"Something's vexed Skipper Harry this morning, and that's a shame, for a better soul never lived." "Well, mates," said he, as he approached them, "have you seen a shark cruising off the coast this morning?" "No," was the reply. "But I have," said Harry, "though she is making off to keep out of sight now; and, more than that, I have seen a cut-throat lubber that I would not set my foot upon--I mean the old Beelzebub imp, with the white and yellow stripe on his yawl, pull from her side. And what was he doing there? Was it not telling them to look out for the lugger?" Some of the boat's crew uttered sudden and bitter imprecations. "Let us go and sink the old rascal before he reach the shore," said one. "With all my heart," cried another; for they were all interested in the landing of the lugger, and in the excitement of the moment they wist not what they said. "Softly, softly, my lads," returned Harry; "we must think now what we can do for the cargo and ourselves, and not of him." "Right, master," replied another; "that is what I am thinking." "Now, look ye," continued Harry, "I believe we shall have a squall before night, and a pretty sharp one, too; but we mustn't mind that when our fortunes are at stake. Hang all black-hearted knaves that would peach on a neighbour, say I; but it is done in our case, and we must only do our best to make the rascal's story stick in his throat, or be the same as if it had; and I think it may be done yet. I know, but the peachers can't, that the lugger is to deliver a few score kegs at Blyth before she run down here. We must off and meet her, and give warning." "Ay, ay, Master Teasdale, thou'rt right; but, now that the thing has got wind, the sharks will keep a hawk's eye on us, and how we are to do it, I can't see." "Why, because thou'rt blind," said Harry. "No, hang it, and if I be, master," replied the other; "I can see as far as most o' folks, as ye can testify; and I dow see plain enough, that if we put to sea now, we shall hae the cutter after us; and that would be what I call only leading the shark to where the salmon lay." "Man, I wonder to hear thee," said Harry; "folk wad say thou hadst nae mair gumption than a born fool. Do ye think I wad be such an ass as to send out spies in the face o' the enemy? Hae I had a run o' gud luck for twenty years, and yet ye think me nae better general than that comes to? I said, nae doubt, that we should gang to sea to meet the lugger, though there will be a squall, and a heavy one, too, before night, as sure as I'm telling ye; but I didna say that we should dow sae under the bows o' the cutter, in our awn boat, or out o' Embleton." "Right, right, master," said another, "no more you did. Ned isn't half awake." The name of the fisherman alluded to was Ned Thomson.