“Stop your chaffin’, boys, and let’s catch some birds for to-morrow’s dinner,” said one of the men who had been listening to the conversation. “There’s an uncommon lot of ’em about to-night, an’ it seems to me if the fog increases we shall have more of ’em.”
“Ho–o–o!
“‘Sich a gittin’ up stairs, and
A playin’ on the fiddle,’”
Sang Jack Shales, as he sprang up the wire-rope ladder that led to the lantern, round which innumerable small birds were flitting, as if desirous of launching themselves bodily into the bright light.
“What is that fellow about?” inquired Stanley Hall of the mate, as the two stood conversing near the binnacle.
“He’s catching small birds, sir. We often get a number in that way here. But they ain’t so numerous about the Gull as I’ve seen them in some of the other lightships. You may find it difficult to believe, but I do assure you, sir, that I have caught as many as five hundred birds with my own hand in the course of two hours.”
“Indeed! what sort of birds?”
“Larks and starlings chiefly, but there were other kinds amongst ’em. Why, sir, they flew about my head and round the lantern like clouds of snowflakes. I was sittin’ on the lantern just as Shales is sittin’ now, and the birds came so thick that I had to pull my sou’-wester down over my eyes, and hold up my hands sometimes before my face to protect myself, for they hit me all over. I snapped at ’em, and caught ’em as fast as I could use my hands—gave their heads a screw, and crammed ’em into my pockets. In a short time the pockets were all as full as they could hold—coat, vest, and trousers. I had to do it so fast that many of ’em wasn’t properly killed, and some came alive agin, hopped out of my pockets, and flew away.”
At that moment there arose a laugh from the men as they watched their comrade, who happened to be performing a feat somewhat similar to that just described by the mate.
Jack Shales had seated himself on the roof of the lantern. This roof being opaque, he and the mast, which rose above him, and its distinctive ball on the top, were enveloped in darkness. Jack appeared like a man of ebony pictured against the dark sky. His form and motions could therefore be distinctly seen, although his features were invisible. He appeared to be engaged in resisting an attack from a host of little birds which seemed to have made up their minds to unite their powers for his destruction; the fact being that the poor things, fascinated by the brilliant light, flew over, under, and round it, with eyes so dazzled that they did not observe the man until almost too late to sheer off and avoid him. Indeed, many of them failed in this attempt, and flew right against his head, or into his bosom. These he caught, killed, and pocketed, as fast as possible, until his pockets were full, when he descended to empty them.