Jack was out soon after dawn. There was a haze over sea and sky, and the wind was blowing strongly; it was from the north-west now, but Jack thought that it was likely to draw round to the quarter his uncle had predicted. "There must be a heavy sea on now all the way from the Swin Middle to the Nore with the wind meeting a lee tide," he said to himself; "but of course when the ebb is done it will smooth down a bit, and will be all right if the weather does not come on too thick. A fog is bad enough and a gale is bad enough, but when you get the two together I would rather be at home and in bed by a long way than on board the Bessy."
"Well, Jack, what do you make out of the weather?" Ben Tripper asked, as he came out from the fo'castle.
"It looks rather wild, uncle; but I think the wind is working round to the north of east, just as you thought it would last night."
"Yes; I think it is," Ben said, surveying the sky. "Well, get the fire alight at once, Jack, and get breakfast ready; we will have our meal before we start. We shall have enough to do when we are once under way. I will run down to the Naze anyhow, and then we shall see what it is like outside. If we don't like its looks we can pop back anyhow; and shall have lost nothing, for there is no shooting nets to-day, that is quite certain."
The topmast was lowered, small jib and foresail got up, and two reefs put in the mainsail; then they began to get up the anchor.
"What! are you going up home, Tripper?" shouted a man from the next boat.
"Ay, ay, lad!"
"You will get your decks washed before you get to the Mouse!"
"Do them good and save us trouble!" Tripper shouted back.
"Tell the missis if you see her she may expect to see me next Saturday if the wind is right." Tripper threw up his arm to show he understood, and then lent his aid in getting up the anchor.