ad brought with him four hundred feet of copper
bell-wire and a dozen or so cleat insulators. He cut two spruce
spreaders, and strung his antennae. Then he made a hole through the cabin
wall, improvised an insulator out of a broken bottle, and a rough table
out of a spare box, and was ready to install his batteries and
instruments as soon as they should arrive.

The boys returned to the cabin.

"How about those conditions, Whittington?" asked Budge. "Going to begin
making 'em up?"

"No hurry about that," responded Percy, indifferently.

He went outside to smoke a cigarette. The bull-frogs were singing in the
marsh. Inside, Roger was making a start on teaching Filippo English,
and learning a little Italian in return. Throppy was tuning his violin.
He played a short selection, and then the boys turned in.

"To-morrow we start fishing in dead earnest," said Jim. "Whittington and
I'll get up at midnight, and Filippo'll have to give us breakfast. You
other fellows won't need to turn out till four. Here's hoping for good
luck all round!"

Percy made a wry face. The hour for rising did not sound good to him,
but there was no harm in trying it once. After that he would see. Soon
all were sound asleep, lulled by the murmur of the surf.

VI

TRAWLING FOR HAKE

"Turn out, Whittington! All aboard for the fishing-grounds!"

Spurling's voice, reinforcing the last echoes of the alarm-clock,
dispelled Percy's inclination to roll over for another nap. Jim's strong
tones carried a suggestion of authority which the younger lad was half
minded to resent. He swallowed his pride, however, rolled out, and
dressed. It was only a half-hour after midnight when he sat down with
Jim to a breakfast of warmed-over beans, corn-bread, and coffee,
prepared by Filippo. Budge and Throppy were sleeping soundly. They would
not get up until three hours later. Percy envied them, but he ate a good
meal.

"Now," directed Jim, "pull on those rubber boots and get into your
oil-clothes. You'll see before long why they're useful. Trawling's a
cold, wet, dirty business, and you want to be well prepared for it. And
don't forget those nippers! They'll protect your hands from the chafe of
the line."

Taking buoys, anchors, and other gear from the fish-house, they got into
the dory and rowed out to the _Barracouta_. The six tubs of trawl,
baited two afternoons before, were already on board. They stowed
everything in its place, then headed out of