“A naddock!” sneered Watt; “mair like a bit o’ tangle than——­eh! losh me! it is a fish——­”

“Well done, Joe!” cried Bremner, from the doorway above, as a large rock-cod was drawn to the surface of the water.

“Stay, it’s too large to pull up with the line.  I’ll run down and gaff it,” cried Ruby, fastening his own line to the beam, and descending to the water by the usual ladder, on one of the main beams.  “Now, draw him this way—­gently, not too roughly—­take time.  Ah! that was a miss—­he’s off; no!  Again; now then——­”

Another moment, and a goodly cod of about ten pounds weight was wriggling on the iron hook which Ruby handed up to Dumsby, who mounted with his prize in triumph to the kitchen.

From that moment the fish began to “take”.

While the men were thus busily engaged, a boat was rowing about in the fog, vainly endeavouring to find the rock.

It was the boat of two fast friends, Jock Swankie and Davy Spink.

These worthies were in a rather exhausted condition, having been rowing almost incessantly from daybreak.

“I tell ’ee what it is,” said Swankie; “I’ll be hanged if I poo another stroke.”

He threw his oar into the boat, and looked sulky.

“It’s my belief,” said his companion, “that we ought to be near aboot Denmark be this time.”

“Denmark or Rooshia, it’s a’ ane to me,” rejoined Swankie; “I’ll hae a smoke.”

So saying, he pulled out his pipe and tobacco box, and began to cut the tobacco.  Davy did the same.

Suddenly both men paused, for they heard a sound.  Each looked enquiringly at the other, and then both gazed into the thick fog.

“Is that a ship?” said Davy Spink.

They seized their oars hastily.

“The beacon, as I’m a leevin’ sinner!” exclaimed Swankie.

If Spink had not backed his oar at that moment, there is some probability that Swankie would have been a dead, instead of a living, sinner in a few minutes, for they had almost run upon the north-east end of the Bell Rock, and distinctly heard the sound of voices on the beacon.  A shout settled the question at once, for it was replied to by a loud holloa from Ruby.

In a short time the boat was close to the beacon, and the water was so very calm that day, that they were able to venture to hand the packet of letters with which they had come off into the beacon, even although the tide was full.

“Letters,” said Swankie, as he reached out his hand with the packet.

“Hurrah!” cried the men, who were all assembled on the mortar-gallery, looking down at the fishermen, excepting Ruby, Watt, and Dumsby, who were still on the cross-beams below.

“Mind the boat; keep her aff,” said Swankie, stretching out his hand with the packet to the utmost, while Dumsby descended the ladder and held out his hand to receive it.

“Take care,” cried the men in chorus, for news from shore was always a very exciting episode in their career, and the idea of the packet being lost filled them with sudden alarm.