et after you've made a
mistake--ye don't make fewer'n a hundred a day--the next best thing's
to own up to it like men."

Long Jack winked one tremendous wink that embraced all hands except
Disko and Salters, and the incident was closed.

Then they made berth after berth to the northward, the dories out
almost every day, running along the east edge of the Grand Bank in
thirty- to forty-fathom water, and fishing steadily.

It was here Harvey first met the squid, who is one of the best
cod-baits, but uncertain in his moods. They were waked out of their
bunks one black night by yells of "Squid O!" from Salters, and for an
hour and a half every soul aboard hung over his squid-jig--a piece of
lead painted red and armed at the lower end with a circle of pins bent
backward like half-opened umbrella ribs. The squid--for some unknown
reason--likes, and wraps himself round, this thing, and is hauled up
ere he can escape from the pins. But as he leaves his home he squirts
first water and next ink into his captor's face; and it was curious to
see the men weaving their heads from side to side to dodge the shot.
They were as black as sweeps when the flurry ended; but a pile of fresh
squid lay on the deck, and the large cod thinks very well of a little
shiny piece of squid tentacle at the tip of a clam-baited hook. Next
day they caught many fish, and met the _Carrie Pitman_, to whom they
shouted their luck, and she wanted to trade--seven cod for one
fair-sized squid; but Disko would not agree at the price, and the
_Carrie_ dropped sullenly to leeward and anchored half a mile away, in
the hope of striking on to some for herself.

Disco said nothing till after supper, when he sent Dan and Manuel out
to buoy the _We're Here's_ cable and announced his intention of turning
in with the broad-axe. Dan naturally repeated these remarks to the dory
from the _Carrie_, who wanted to know why they were buoying their cable,
since they were not on rocky bottom.

"Dad sez he wouldn't trust a ferryboat within five mile o' you," Dan
howled cheerfully.

"Why don't he git out, then? Who's hinderin'?" said the other.

"'Cause you've jest the same ez lee-bowed him, an' he don't take that
from any boat, not to speak o' sech a driftin' gurry-butt as you be."

"She ain't driftin' any this trip," said the man angrily, for the
_Carrie Pitman_ had an unsavory reputation for breaking her ground-tackle.

"Then haow d'you make berths?" said Dan. "It's her