'Well,' Charlie said, rather pleased at the astonishment he had caused, 'let us forget him for a time. When do we return to Grimsby?'
'In three or four days.'
'So soon? I thought we were out for three weeks, at the least. I had an idea that steam trawlers always remained out for three weeks.'
'Boats belonging to the fleets do. A steam carrier collects the boxes of fish from them every morning, and carries them off to London. But single boaters have to take in their own fish to Grimsby, and therefore they have to run in every few days, or else the fish wouldn't be fresh.'
'Then I shan't have to endure the skipper for as long as I expected.'
'You'll have to endure him for seven or eight weeks, I'm afraid. When we run in just to land fish we are not allowed to quit the ship. After unloading we sail as soon as possible.'
'But do you mean to say that he can prevent my leaving the ship at Grimsby?'
'I believe he can. You see, if men were allowed to leave whenever they liked, the fishing industry would soon be upset.'
'I didn't think of that. However, I will get a substitute if possible. There will be no objection to that, I suppose?'
'I don't know. The skipper is a curious kind of fellow, and he may refuse to let you go, so that he may have the pleasure of bullying you. Why don't you pretend that you are ill? He would put you ashore very soon then.'