hat."

"That depends," said Grummidge. "I've had 'em tuggin' at my
heart-strings worse than that many a time."

"Look out! Here it comes," cried Oliver, as something huge and white
was seen to flash wildly in the green depths. "Have the cleek ready."

"All ready, my boy," said his father, in a low voice, leaning over the
side with a stick, at the end of which was a large iron hook.

"Now then, father! Quick! Missed it? No! Hurrah!"

For a moment it seemed as if Master Trench had got Neptune himself on
his cleek, so severely did his stout frame quiver. Then he gave a
tremendous heave--"ya-hoy!" and up came a magnificent cod--the first of
a grand hecatomb of cod-fish which have since that day enriched the
world, nauseated the sick with "liver oil," and placed Newfoundland
among the most important islands of the British Empire.

"Well done, Olly!" exclaimed the delighted father; but he had barely
time to open his mouth for the next remark, when Squill uttered an Irish
yell, and was seen holding on to his line with desperate resolve stamped
on every feature.

"That's the merman this time," cried Stubbs.

"His gran'mother, no less," muttered Squill, in a strongly suppressed
voice, while he anxiously hauled in the line.

A shout from the other side of the boat here diverted attention.

"Attacked front and rear!" cried Paul, with a hilarious laugh, "I
shouldn't wonder if--hallo! N-no, it was only a nib--ha! there he is!"

And, truly, there he was in a few minutes, another splendid cod in the
bottom of the boat.

To make a long story short, the boat was nearly filled with cod before
the sun set, and that night was spent in general rejoicing and feasting
on fish--with a second course of pork and pancakes for those who were
insatiable.

But the state of contentment did not last long. The very next day there
was quarrelling as to who should go in the boat. To allay the
contention, Trench and Paul volunteered to stay in camp and help the
party that should be left to split and clean the fish, and erect tents
and booths. Again the fishing was successful, but dissensions about the
use of the boat soon became more violent than ever.

Of course, in all this Master Trench and his friend Paul took a
prominent part in trying to smooth matters, to the intense jealousy of
Big Swinton and his sympathisers. In short, the camp ere long was
divided into two hostile bands--the moderately bad and the immoderately
wick