within reach of that deadly fork by any lure. Then did I cover
myself with glory. For he who can fish cleverly and luckily may be sure
of fairly good times in a whaler, although he may be no great things
at any other work. I had a line of my own, and begging one of the small
fish that had been hauled up in the Gulf weed, I got permission to go
aft and fish over the taffrail. The little fish was carefully secured
on the hook, the point of which just protruded near his tail. Then I
lowered him into the calm blue waters beneath, and paid out line very
gently, until my bait was a silvery spot about a hundred feet astern.
Only a very short time, and my hopes rose as I saw one bright gleam
after another glide past the keel, heading aft. Then came a gentle
drawing at the line, which I suffered to slip slowly through my fingers
until I judged it time to try whether I was right or wrong, A long hard
pull, and my heart beat fast as I felt the thrill along the line that
fishermen love. None of your high art here, but haul in hand over hand,
the line being strong enough to land a 250 pound fish. Up he came, the
beauty, all silver and scarlet and blue, five feet long if an inch, and
weighing 35 pounds. Well, such a lot of astonished men I never saw. They
could hardly believe their eyes. That such a daring innovation should
be successful was hardly to be believed, even with the vigorous evidence
before them. Even grim Captain Slocum came to look and turned upon me
as I thought a less lowering brow than usual, while Mr. Count, the mate,
fairly chuckled again at the thought of how the little Britisher had
wiped the eyes of these veteran fishermen. The captive was cut open,
and two recent flying-fish found in his maw, which were utilized for
new bait, with the result that there was a cheerful noise of hissing and
spluttering in the galley soon after, and a mess of fish for all hands.

Shortly afterwards a fresh breeze sprang up, which proved to be the
beginning of the N.E. trades, and fairly guaranteed us against any very
bad weather for some time to come.

Somehow or other it had leaked out that we were to cruise the Cape Verd
Islands for a spell before working south, and the knowledge seemed to
have quite an enlivening effect upon our Portuguese shipmates.

Most of them belonged there, and although there was but the faintest
prospect of their getting ashore upon any pretext whatever, the
possibility of seeing their island homes agai