"'Reckon how there won't be any mistake about it next time. Give us yer hand, captain.' (Pluck shakes hands with the Britisher). 'They say the Pinkey, Starlight--you know she's a ripper to fish inside of the line!--got into a monstrous shoal of fresh mackerel day afore yesterday, and is now takin' on 'em like sixty, inside of the line, down _north-east_ of us.' "'Do you tell me that? That fellow Smooth at it, again, fishing inside of the line? And inside the point as well, I suppose?' The Britisher looked surprised, and listened attentively to Pluck as he assumed an air of innocence. "'Just so! Smooth is the keenest feller. Don't care a whit about the line; and the Starlight's so mighty used to fishin' inside, that even the fish seem to have a likin' for the skipper.' "'I'll see after that treaty-breaker, I will,' growls the chap, changing his good natur' into bad again. "'Down _north-east of us_ ye'll find him, inside the point,' continues Pluck, looking all over serious. "'I'll catch the fellow, and right soon, too;' and, being right good friends, they shook hands, and the Britisher left, quite satisfied. Just as he, in his boat, was leavin' the Spunk for the Devastation, Pluck bellowed out, fearin' he'd forget it, 'Keep a straight course, _north-east_ about two points east! about two points east! and yer sure to come upon him.' The last thing Pluck saw of the Devastation, she was heading for _the supposed spot_, steering away, drivin' all the fish into the middle of the Atlantic, and expecting to find the Starlight where Pluck said she was. "No sooner was the Devastation put all right than Pluck hauled his wind, and next mornin' came up with the Starlight, which had taken about eighty barrels of fine fat mackerel. The game being nicely played, the Starlight and the Spunk both run in for a shelter, where the spoils could be shared according to practical diplomacy--not the diplomacy that has been twenty years gettin' the question into an interminable difficulty. This done, Smooth, having helped the folks on shore with their political meetings, and prayer meetings, and consultation meetings, stepped on board again, and took command of the Starlight without any extra trouble. But that was not the end of it. The looks of such fine fat fish raised a mighty fuss in the town, everybody forgot the politics and the prayer meetings, and begun to talk fish. They declared the Yankees had encroached on the Britisher's rights. Despatches were next day to go to head-quarters, a whole British fleet was wanted, and must come down and seize Smooth's Pinkey, the Starlight--fish and all. The whole talk and noise didn't make much matter to Smooth; he didn't believe in talking--acting was his motto--go-ahead. 'Blow away, citizens--blow away! A little more energy is worth the whole. There is fish enough for us all; but politics and prayer meetings will not catch them.' CHAPTER XXV. THE PIOUS SQUIRE.