"I--I--thought it best to get out of the way." "So it seems," said the old sailor grimly.

"It's lucky, though, that every one was not of the same mind; or where would we all be! Dick, where's that hatchet I gave you this morning to put into the boat ?" "It's in the after locker, sir." "Look smart, then," cried the Captain excitedly.

"Bear a hand and get it at once." At this order, Dick, who, like Bob, had thought "discretion the better part of valour," and got behind the windlass, in order to have some substantial obstacle between himself and the trawl-net which the Captain, with Mr Dugald Strong's aid, had partly dragged into the well of the cutter, now crawled out from his retreat; and keeping over well to leeward on the other side of the boom, proceeded to the locker in the stern-sheets, from whence he took out a small axe and handed it to Captain Dresser.
"Ha!" ejaculated the old sailor, as he gripped the weapon tightly and belaboured with the back of it, using all the vigour of his still nervous right arm, the bag, or "pocket" of the net, in which the body of some big fish was seen to be entangled; although neither its form nor appearance could be distinctly distinguished, the folds and meshes being so tightly wrapped round it.

"I'll soon settle him!" "Hold hard!" shouted out Bob's father, at about the second blow with the head of the axe over the gunwale.

"You very nearly cut my arm off then! Lucky for me you were not using the edge of your hatchet." "Beg your pardon, I'm sure," apologised the Captain.