christie johnstone-第21章

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To　look　at　this　painted　poem　was　to　feel　a　thrill　of　pleasure　in　bare
existence；　it　went　through　the　eyes；　where　paintings　stop；　and　warmed　the
depths　and　recesses　of　the　heart　with　its　sunshine　and　its　glorious　air。


CHAPTER　XIII。


〃WHAT　is　in　the　wind　this　dark　night？　Six　Newhaven　boats　and　twenty　boys
and　hobbledehoys；　hired　by　the　Johnstones　at　half　a　crown　each　for　a
night's　job。〃

〃Secret　service！〃

〃What　is　it　for？〃

〃I　think　it　is　a　smuggling　lay；〃　suggested　Flucker；　〃but　we　shall　know
all　in　good　time。〃

〃Smuggling！〃　Their　countenances　fell；　they　had　hoped　for　something　more
nearly　approaching　the　illegal。

〃Maybe　she　has　fand　the　herrin'；〃　said　a　ten…year…old。

〃Haw！　haw！　haw！〃　went　the　others。　〃She　find　the　herrin'；　when　there's
five　hundred　fishermen　after　them　baith　sides　the　Firrth。〃

The　youngster　was　discomfited。

In　fact　the　expedition　bore　no　signs　of　fishing。

The　six　boats　sailed　at　sundown；　led　by　Flucker。　He　brought　to　on　the
south　side　of　Inch　Keith；　and　nothing　happened　for　about　an　hour。

Then　such　boys　as　were　awake　saw　two　great　eyes　of　light　coming　up　from
Granton；　rattle　went　the　chain　cable；　and　Lord　Ipsden's　cutter　swung　at
anchor　in　four　fathom　water。

A　thousand　questions　to　Flucker。

A　single　puff　of　tobacco…smoke　was　his　answer。

And　now　crept　up　a　single　eye　of　light　from　Leith；　she　came　among　the
boats；　the　boys　recognized　a　crazy　old　cutter　from　Leith　harbor；　with
Christie　Johnstone　on　board。

〃What　is　that　brown　heap　on　her　deck？〃

〃A　mountain　of　netsfifty　stout　herring…nets。〃

_Tunc　manifesta　fides。_

A　yell　burst　from　all　the　boys。

〃He's　gaun　to　tak　us　to　Dunbar。〃

〃Half　a　crown！　ye're　no　blate。〃

Christie　ordered　the　boats　alongside　her　cutter；　and　five　nets　were
dropped　into　each　boat；　six　into　Flucker's。

The　depth　of　the　water　was　given　them；　and　they　were　instructed　to　shoot
their　nets　so　as　to　keep　a　fathom　and　a　half　above　the　rocky　bottom。

A　herring　net　is　simply　a　wall　of　meshes　twelve　feet　deep；　fifty　feet
long；　it　sinks　to　a　vertical　position　by　the　weight　of　net　twine；　and　is
kept　from　sinking　to　the　bottom　of　the　sea　by　bladders　or　corks。　These
nets　are　tied　to　one　another；　and　paid　out　at　the　stern　of　the　boat。　Boat
and　nets　drift　with　the　tide；　if；　therefore；　the　nets　touched　the　rocks
they　would　be　torn　to　pieces；　and　the　fisherman　ruined。

And　this　saves　the　herringthat　fish　lies　hours　and　hours　at　the　very
bottom　of　the　sea　like　a　stone；　and　the　poor　fisherman　shall　drive　with
his　nets　a　yard　or　two　over　a　square　mile　of　fish；　and　not　catch　a
herring　tail；　on　the　other　hand；　if　they　rise　to　play　for　five　minutes；
in　that　five　minutes　they　shall　fill　seven　hundred　boats。

At　nine　o'clock　all　the　boats　had　shot　their　nets；　and　Christie　went
alongside　his　lordship's　cutter；　he　asked　her　many　questions　about
herring　fishery；　to　which　she　gave　clear　answers；　derived　from　her
father；　who　had　always　been　what　the　fishermen　call　a　lucky　fisherman；
that　is；　he　had　opened　his　eyes　and　judged　for　himself。

Lord　Ipsden　then　gave　her　blue　lights　to　distribute　among　the　boats；　that
the　first　which　caught　herring　might　signal　all　hands。

This　was　done；　and　all　was　expectation。　Eleven　o'clock　cameno　signal
from　any　boat。

Christie　became　anxious。　At　last　she　went　round　to　the　boats；　found　the
boys　all　asleep　except　the　baddish　boy；　waked　them　up；　and　made　them　all
haul　in　their　first　net。　The　nets　came　in　as　black　as　ink；　no　sign　of　a
herring。

There　was　but　one　opinion；　there　was　no　herring　at　Inch　Keith；　they　had
not　been　there　this　seven　years。

At　last；　Flucker；　to　whom　she　came　in　turn；　told　her　he　was　going　into
two　fathom　water；　where　he　would　let　out　the　bladders　and　drop　the　nets
on　their　cursed　backs。

A　strong　remonstrance　was　made　by　Christie；　but　the　baddish　boy　insisted
that　he　had　an　equal　right　in　all　her　nets；　and；　setting　his　sail；　he　ran
into　shoal　water。

Christie　began　to　be　sorrowful；　instead　of　making　money；　she　was　going　to
throw　it　away；　and　the　ne'er…do…weel　Flucker　would　tear　six　nets　from　the
ropes。

Flucker　hauled　down　his　sail；　and　unstepped　his　mast　in　two　fathom　water；
but　he　was　not　such　a　fool　as　to　risk　his　six　nets；　he　devoted　one　to　his
experiment；　and　did　it　well；　he　let　out　his　bladder　line　a　fathom；　so
that　one　half　his　net　would　literally　be　higgledy…piggledy　with　the
rocks；　unless　the　fish　were　there　_en　masse。_

No　long　time　was　required。

In　five　minutes　he　began　to　haul　in　the　net；　first；　the　boys　hauled　in
the　rope；　and　then　the　net　began　to　approach　the　surface。　Flucker　looked
anxiously　down；　the　other　lads　incredulously；　suddenly　they　all　gave　a
yell　of　triumphan　appearance　of　silver　and　lightning　mixed　had　glanced
up　from　the　bottom；　in　came　the　first　two　yards　of　the　netthere　were
three　herrings　in　it。　These　three　proved　Flucker's　point　as　well　as　three
million。

They　hauled　in　the　net。　Before　they　had　a　quarter　of　it　in；　the　net　came
up　to　the　surface；　and　the　sea　was　alive　with　molten　silver。　The　upper
half　of　the　net　was　empty；　but　the　lower　half　was　one　solid　mass　of　fish。

The　boys　could　not　find　a　mesh；　they　had　nothing　to　handle　but　fish。

At　this　moment　the　easternmost　boat　showed　a　blue　light。

〃The　fish　are　rising；〃　said　Flucker；　〃we'll　na　risk　nae　mair　nets。〃

Soon　after　this　a　sort　of　song　was　heard　from　the　boat　that　had　showed　a
light。　Flucker；　who　had　got　his　net　in；　ran　down　to　her；　and　found；　as　he
suspected；　that　the　boys　had　not　power　to　draw　the　weight　of　fish　over
the　gunwale。

They　were　singing；　as　sailors　do；　that　they　might　all　pull　together；　he
gave　them　two　of　his　crew；　and　ran　down　to　his　own　skipper。

The　said　skipper　gave　him　four　men。

Another　blue　light！

Christie　and　her　crew　came　a　little　nearer　the　boats；　and　shot　twelve
nets。

The　yachtsmen　entered　the　sport　with　zeal；　so　did　his　lordship。

The　boats　were　all　full　in　a　few　minutes；　and　nets　still　out。

Then　Flucker　began　to　fear　some　of　these　nets　would　sink　with　the　weight
of　fish；　for　the　herring　die　after　a　while　in　a　net；　and　a　dead　herring
sinks。

What　was　to　be　done？

They　got　two　boats　alongside　the　cutter；　and　unloaded　them　into　her　as
well　as　they　could；　but　before　they　could　half　do　this　the　other　boats
hailed　them。

They　came　to　one　of　them；　the　boys　were　struggling　with　a　thing　which　no
stranger　would　have　dreamed　was　a　net。

Imagine　a　white　sheet；　fifty　feet　long；　varnished　with　red…hot　silver。
There　were　twenty　barrels　in　this　single　net。　By　dint　of　fresh　hands　they
got　half　of　her　in；　and　then　the　meshes　began　to　break；　the　men　leaned
over　the　gunwale；　and　put　their　arms　round　blocks　and　masses　of　fish；　and
so　flung　them　on　board；　and　the　codfish　and　dogfish　snapped　them　almost
out　of　the　men's　hands　like　tigers。

At　last　they　came　to　a　net　which　was　a　double　wall　of　herring；　it　had
been　some　time　in　the　water；　and　many　of　the　fish　were　dead；　they　tried
their　best；　but　it　was　impracticable；　they　laid　hold　of　the　solid
herring；　and　when　they　lifted　up　a　hundred…weight　clear　of　the　water；
away　it　all　tore；　and　sank　back　again。

They　were　obliged　to　cut　away　this　net；　with　twenty　pounds　sterling　in
her。　They　cut　away　the　twine　from　the　head…ropes；　and　net　and　fish　went
to　the　bottom。

All　hands　were　now　about　the　cutter；　Christie's　nets　were　all　strong　and
new；　they　had　been　some　time　in　the　water；　in　hauling　them　up　her　side；
quantities　of　fish　fell　out　of　the　net　into　the　water；　but　there　were
enough　left。

She　averaged　twelve　barrels　a　net。

Such　of　the　yawls　as　were　not　quite　full　crept　between　the　cutter　and　the
nets；　and　caught　all　they　wanted。

The　projector　of　this　fortunate　speculation　suddenly　announced　that　she
was　very　sleepy。

Flucker　rolled　her　up　in　a　sail；　and　she　slept　the　sleep　of　infancy　on
board　her　cutter。

When　she　awoke　it　was　seven　o'clock　in　the　morning；　and　her　cutter　was
creeping　with　a　smart　breeze　about　two　miles　an　hour；　a　mile　from
Newhaven　pier。

The　yacht　had　returned　to　Granton；　and　the　yawls；　very　low　in　the　water；
were　creeping　along　like　snails；　with　both　sails　set。

The　news　was　in　Edinburgh　long　befo