Then nearly everybody
drew some money off the skipper, and we smoked fifteen-cent cigars and
threw our chests out. We all went uptown, too, and took in the
theatres that night, and afterwards treated each other and pretty
nearly everybody else that we met along the East Side on the way back,
until the policemen began to notice us and ask if we didn't think we'd
better be getting back to our ships. One or two of the crew had to get
into fights with the toughs along the water front, but we were all
safely aboard by three o'clock in the morning.

All but Clancy. Some of us were trying to get some sleep along towards
morning when Clancy came aboard with a fine shore list. The cook, who
was up and stirring about for breakfast, noticed him first. "It's a
fine list you've got, Tommie."

"And why not?--and a fine beam wind coming down the street. I'm like a
lot of other deep-draught craft of good model, George--I sail best
with the wind abeam. A bit of a list gets you down to your lines." And
until we turned out for breakfast, after which it was time to be off
and away to the fleet again, he kept us all in a roar with the story
of his adventures.

XVIII

A BRUSH WITH THE YACHTING FLEET

Through all of that month and through most of the month of May we
chased the mackerel up the coast. By the middle of May we were well up
front with the killers, and our skipper's reputation was gaining. The
vessel, too, was getting quite a name as a sailer. Along the Maryland,
Delaware, and Jersey coasts we chased them--on up to off Sandy Hook
and then along the Long Island shore, running them fresh into New
York. There were nights and days that spring when we saw some driving
on the Johnnie Duncan.

Toward the end of May, with the fish schooling easterly to off No
Man's Land and reported as being seen on Georges and in the Bay of
Fundy--working to the eastward all the time--we thought the skipper
would put for home, take in salt, fill the hold with barrels and refit
for a Cape Shore trip--that is, head the fish off along the Nova
Scotia shore, from Cape Sable and on to anywhere aroun