Part 1 (2/2)

The fisherlass

Then he gritted his teeth and bit his lip ”You stay up here on the road, boy I got to climb down there and make sure”

Wilf stood at the sea-wall He was barely tall enough to look over it

He watched Andy claainst the outer face of the wall

Every now and then a big ould rise up, a greenfoa to scare him back

But h often knocked down and half drowned, would struggle to his feet again and go on

Wilf saw Andy pick up the--yes, it was a body--and put it on his shoulder, and co toward the rocks Then he clambered tediously over the stones, and Wilf sahose body it was that Andy was carrying

It was his boy friend Jione out only a few hours before, with the sun on his fair hair, laughing and whistling and shouting his gay farewell ”Be back in a little while, Wilf! Bring you a nice big fish for your supper You want to have a good hot fire ready to cook it Better change your ain would he hear that cheery hail of invitation to adventure

Andy laid the little half-frozen figure down, carefully, tenderly, beside the wall

”Too bad!” he said, ”too bad! But the sea can be terrible cruel to the sons o' ot to take the poor boy to his ed off into the stor-huts

Wilf went back to his own house, thinking about the sea and how cruel it had been

”Mother,” he said, as they sat together talking over the tragedy, ”isn't it queer that you can have such fun with the sea so on it, and then all of a sudden it gets one out in the boat with Ji, with the strong salt breeze to dry hi of sea-birds against grey clouds was the sweetest of music He loved to have the surf knock him about, and the sun burn hi hiot hold of his toes The roar of the surf sang hiht like an old nurse

One day when the spring caun over his shoulder, to shoot wild ducks

He was a regular water-baby

Round about hi The swift tidal currents found their way up-streaun on the sand, took off his clothes, and plunged into the clear, cold water

It carried hireen island

”It's just like Robinson Crusoe!” he told hiht I can do just as I please!”

He ran up and down in the sunlight, laughing and shouting in the wind and throwing his arood it felt to be alive!

”Guess I'll go back and get the gun,” he said, ”and see if I can't shoot one of those wild ducks I'll ht”

It wasn't so easy to swiainst the current that had carried hireen island

It was less effort to leave the strea the muddy bank