said Josh. "The fishing-ground's five fathom under water."

"Then how can you tell when you get there?"

"Bearin's," growled Josh.

Dick looked helplessly at Will, while Josh muttered to himself about
"gashly ignorance."

"What are bearings?" said Dick at last.

"I'll show you," said Will, "when we get out there by and by. We have
to guide ourselves, you know, out at sea by--"

"Compass. I know," cried Dick.

"Ah! that's out of sight of land," said Will quietly. "Along shore we
sail by bearings that we take--hills and points and trees, so as to lay
the boat where we like."

"But I don't see how you can," cried Dick.

"Don't you?" said Will good-humouredly, while Josh went on growling to
himself and looking disgusted down between his knees. "Well, I'll try
and show you. Now, you look right behind you and you can see that we're
opening out that old chimney on the top of Toll Pen."

"Opening out!" said Dick. "I don't know what you mean."

"Well, beginning to see it come into sight."

"Oh! now I know," cried Dick. "I say, is there anything the matter with
him?" he added, for Josh was rumbling with indignation at their
visitor's "gashly ignorance."

"No, there arn't," growled Josh roughly. "Only they did ought to teach
you something at school."

"They do," said Dick, laughing merrily; "but they don't know anything
about bearings and openings out, and such things. It's all Latin, and
Greek, and algebra, and Euclid."

"And none o' them won't teach you how to lay a boat to her bearin's on a
bit o' good fishing-ground," said Josh; "and it's a good job for you, my
lad, as you've run acrost us. We will teach you something afore we've
done."

"Why, you have already," cried Dick. "I say, are you tired? Shall I
help you now?"

"Tired? No, lad, not us. No. There, you keep your eye on that old
chimney. Tell him, Will, how to find the ground."

"All right!" said Will. "Well, you see that pile of stones on the top
of the hill behind the chimney to the right?"

"What, a rough bit like a lump of sugar on a loaf of bread?"

"That's it!" said Will. "Now, you see those, as we row out, seem to
grow closer together?"

"Yes, I see, because you're getting them more in a straight line."

"To be sure!" said Will. "Well, then, when we get them exactly one in
front of the other, they give us our bearings one way."

"Oh!" said Dick.

"Now, look yonder at that church tower at Gullick," said Will.

"Y