keep a sharp look-out all the while I was aboard her.
I could count the boxes of fish, and get all the information that I
could from the crew.'

'A good idea, my boy, but do you think that you could carry it out? A
North Sea fisherman's life is a terribly rough one. It would not be a
pleasure trip for you.'

There was a great deal of discussion before Charlie's daring plan was
finally adopted. Mr. Page was struck by his son's grit and keenness, and
knew, moreover, that the experience would do him good. In his own young
days, before he returned to Lincolnshire and settled down to business,
Mr. Page had spent three eventful years in South America, and although
he had had many decidedly unpleasant adventures, he by no means
regretted them. He was glad, too, to find that his son inherited some of
his love of adventure, especially as it was to be used, in this case,
for a good, sensible purpose. Charlie was only sixteen, but he was big
and strong for his age, and the sea air and hard life would probably do
him good physically as well as morally.

'I will give you ten pounds,' he said to Charlie on the following
morning, 'and as you are not likely to be away much more than a week, it
will, I think, be ample for your wants.'

Charlie thanked him heartily, and an hour or two later started for
Grimsby. He knew the town well, and making his way to the docks, had
little difficulty in finding where the _Sparrow-hawk_ lay. She was
coaling when he discovered her, and knowing that all hands would be
busy, he sat down on the black scaffold-like dock and watched from a
distance as truck after truck was tilted over, sending its load of coal
into the shoot, down which it ran with a rattle on to the ship's deck.
The trawler's men, black as niggers, shovelled the coal quickly into the
hold. Fortunately the greater portion of the load had been taken aboard
before Charlie arrived, and after waiting for about half an hour, he saw
the last truck-load shot down. He knew then that in about an hour's time
some of the _Sparrow-hawk's_ men would be coming ashore. He watched them
with interest as, having shovelled all the coal into the hold, they
turned the hose on the deck, and with brooms and swabs worked hard to
remove the coal-dust which coated everything. When this task was
finished, the men gathered around two buckets and washed themselves.
They needed washing badly.

[Illustration: "'I will keep these on,' he said to the shopkeeper."]