Some of them one finds out that way; others, again, one spots by their always having money to spend.

If they are too shrewd to betray themselves in that way, our wives find them out for us, by telling us that their women and children have new clothes, and we know well enough that there is no buying new clothes out of fish, at their present price.

Besides, most of these fellows give up fishing altogether, and lounge about the wharves talking and smoking, and one knows that a man and his family cannot live on air.

Still, there may be others who are too sly to let out their secret in either way, and therefore one must be very careful whom one speaks to.

One would not think of telling anyone about what is intended until, just as it comes off, one could simply say that one has heard that there is something in the air, and that report says that every man who will lend a hand will earn--how much, captain ?" "Two hundred francs." "When one sees how a man takes that, one can go a step or two further.
"Well, I should not think of letting out to a soul what the nature of the work would be, simply saying that every precaution will be taken to prevent its being known that any fishermen are engaged in it.