The Cormorants of Uprost. 50 dry, but Isaac could only complain of his bad fortune to the old man, who promised him better luck next time and gave him a couple of fish-hooks. The next time they went out fishing Isaac caught as much fish as the others, and when they came ashore and hung up their fish, ne had three long poles full for his share. Isaac soon began to feel homesick, and when he was leaving the old man made him a present of a new eight-oared boat, filled with bags of fiour, canvas, and other useful things, for which Isaac tendered his best thanks. The old man told him to come back again by the time the fishing smacks were about to start for their yearly trips to Bergen, where he was going himself with a cargo, and Isaac could go with him and seil his fish. Yes, Isaac would be pleased to do that, and asked what course he was to steer when he sailed for Udrost again. " Straight after the cormorants, when they fly to sea," said the man. " That's your right course, and a safe journey to you ! " But when Isaac had shoved off from the shore and turned round to give his friends a farewell look, Udrost was not to be seen any more ; he saw only the open sea far and near. When the time came for the smacks to start, Isaac arrived at Udrost. But such a smack as the old man had Isaac had never seen before ; it was two cables long, and the mate, who stood forward on the look out, could not shout lovd enough to make himself heard by the man at the heim. They had therefore to station another man amidships close to the mast, and he had to sing out to the man at the heim, and even then he had to shout as lovd as he could to make himself heard. Isaac's share of the cargo was stowed forward in the smack ; he took the fish down off the poles himself, but he could not make out how it came to pass, for as soon as he took the fish off the poles, they were full of new fish again, and when they sailed, there was just as much fish as when he came. When he came to Bergen, he sold his fish, and got so much money, that he bought a new smack, with cargo and everything that was wanted for a good outfit, just as the old man had advised him to do. Late in the evening before he was going to sail, the old man came on board to him and asked
