Part 5 (1/2)
In Ruddy Cove all the men put out their salmon nets when the ice breaks up and drifts away southward, for the spring run of salles to the rocks and extending out froshore, it e to the harbour The outer end is buoyed and anchored, and the other is lashed to an iron stake which is driven deep into so offshore a watch round to pulp by the ice
”The wind's haulin' round a bit, b'y,” said Donald's father, one day in spring, when the lad elve years old, and he was in the company of Jimmie Grimm and Billy Topsail on the sunny slope of the Broken Nose ”I think 'twill freshen and blow inshore afore night”
”They's a scattered pan of ice out there, father,” said Donald, ”and three ss”
”Yes, b'y, I knows,” said North ”'Tis that I'es a bit in the rocks Does you think the net is safe?”
Jilanced at Jimmie Grimm
”Wh-hat, sir?” Donald staer, but since Donald had first shown sign of fearing the sea, Job North had not cos He had fallen into the habit of leaving the boy to choose his own course, believing that in time he would master himself
”I says,” he repeated, quietly, ”does you think that net's in danger?”
Billy Topsail nudged Jiether It would never do to witness a display of Donald's cowardice
”He'll not go,” Jimmie Grimm declared
”'Tis not so sure,” said Billy
”I tell you,” Jio out t' save that net” ”But!” he added; ”he'll have no heart for the leap”
”I think he'll go,” Billy insisted
In thehis son
”Well, son,” he sighed, ”what you think about that net?”
”I think, sir,” said Donald, steadily, between his teeth, ”that the net should come in”
Job North patted the boy on the back ”'Twould be wise, b'y,” said he, s, Don!” Billy Topsail shouted delightedly
Donald and his father put out in the punt There was a fair, fresh wind, and with this filling the little brown sail, they were soon driven out fro sea itself Great swells rolled in froainst the coast rocks The punt ran alongshore for twowell away from the breakers When at last she came to that point where Job North's net was set, Donald furled the sail and his father took up the oars
”'Twill be a bit hard to land,” he said
Therein lay the danger There is no beach along that coast The rocks rise abruptly fro; there, low and broken When there is a sea running, the swells roll in and break against these rocks; and when the breakers catch a punt, they are certain to smash it to splinters
The iron stake to which Job North's net was lashed was fixed in a low ledge, upon which so thereat roar and flinging spray over the ledge
”'Twill be a bit hard,” North said again
But the sal under such conditions
When their nets are in danger they do not hesitate The man at the oars lets the boat drift with the breaker stern foremost towards the rocks His e Then the other pulls the boat out of danger before the wave curls and breaks It is the only way
But sometimes the man in the stern miscalculates--leaps too soon, stumbles, leaps short He falls back, and is almost inevitably drowned So for the man at the oars; his punt is swept in, pull as hard as he may, and he is overwhelmed with her Donald knew all this He had lived in dread of the time when he must first make that leap