“She was beginnin’ to tell me, Mr Massey, when you came in, something about fishin’ for albytresses, an’ I always thought albytresses was birds, and—”
“Quite right, Peggy. See, this is how it is: you bait a hook—but come,” said the coxswain, rising suddenly, and taking up the ball of twine, “they do say example’s better than precept. Come along wi’ me an’ Nell, an’ we’ll show you how to do it.”
So saying, Massey led the two women down to the boat, telling Mrs Hayward, whom they passed on the way, to heave some more sticks on the fire, as it was getting low.
“Never fear,” said Eva, who carried the baling-dish full of shell-fish in her hands. “I shall never forget the fright we got that time Joe let it get so low that it was almost at the last spark. You won’t be long away, will you?”
“Not long. Anyhow, we’ll be sure to turn up for dinner.”
During their short residence on the island, the coxswain had observed that albatrosses paid them frequent visits. The giant birds had exhibited some signs of curiosity as to the doings of the new arrivals on the island; so he resolved to capture one of them, with a view to soup!
Embarking in the boat, he rowed towards a point of rocks jutting out into the sea, over which albatrosses had been seen hovering many times. On the way, Nellie, who had previously been taught what to do, fastened a small bit of wood to the end of the line she had spun. Hanging from this was a hook that the coxswain had made from a gull’s breast-bone. It was baited with a piece of pork. Before arriving at the point of rocks, they saw that an albatross was soaring over it on its mighty outspread wings. On observing the boat, it flew away and disappeared in the distance; but Bob was not much concerned about that.
“Now, Nell,” he said, on landing, “carry this bait out to sea as far as the line will let you, lay it on the water, an’ then pull back into yon cove, and see that you hide the boat an’ yourselves well, and keep quiet. You mustn’t even talk, Peggy! Yon fellow will soon be back.”
Nellie did exactly as she was directed; and then her husband, holding the shore-end of the line, concealed himself among the rocks.
He was right about the bird. Ere long, it was seen returning, and soon, on motionless, expanded wings, it hovered over the rocky point. Then it caught sight of the floating bait. With a majestic swoop, it dived, caught it up, and next moment was flouncing wildly about, hooked by the tongue, while Bob Massey hauled in the line. He had provided himself with a stick, and when the huge bird came within reach he felled it, to the immense delight of the watchers in the cove, who had already begun to smell savoury soup by anticipation!