Archie's Adventures by Leonie Thorpe

Author:Leonie Thorpe
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction
Publisher: HarperCollins

2

Archie Roach wandered slowly along the fishing wharf, his shiny new fishing rod slung over his shoulder. His red hair glinted brightly in the autumn afternoon sun. He knew even before he got to Frank’s berth that the boat would be gone.

‘Booked meself a boatload of townies. Takin’ ‘em out fishin’ for the day,’ Frank had told Archie with a glum look. ‘Ahm only doin’ it fer the money. A hundred dollars a head: they must be mad,’ he muttered.

Archie’s eyes had lit up. ‘Do you need a helper?’

‘Aye, ol’ Malcolm from Billabong is goin’ te give us a hand,’ said Frank.

Archie knew of Malcolm. He passed his boat regularly on the way to see Frank. Billabong was Malcolm’s steel-hulled fishing boat. Malcolm took it out fishing once a week. He was nearing retirement and fished only when he needed the money. Billabong was as elderly as her skipper, the dark blue of her hull now equally balanced by the bright orange rust.

‘Could I come with you?’ Archie asked. He had been desperate to go out on Frank’s boat, Priscilla, but it had only just gone back into service having had its propeller fixed. Archie hadn’t been out in any boat in his whole twelve years. He was interested to see if he was a natural sailor, though he doubted it. He wasn’t naturally very good at anything. He still wasn’t entirely sure how he had managed to hook more than thirty southern marauder and win the overall grand prize at the recent Collerden Fishing Competition.

‘Well, ye see ah cannae have ye on board when ah got payin’ passengers,’ said Frank. ‘It’s against maritime regulations ‘n’ all that.’

Archie had nodded sadly. His shoulders slumped and he sighed with disappointment.

‘Ah, pick yer lip off the ground, lad,’ Frank scolded. ‘There’ll be plenty of other times ye can come oot.’

Frank’s trip had been so successful that he had booked two more trips that same week, and had taken ten bookings for the following month already.

‘Easiest money ah ever made,’ he confided to Archie one evening. ‘Some of ‘em look a bit scared when they see me patched eye, but ye show ‘em how te pull up a wee cod and they’re so grateful. They don’t even mind if they spend the rest of the trip bein’ seasick over the side. All they do when they get back te shore is rave on aboot their blimmin’ cod.’

Archie couldn’t help grinning. He felt sorry for the poor passengers. He himself had been scared speechless when he’d first met Frank McGregor. It wasn’t just the horror of seeing the hole in Frank’s face where his left eye had once been. It wasn’t just the immense bulk of Frank’s frame in his black tatty jersey and black beanie. It wasn’t just the wildness of the greying black beard which covered Frank’s chin and mouth, or the harsh manner in which Frank talked. It was all of them together which made Frank seem like a character to be afraid of.

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