human
How long before you go ashore, captain?
gpt
Oh, when I get my load.
human
But what do you call a load?
gpt
Now, that’s a question I never could answer. I never saw the time I couldn’t get on one more haul of fish. A smack is like an omnibus--it always has room for one more,
human
You are pretty full now.
gpt
Bless you, no! This isn’t a trifle to what we ought to do. Mighty poor fishing this trip. Reckon I’ve got a Jonah aboard.
human
A couple of them, perhaps,
gpt
The fog is coming on, continued the captain, looking off seaward.
human
We shan’t be able to see our hands afore our faces to-night, like as not.
gpt
What do you do in a fog?
human
Do? why, we make the best of it, boy. What do you suppose?
gpt
I thought, perhaps, you went ashore, or anchored somewhere,
human
Oh, you did? The fog lasts two or three weeks sometimes. No; we go ahead, and catch every fish we can.
gpt
Aren’t you afraid some other vessel will run you down?
human
It would be about as bad for her as it would for us, answered the captain, puffing the smoke from his pipe contentedly.
gpt
I’d rather have it pleasant; but we don’t have the ordering of the weather, and I’ve fallen into the way of making the best of things--weather and everything else. If it’s good weather, I’m glad; if it isn’t, I don’t fret. If the fish bite, I’m glad; if they don’t, I just stay out the longer; and sooner or later I get a good load. It don’t do no good to be frettin’ and fussin’.