osh. "_Grey Gull's_ coming in with 'bout the gashliest
take o' pilchards as never was. Say they could have filled the lugger
twice over."

The little pier was pretty well crowded, and the men were in an unwonted
state of excitement, but place was made for the boys, and they were soon
after standing gazing down into the hold of the lugger, which seemed to
be filled with silver whose dust had been scattered all over deck,
bulwarks, combings, buoys, ropes, nets, for everything was specked and
spangled with silvery scales.

"Here, boys," said Mr Temple, "this is a fresh sight for you. What do
you think of these?"

Mr Temple was standing beside Will, who had been on board the lugger
and returned with a little basket containing a dozen or two of the
little oily fish, which looked like small large-scaled herrings, but
richer and fatter and of tenderer skin.

"Wonderful bait," said Will. "We can catch no end to-night with these."

They waited to see the business begin--the said business being the rapid
unloading of the pilchards, which were borne along the pier to one of
the long low pilchard-houses to be regularly stacked somewhat after the
fashion of drying bricks, and salted ready for packing in barrels and
sending to the Mediterranean ports.

But after the first inspection the sight of baskets full of silvery
pilchard began to grow monotonous, and Dick exclaimed:

"I say, father, it must be breakfast time now."

Breakfast time it was, and after arranging to be back at the pier in an
hour, they sought the old purser's cottage, from whose open window the
extremely fragrant odour of broiled ham was floating out, ready to act
like a magnet upon the sensations of a couple of hungry lads.

CHAPTER THIRTY ONE.

A TRIP TO THE SEAL'S ZORN, AND A CHIP AT METALS.

The boat was ready when they returned to the little pier, and the
unloading in full swing. Every now and then scraps of damaged fish were
thrown overboard to wash about the harbour, but which Josh intimated
would have some effect by and by.

"Just you wait till the tide comes and washes them bits o' pilchar' all
away about the place. You'll have the fish coming up from sea after
'em, and the whole place 'most alive--eh, Will?"

"Yes," said the latter, who was rowing steadily away. "Some good
fishing might be had to-night if the young gentlemen liked to try."

It was decided that if they were not too tired they would try for a few
fish after tea.