ence of net about them, so as they
can't get away."

"A mussy me!" cried Josh smiling. "Why, I'm getting quite proud o' you,
Master Dick. You might ha' been born a fisherman."

"But will the net be long enough to go right round?" said Dick.

"No, perhaps not; but they'll manage that if they're lucky."

The scene was exciting enough to chain the interest of those in the
boat, while quite a crowd gathered on the cliff to witness the capture--
one which meant money and support to a good many families; for there
would be basketing and carting to the far-off station, to send the take
to the big towns, if a take it should prove to be. And so all watched
as the large boat was rowed steadily, its heap of net growing lower, and
the row of dot-like corks that trailed from behind getting longer and
longer, and gradually taking the shape of a half-moon.

The little boat remained nearly stationary, only drawing a trifle
towards where Dick and his companions were; but the big boat continued
its course, and so did the shoal of mackerel, making a beautiful ripple
on the surface, that seemed as changeful as the ripple marks on their
own backs, and in happy unconsciousness of the fact that their way back
to sea was being steadily shut off, and that there were baskets getting
ready, and horses being fed to bear them to the train, so that the next
morning they would be glittering on stalls in busy towns both far and
near.

It was a long but carefully-executed piece of work, the large boat
making a very wide circuit, so as not to alarm the fish, now about the
centre of a semicircle of net.

"But suppose the net should be twisted," said Dick excitedly, "and not
reach the bottom--what then?"

"Then when the mackerel were scared they'd swim about and find the hole,
and go through it like the tide between a couple of rocks," replied
Will. "But the men wouldn't let the net go down twisted; they're too
used to shooting it."

"All out now," said Josh at last. "They'll lose the school if they
don't mind. Look yonder."

Dick glanced in the direction indicated, and saw that the man on the
cliff was now telegraphing wildly with his boughs, and the men in the
seine-boat seemed to let out a long rope, for there was a good space
between them and the row of corks.

The two men in the little boat seemed to do the same, and as the two
boats were some distance to right and left of Dick and his companions,
it seemed as if they meant to com