these heavy-booted, rough-handed, big-framed,
iron-sinewed, strong-hearted men for fresh air? They got enough of
that, during their long hours on deck, to counteract the stifling odours
of the regions below!

"Now, then, boys, dar you is," said Zulu, placing a huge pot on the
floor, containing some sort of nautical soup. "I's cook you soup an'
tea, an' dar's sugar an' butter, an' lots o' fish and biskit, so you
fire away till you bu'st yourselves."

The jovial Zulu bestowed on the company a broad and genial grin as he
set the example by filling a bowl with the soup. The others did not
require a second bidding. What they lacked in quality was more than
made up in quantity, and rendered delicious by appetite.

Conversation flagged, of course, while these hardy sons of toil were
busy with their teeth, balancing themselves and their cups and bowls
carefully, while the little vessel rolled heavily over the heaving
waves. By degrees the teeth became less active and the tongues began to
wag.

"I wish that feller would knock off psalm-singin'," said Gunter with an
oath, as he laid down his knife and wiped his mouth.

He referred to Luke Trevor, who possessed a sweet mellow voice, and was
cheering himself, as he stood at the helm, by humming a hymn, or
something like one, for the words were not distinguishable in the cabin.

"I think that Luke, if he was here, would wish some other feller to
knock off cursin' an' swearin'," said Joe.

"Come, Joe," said the skipper, "don't you pretend to be one o' the
religious sort, for you know you're not."

"That's true," returned Joe, "and I don't pretend to be; but surely a
man may object to cursin' without bein' religious. I've heard men say
that they don't mean nothin' by their swearin'. P'raps the
psalm-singin' men might say the same; but for my part if they both mean
nothin' by it, I'd rather be blessed than cursed by my mates any day."

"The admiral's signallin', sir," sung out Luke, putting his head down
the companion at that moment.

The men went on deck instantly; nevertheless each found time to light
the inevitable pipe before devoting himself entirely to duty.

The signal was to haul up the trawl, and accordingly all the fleet set
to work at their capstans, the nets having by that time been down about
three or four hours.

It was hard work and slow, that heaving at the capstans hour after hour,
with the turbulent sea tossing about the little smacks, few of whic