christie johnstone-第19节

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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　before　they　landed。　They　had　been
discerned　under　Inch　Keith　at　the　dawn。

And　the　manner　of　their　creeping　along；　when　there　was　such　a　breeze；
told　the　tale　at　once　to　the　keen；　experienced　eyes　that　are　sure　to　be
scanning　the　sea。

Donkey…carts　came　rattling　down　from　the　capital。

Merchants　came　pelting　down　to　Newhaven　pier。

The　whole　story　began　to　be　put　together　by　bits；　and　comprehended。　Old
Johnstone's　cleverness　was　recalled　to　mind。

The　few　fishermen　left　at　Newhaven　were　ready　to　kill　themselves。

Their　wives　were　ready　to　do　the　same　good　office　for　La　Johnstone。

Four　Irish　merchants　agreed　to　work　together；　and　to　make　a　show　of
competition；　the　better　to　keep　the　price　down　within　bounds。

It　was　hardly　fair；　four　men　against　one　innocent　unguarded　female。

But　this　is　a　wicked　world。

Christie　landed；　and　proceeded　to　her　own　house；　on　the　way　she　was　met
by　Jean　Carnie；　who　debarrassed　her　of　certain　wrappers；　and　a
handkerchief　she　had　tied　round　her　head；　and　informed　her　she　was　the
pride　of　Newhaven。

She　next　met　these　four　little　merchants；　one　after　another。

And　since　we　ought　to　dwell　as　little　as　possible　upon　scenes　in　which
unguarded　innocence　is　exposed　to　artful　conspiracies；　we　will　put　a　page
or　two　into　the　brute　form　of　dramatic　dialogue；　and　so　sail　through　it
quicker。

_1st　Merchant。_　〃Where　are　ye　going；　Meggie？〃

_Christie　Johnstone。_　〃If　onybody　asks　ye；　say　ye　dinna　ken。〃

_1st　Mer。_　〃Will　ye　sell　your　fish？〃

_Christie。_　〃Suner　than　gie　them。〃

_1st　Mer。_　〃You　will　be　asking　fifteen　shillin'　the　cran。〃

_Christie。_　〃And　ten　to　that。〃

_1st　Mer。_　〃Good…morning。〃

_2d　Mer。_　〃Would　he　not　go　over　fifteen　shillings？　Oh；　the　thief　o'　the
world！　I'll　give　sixteen。〃

_3d　Mer。_　〃But　I'll　give　eighteen。〃

_2d　Mer。_　〃More　fool　you！　Take　him　up；　my　girl。〃

_Christie。_　〃Twenty…five　is　my　price　the　day。〃

_3d　Mer。_　〃You　will　keep　them　till　Sunday　week　and　sell　their　bones。〃

_＇Exeunt　the　three　Merchants。　Enter　4th　Merchant。_

_4th　Mer。_　〃Are　your　fish　sold？　I'll　give　sixteen　shillings。〃

_Christie。_　〃I'm　seeking　twenty…five；　an'　I'm　offered　eighteen。

_4th　Mer。_　〃Take　it。〃　_＇Exit。_

_Christie。_　〃They　hae　putten　their　heads　thegither。〃

Here　Flucker　came　up　to　her；　and　told　her　there　was　a　Leith　merchant
looking　for　her。　〃And；　Custy；〃　said　he；　〃there's　plenty　wind　getting　up；
your　fish　will　be　sair　hashed；　put　them　off　your　hands；　I　rede　ye。〃

_Christie。_　〃Ay；　lad！　Flucker；　hide；　an'　when　I　play　my　hand　sae；　ye'll
run　in　an　cry；　'Cirsty；　the　Irishman　will　gie　ye　twenty…two　schellin　the
cran。'〃

_Flucker。_　〃Ye　ken　mair　than's　in　the　catecheesm；　for　as　releegious　as　ye
are。〃

The　Leith　merchant　was　Mr。　Miller；　and　this　is　the　way　he　worked。

_Miller　（in　a　mellifluous　voice）。_　〃Are　ye　no　fatigued；　my　deear？〃

_Christie　（affecting　fatigue）。_　〃Indeed；　sir；　and　I　am。〃

_Miller。_　〃Shall　I　have　the　pleasure　to　deal　wi'　ye？〃

_Christie。_　〃If　it's　your　pleasure；　sir。　I'm　seekin'　twenty…five
schellin。〃

_Miller　（pretendi