hells.

Fortunately, though, the dog-fish had not done quite so much harm as he
might; and, after mending a few rents by tying them together with pieces
of sennet, which the old sailor had taken the precaution of having ready
for such purpose beforehand, the trawl-net was as good as ever, allowing
them to "shoot" it again for another dredge.

This time it remained down till the tide turned, a good three hours at
least; and the hopes of all were high in expectation when they commenced
hauling it in.

"What do you think we'll catch now?" asked Nell. "Eh, Captain?"

"Well, not a whale, missy," said the Captain, with his customary
chuckle, which to him formed almost a part of his speech. "Still, I
fancy we ought to pick up something this time better than a dog-fish."

These doubts were solved anon; for after a terrible long interval of
heaving round the windlass, at which Mr Strong groaned greatly,
declaring that his back felt broken from having to stoop nearly double
so as to keep out of the way of the swinging boom of the cutter, which
swayed to and fro as she rolled about in the tideway, the end of the
trawl-beam once more hove in sight alongside, bobbing up endwise out of
the water.

"Belay!" sang out the Captain on seeing it, taking a turn with a coil of
the rope round the windlass-head to secure it, lest it might whirl round
and let the trawl go to the bottom again before they could hoist it
inboard. "That will do now, Strong; if you'll bear a hand we'll get our
spoil in."

Thereupon he and the barrister leant over the side of the boat as
before; and, catching hold of either end of the trawl-beam, they lifted
it over the gunwale.

The Captain then swished the folds of the net vigorously, so as to shake
what fish might have become entangled in the meshes into the pocket at
the end, Bob and Nellie, and likewise Dick, watching the operations with
the keenest interest. "Now," cried the sailor, "we shall see what we
shall see!" So saying, he and Mr Strong raised up the net pocket,
which was a goodish big bundle and seemed, from its heavy weight, to
contain a large number of fish, for it throbbed and pulsated with their
struggles; when, cutting with his clasp-knife the stout piece of cord
with which the small end of the pocket was tied, the Captain shook out
its living contents on the bottom boards in the well--Nell giving a
shriek and springing up on one of the thwarts as a slimy sole floundered
across her f