noon
Throppy had planned to install an outfit on Tarpaulin , and had already written home to have his plant there dismantled by his brother , and its parts forwarded by express to Matinicus . For an amateur he was an expert operator . The _ Barracouta _ was already well loaded when , with the dory towing behind , she rounded the granite breakwater and started for Vinalhaven , twelve miles away . At noon they ran in alongside Hardy 's weir on the eastern shore of the island . Several bushels of glittering herring were dipped aboard , and the heavily freighted sloop at once swung away on her fifteen-mile jaunt to Tarpaulin . `` Now , '' said Jim , as soon as they were well clear of the island , `` I 'll teach you how to bait up . Take the tiller , Filippo . ''