the Shotley Spit, or a short way up the Orwell, according to the
direction of the wind.

The hardest part of a Leigh fisherman's life Jack had not yet
encountered, for boys are seldom taken stow-boating. Stow-boating is
really sprat catching, and no one can exactly explain the meaning of the
term. It is carried on in winter at the edge of the sands, far down at
the mouth of the river. Boats are out for many days together, frequently
in terrible seas, when the boat is more under than above the water. The
work of getting up the net is heavy and exhausting, and for all this
hardship and labour the reward is often exceedingly slight. Sometimes
the sprats are abundant, and good pay is made; sometimes, when the
winter accounts are balanced up, the crew find that their share will
barely suffice to pay for their keep on board, and not a farthing is
left for the support of their wives and children.

Londoners who purchase sprats at an almost nominal price know but little
of the hard struggle those who have caught them have to make ends meet.

After fishing for a month, Ben Tripper said one Friday evening, "We will
run up to Leigh to-morrow and spend Sunday at home. I don't think we
shall lose much, for the weather looks bad, and I don't think there
will be any fishing to-morrow."

"I am pretty sure there won't, Ben," his mate said. "I think that it is
going to blow really hard, and that we shall get wet jackets as we go
up."

"We are accustomed to that," Tripper said carelessly. "Anyhow, if it
comes to blow too hard for us we can make for shelter into the Crouch or
Black Water."

"Oh, we are all right as to that, Ben! It is not a question of wet
jackets or sea that I am thinking of, only whether we are likely to drop
anchor in the Ray to-morrow night. If I were sure of that I should not
mind a dusting; but I would rather lie here quiet than have a regular
day's heavy knocking about, and then have to run in to Burnham after
all."

"So would I," Ben assented. "If the wind comes from anywhere to the west
of south it is no use thinking about it. It has been chopping and
changing about to-day, and there is no saying which way it will come
when it fairly makes up its mind about it; but I think from the look of
the sky this evening that it is as likely to come from the north-east as
not, and in that case I allow we shall make a good passage of it."

"Ay, that is right enough," Tom Hoskins assented. "They say the run from
Har