The Pilots of Pomona: A Story of the Orkney Islands

A bright May morning in 1843 finds the tiny port of Stromness buzzing with the annual whaling fleet, its blue pennants snapping in the wind over the calm bay. Amid the hustle, a young boy sits on a stone pier, feet dangling in the clear water, more interested in his fishing line than the school bell that already rings. His quiet world of bright‑scaled sillocks is suddenly interrupted by the boisterous Tom Kinlay, the older schoolmate who delights in pushing the younger boys into deeper water and nudging them toward daring cliff climbs.

The narrator’s memories swirl around that playful cruelty, recalling a makeshift voyage across the bay where the outer islands become “America,” “Africa,” and “Spain.” When his dog Selta ends up stranded on a tiny rock, the boy’s instinct drives him to strip and swim out, while Tom watches indifferently. This early glimpse of rivalry, imagination, and the rugged sea‑spirit of the Orkney Islands sets the tone for a tale of growing up under the shadow of towering ships and relentless friends.