rs from catching and killing other fishes and
eating them, why, it's being very kind, and isn't cruel at all," said
Dick merrily; and then he sent a cold chill down his brother's spine by
saying, "Let's look sharp and catch all the big ones we can."

"Now, you two take a rest," said Josh, "and I'll put her along a bit;"
and changing places with the rowers, Josh handled the oars with such
effect that in about half an hour they were approaching a tall mass of
rock that had seemed at a distance to be part of the cliff-line, but
which the visitors could now see to be quite a quarter of a mile from
where the waves were beating the shore.

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE.

DICK CATCHES HIS FIRST CONGER.

"Why, Will," cried Dick, "it is quite an island. Oh, Taff, look at the
birds!"

"We don't call a rock like that an island," said Will quietly, as the
boys watched a cloud of gulls that had been disturbed by their approach,
and new screaming and uttering peevish querulous cries above their
heads. The top of the rock, which was sixty or seventy feet above the
water, was quite white with guano, and every ledge of the perpendicular
mass seemed to be the home of the sea-birds which had been perched there
in rows, looking almost like pigeons till the near approach of the boat
had sent them off.

"How long would it take to row round?" said Arthur, who, in the novelty
of the scene, forgot all about the conger.

"Two minutes if you could go close in," said Josh; "ten minutes, because
you have to dodge in and out among the rocks which lie out all round."

"And from the Mew Rock to the shore yonder," added Will.

"Yes," said Josh; "it's all rock about here, just a fathom or two under
water, and a bad place for boots."

"Then why did you come in your boat?" cried Arthur excitedly.

"I don't mean little boots in fine weather, sir, I mean big boots in
foul," replied Josh, rowing steadily away. "This here's the place where
we wanted to come, and I'm going to take you to a hole like with rocks
all round it, a hole as goes down seven or eight fathom, and the congers
swarm in the holes all about here, as you'll see."

Arthur's hand tightened on the boat, and his dread made him feel almost
ill; but he struggled with the nervous feeling manfully, though he dared
not trust himself to speak.

And all the while Josh rowed steadily on till he was skirting round the
edge of the perpendicular mass of rock about whose base the waves foamed