There's little to earn and many to keep, and no floating capital at a man's disposal. In recent years, owing to bad prices and seasons and general lack of encouragement, or even of fair opportunity, the number of sea-going drifters at Seacombe has decreased by two-thirds. Much the same has happened at other small fishing places along the coast. This decline--so complacently acquiesced in by the powers that be--is of national importance; for the little fisheries are the breeding ground of the Navy. Nowadays fishermen put their sons to work on land. "'Tain't wuth it," they say, "haulin' yer guts out night an' day, an' gettin' no forrarder at the end o'it." Luckily for England the sea's grip is a firm one, and many of the sons return to it. When one hears Luscombe talk about the maddening trouble he has had in teaching plough-tail or urban recruits to knot and splice a rope, or watches, as I have, a couple of blue-jackets drive ashore in a small boat because they couldn't hoist sail, then one comprehends better the importance of the fisher-families whose work is made up of endurance, exposure, nerve and skill; who play touch and go with the sea; and who in the slack seasons have--unlike the ordinary workman--only too much time to think for themselves. They are the backbone of the Navy. VII SEACOMBE, _November_. 1 Whilst the train was drawing up at the platform, I noticed the people moving and looking downwards as if dogs were running wild amongst them. Then I saw two whitish heads bobbing about in the crowd. It was Jimmy and another boy come to meet me. We gave the luggage to the busman, and walked on down. "Tommy's gone tu Plymouth." "What for?" "They'm going to cut his eyes out an' gie 'en spectacles." "When did he go?" A rather sulky silence.... Then: "Us thought 'ee was going to ride down. Dad said as yu'd be sure tu." "'Tisn't far to walk, Jimmy...." "Us be tired." Alack! I had done the wrong thing. Their little festivity, that was to have made them the envy of 'all they boys tu beach,' had fallen flat. They had expected to ride down 'like li'l gentry-boys.' However, we bought oranges, and then I was taken to see yesterday's fire, and was told how Tony had rushed into the blazing house to rescue a carpet 'an' didn' get nort for it.' Tony himself came downstairs from putting away an hour in bed. "I'd ha' come up to meet 'ee," he said sleepily, "if anybody'd a reminded me o'it. Us an't done nort to the fishing since you went away." "An' yu an't chopped up to-morrow morning's wude nuther!" added Mrs Widger.