The Argosy, August 1914 — page 70: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

60 had any very important bus’ness on hand. Do you reckon they’ve smelled them mackerel? ” “More likely they smelled us,” Herb Mann growled. “ They seen there was somethin’ up and wanted to come in on it, I wouldn’t be s’prised.”’ All hands looked anxiously to see which way the Simcox boat headed after quitting the harbor. It came about and trailed unashamed in the wake of the leader. “ Sufferin’ porpoises, if they ain't got a seine aboard too!” exclaimed Captain Zed, ‘“‘ Yet they couldn't ’a’ seen them mackerel.”’ “ Give her all th’ gas she'll take, cap’n,” the number one man advised. “This old tub ain’t so very speedy, but we’ve got a little start an’ p’raps we kin shake ’em.”’ It was at ‘best a travesty of a race. Even unimpeded by its dories and carrying less weight than a full crew, -either boat would have been embar- rassed if called on to do six knots an hour. Considering the possible stakes involved, however, it was an event of consequence. Jack Garrett was the only man aboard without personal experience of one of the fishermen’s biggest gam- bles. All of the others had run the gamut of elation and disappointment attendant on the pursuit of this im- portant article of sea-food. He knew something about it, how- ever, from overhearing the reminis- cences of his companions in yarn-tell- ing hours. If it should prove to be a school of mackerel he had seen—and as had been pointed out forcibly, the chances were all against it at this season—and they fell to the seine the profits of a single haul might be greater than an entire season’s trap-fishing. Right here on Barratry one catch had been made worth thirty thousand dollars. And at that it had been necessary to pickle the fish. Could they have been taken into market iresh it would have meant even more money. THE ARGOSY. It was small wonder, therefore, that the eyes of the men glittered with ex- citement as they neared the spot where Jack had seen fish. There was a year’s earnings for every man in SUCCESS. Captain Zed took the wheel, while Herb Mann and Jack stood up in the bow, the former to search for signs and the latter to indicate where he had seen the school. The Simcox beat still hung astern, its position having changed little with— respect to the leader. Its crew was only too clearly playing a game of follow the leader, although the tall figure of Buck Potter was perched on the thwarts, with an advantage of a few inches as lookout over anybody among the Hoopers. ‘“ Now where was it, Jack?” Herb inquired. .“ Here’s Bleeson Point.” “Right over there,” Jack pointed. “They broke water—I was up on the top of the cliff, and I didn’t wait to see which way they might be heading. Perhaps I should have.” “You done just right,’ Herb com- mended. ‘ They haven’t got far away yet. Throw her over a leetle to star- board, cap’n.” The boat veered to the direction Herb’s finger indicated. ““ Now slow her down—there, that’s about right. Charlie, you stick right -by th’ engin’ in case she needs any lookin’ after.- Be ready to sock th’ ~ gasoline to her any minute. Hold her there.”’ Mackerel-fishing presents all the thrills of any fishing, with a few of its own. <A school comes to the sur- face with a rush in pursuit of what- ever it feeds on, then drops out of sight, and may not be seen again for an hour. Or it may make a succession of rushes, excited by abundance of some favorite article of diet, in which case it falls easy prey. In the former event, however, it tries the patience. The fisherman knows that the mackerel are only a few feet below the surface, perhaps CORMICLOOOKS (C@