"Well, and you're off to work too," said Josh gruffly, as he picked from the net the half, of a pilchard, the tail portion having been bitten off by some predatory fish, as it hung helplessly by its gills. "Them hake have been having a nice game wi' the fish to-night." As he spoke he picked out another and another half pilchard, and threw them as far as he could, when, almost as each piece touched the water, a soft-looking grey gull swept down and caught it from the surface with its strong beak, uttering a low peevish-sounding wail as it swept up again, hardly seeming to move its long white-lined wings. "I should dearly like to go aboard the lighter and see what they are doing," said Will eagerly. "Paying attention to their work," said Josh sharply, "and that's what you're not doing." "I'm only a few fathoms behind you, Josh, and I shall be waiting directly. I say, when we're done let's row aboard." "I don't want to row aboard," said Josh sourly, but watching the progress of the boat the while. "They've got regular diving things there, Josh, and an air-engine; and the men go down. I should like to have a look." "What are they going down for?" said Josh; "looking for oyster-beds?" "No, no. Trelynn Mine is like to be flooded by the water that comes in from one of the galleries under the sea, and the divers go down to try and find the place where it gets in, and stop it with clay and cement." "Humph! are they going to find it, d'yer think?" "Yes, I believe so. They measure so exactly that they can put a boat right over the place. I say, Josh, shouldn't you like to go down?" "What! dive down?" "Yes." "I should just think not, indeed. A man's place is in a boat floating atop of the water, and not going underneath. If man was meant to go underneath he'd have gills and fins and scales, same as these here pilchar's." "Oh, yes, I know all that; but only think of trying on a diver's suit, and being supplied with air from above, through a tube into your helmet." "This here dress is good enough for me, and my sou'-wester's a sight better than any helmet I know, and the only air as I care about having through a tube's 'bacco smoke." "But shouldn't you like to go and see the diving?" "Not I," said Josh, staring hard at the great lighter. "'Sides, when we've done here, and the fish is all salted down, I want to row across to the lighthouse." "That will be going close by, Josh. I'll take an oar with you, and let's stop on the way." "Just couldn't think o' such a thing. Come, work away, lad," cried Josh; and both he and Will did work away, the latter saying nothing more, for he knew his man, and that there was eager curiosity and also intense longing in the looks directed by the fisherman across the water from time to time.