Dab1 Kinzer and his friend were prompt enough coming to the rescue of their unfortunate fellow-lubber; but to get him out of the queer wreck2 he had made of that punt looked like a tough task to both of them, and they said as much.
"I isn't drownin'," exclaimed Dick heroically, as the other boat was pulled alongside of him. "Jest you take your scoop3-net, and save dem crabs4."
"They won't drown," said Ford5.
"But they'll get away," said Dab, as he snatched up the scoop. "Dick's head is perfectly6 level on that point."
The side-boards of the old punt were under water half the time, but the crabs were pretty well penned in. Even a couple of them, that had mistaken Dick's wool for another sheep's-head, were secured without difficulty, in spite of the firmness with which they clung to their prize.
"What luck he'd been having!" said Ford.
"He always does," said Dab. "I say, Dick, how'll I scoop you in?"
"Has you done got all de crabs?"
"Every pinner of 'em."
"Den7 you jest wait a minute."
Waiting was all that was left them to do, for the shining black face and woolly head disappeared almost instantly.
"He's sunk," exclaimed Ford.
"There he comes," replied Dab: "he'd swum ashore8 from here, and not half try. Why, I could swim twice as far as that myself, and he can beat me."
"Could you? I couldn't."
That was the first time Dab had heard his city acquaintance make a confession9 of inability, and he could see a more than usually thoughtful expression on his face. The coolness and skill of Dick Lee, in his hour of disaster, had not been thrown away upon him.
"If I had my clothes off," said Ford, "I believe I'd try that on."
"Dab Kinzer, you's de bes' feller dar is. But wot'll we do wid de old boat?" burst out Dick, on coming to the surface.
"Let the tide carry her in while we're crabbing10. She isn't worth mending, but we'll tow her home."
"All right," said Dick, as he grasped the gunwale of Dab's boat, and began to climb over.
"Hold on, Dick."
"I is a-holdin' on."
"I mean, wait a bit. Ain't you wet?"
"Of course I's wet."
"Well, then, you stay in there till you get dry It's well you didn't have your new clothes on."
"Ain't I glad 'bout11 dem!" enthusiastically ex-claimed the young African. "Nebber mind dese clo'es. De water on 'em's all good, dry water, like de res' ob de bay."
And, so saying, Dick tumbled over in, with a spatter which made Ford Foster tread on two of three crabs in getting away from it. It was not the first time, by many, that Dick Lee had found himself bathing in that bay without any time given him to undress.
And now it was discovered that the shipwrecked crabber13 had never for one instant lost his hold of the line, to the other end of which was fastened his precious sheep's-head.
They made a regular crabbing crew now,—two to pull up, and one to scoop in; and never had the sprawling14 game been more plentiful15 on that pasture, or more apparently16 in a greedy hurry to be captured.
"What on earth shall we do with them all?" asked Ford.
"Soon's we've got enough for a mess for both our folks," said Dab, "we'll quit this, and go for some fish. The clams18 are good bait, and we can try some of your tackle."
Ford's face brightened a good deal at that suggestion, for he had more than once cast a crest19 fallen look at his pretentious20 box. But he replied,—
"A mess! How many crabs can one man eat?"
"I don't know," said Dab. "It depends a good deal on who he is. Then, if he eats the shells, he can't take in so many."
"Eat de shells? Yah, yah, yah! Dat beats my mudder! She's allers a-sayin' wot a waste de shells make," laughed Dick. "I jest wish we might ketch some fish. I dasn't kerry home no crabs."
"It does look as if we'd got as many as we'll know what to do with," remarked Dab, as he looked down on the sprawling multitude in the bottom of the boat. "We'll turn the clams out of the basket, and fill that; but we mustn't put any crabs in the fish-car. We'll stow 'em all forward."
The basket held more than half a bushel, but there was still a "heap" of what Ford Foster called "the crusties" to pen up in the bow of the boat.
That duty attended to, the grapnel was pulled up, and Dick was set at the oars21, while Dab selected from Ford's box just the hooks and lines their owner had made least account of.
"What'll we catch, Dab?"
"'Most anything. Nobody knows till he's done it. Perch22, porgies, cunners, black-fish, weak-fish, maybe a bass23 or a sheep's-head, but more cunners than any thing else, unless we strike some flounders at the turn of the tide."
"That's a big enough assortment24 to set up a fish-market on."
"If we catch 'em. We've got a good enough day, anyhow, and the tide'll be about right by the time we get to work."
"Why not try here?"
"'Cause there's no fish to speak of, and because the crabs'll clean your hook for you as fast as you can put the bait on. We must go out to deeper water and better bottom. Dick knows just where to go. You might hang your line out all day and not get a bite, if you didn't strike the right spot."
Ford made no answer, but looked on very seriously while Dab skilfully25 slit26 up a tough old Dutch clam17 into bait. It was beginning to dawn upon him that he could teach the "'long-shore boys," whether black or white, very little about fishing. He even allowed Dab to pick out a line for him, and to put on the hook and sinker; and Dick Lee showed him how to fix his bait, "so de fust cunner dat rubs agin it won't knock it off. Dem's awful mean fish. Good for nuffin but 'teal bait."
A merry party they were; and the salt water was rapidly drying from the garments of the colored oars-man, as he pulled strongly and skilfully out into the bay, and around toward a deep cove12 at the north of the inlet mouth.
Then, indeed, for the first time in his life, Ford Foster learned what it was to catch fish.
Not but what he had spent many an hour, and even day, on and about other waters, with a rod or a line in his hand; but he had never before had two such born fishermen at his elbow to take him to the right place precisely27, and at the right time, and then to show him what to do when he got there.
It was fun enough; for the fish bit remarkably28 well, and some of those which came into the boat were of a very encouraging size and weight.
There was one curious thing about those heavier fish.
Ford would have given half the hooks and lines in his box, if he could have caught from Dick or Dab the mysterious "knack29" they seemed to have of coaxing30 the biggest of the finny folk to their bait, and then over the side of the boat.
"There's some kind of favoritism about it," he remarked.
"Never mind, Ford," replied Dab. "Dick and I are better acquainted with them. They're always a little shy with strangers, at first. They don't really mean to be impolite."
Favoritism it was, nevertheless; and there was now no danger but what Dick would be able to appease31 the mind of his mother without making any mention of the crabs.
At last, almost suddenly, and as if by common consent, the fish stopped biting, and the two "'long shore boys" began to put away their lines.
"Going to quit?" asked Ford.
"Time's up, and the tide's turned," replied Dab.
"Not another bite, most likely, till late this evening. We might as well pull up, and start for home."
"That's a curious kind of a habit for fish to have."
"They've all got it though, 'round this bay."
"Mus' look out for wot's lef' ob de ole scow, on de way home," remarked Dick a little solemnly. "I's boun' to ketch it for dat good-for-noting ole board."
"We'll find it, and tow it in," said Dab; "and perhaps we can get it mended. Anyhow, you can go with us next week. We're going to make a cruise in Ham Morris's yacht. Will you go?"
"Will I go? Yoop!" almost yelled the excited boy. "Dat's jest de one t'ing I'd like to jine. Won't we hab fun! She's jest de bes' boat on dis hull32 bay. You ain't foolin' me, is yer?"
He was strongly assured that his young white associates were in sober earnest about both their purpose and their promise; and, after that, he insisted on rowing all the distance home.
On the way the old punt was taken in tow; but the tide had already swept it so far inside the mouth of the inlet, that there was less trouble in pulling it the rest of the way. It was hardly worth the labor33, but Dab knew what a tempest the loss of it might bring around the ears of poor Dick.
When they reached the landing, and began to over-haul their very brilliant "catch," Dabney said,—
"Now, Dick, take your string home, leave that basket of crabs at Mr. Foster's, and then come back with the basket, and carry the rest of 'em to our house. Ford and I'll see to the rest of the fish."
"I haven't caught half as many as you have, either of you," said Ford, when he saw with what even-handed justice the fish were divided in three piles, as they were scooped34 out of the fish-car.
"What of that?" replied Dab. "We follow fishermen's rules, down this way. Share and share alike, you know. All the luck is outside the boat, they say. Once the fish are landed, your luck's as good as mine."
"Do they always follow that rule?"
"The man that broke it wouldn't find company very easily, hereabouts, next time he wanted to go a-fishing. No, nor for any thing else. Nobody'd boat with him."
"Well, if it's the regular thing," said Ford hesitatingly. "But I'll tell who really caught 'em."
"Oh, some of yours are right good ones! Your string'd look big enough, some days, just as you caught 'em."
"Would it?"
"Yes, it would. Don't you imagine we can pull 'em in every time like we did this morning,—crabs nor fish."
"No, I s'pose not. Anyhow, I've learned some things."
"I guess likely. We'll go for some more next week. Now for a tug35."
"Ain't they heavy, though!"
The boat had already been made fast; and the two boys picked up their strings36 of fish, two for each, after Dick Lee had started for home; and heavy things they were to carry under that hot sun.
"Come and show the whole lot to my mother," said Ford, "before you take yours into the house. I'd like to have her see them all."
"All right," replied Dab, but he little dreamed what was coming; for, when he and Ford marched proudly into the sitting-room37 with their finny prizes, Dabney found himself face to face with, not good, sweet-voiced Mrs. Foster, but, as he thought, the most beautiful young lady he had ever seen.
Ford Foster shouted, "Annie! You here? Well, I never!"
But Dab Kinzer wished all those fish safely back again swimming in the bay.
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1
dab
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| v.轻触，轻拍，轻涂；n.(颜料等的)轻涂 | |
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2
wreck
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| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
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3
scoop
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| n.铲子，舀取，独家新闻；v.汲取，舀取，抢先登出 | |
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4
crabs
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| n.蟹( crab的名词复数 )；阴虱寄生病；蟹肉v.捕蟹( crab的第三人称单数 ) | |
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Ford
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| n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过 | |
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6
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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7
den
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| n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室 | |
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8
ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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9
confession
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| n.自白，供认，承认 | |
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10
crabbing
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| v.捕蟹( crab的现在分词 ) | |
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bout
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| n.侵袭，发作；一次(阵，回)；拳击等比赛 | |
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12
cove
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| n.小海湾，小峡谷 | |
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crabber
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| n.捕蟹者，捕蟹小船，专爱挑剔的人 | |
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14
sprawling
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| adj.蔓生的，不规则地伸展的v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的现在分词 )；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着） | |
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15
plentiful
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| adj.富裕的，丰富的 | |
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16
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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17
clam
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| n.蛤，蛤肉 | |
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18
clams
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| n.蛤；蚌，蛤( clam的名词复数 )v.（在沙滩上）挖蛤( clam的第三人称单数 ) | |
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19
crest
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| n.顶点；饰章；羽冠；vt.达到顶点；vi.形成浪尖 | |
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20
pretentious
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| adj.自命不凡的，自负的，炫耀的 | |
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21
oars
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| n.桨，橹( oar的名词复数 )；划手v.划（行）( oar的第三人称单数 ) | |
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22
perch
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| n.栖木，高位，杆；v.栖息，就位，位于 | |
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23
bass
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| n.男低音(歌手)；低音乐器；低音大提琴 | |
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24
assortment
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| n.分类，各色俱备之物，聚集 | |
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skilfully
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| adv. (美skillfully)熟练地 | |
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26
slit
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| n.狭长的切口；裂缝；vt.切开，撕裂 | |
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27
precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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remarkably
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| ad.不同寻常地，相当地 | |
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29
knack
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| n.诀窍，做事情的灵巧的，便利的方法 | |
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30
coaxing
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| v.哄，用好话劝说( coax的现在分词 )；巧言骗取；哄劝，劝诱；“锻炼”效应 | |
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31
appease
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| v.安抚，缓和，平息，满足 | |
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32
hull
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| n.船身；(果、实等的)外壳；vt.去(谷物等)壳 | |
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33
labor
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| n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦 | |
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34
scooped
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| v.抢先报道( scoop的过去式和过去分词 )；（敏捷地）抱起；抢先获得；用铲[勺]等挖（洞等） | |
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35
tug
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| v.用力拖(或拉)；苦干；n.拖；苦干；拖船 | |
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36
strings
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| n.弦 | |
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37
sitting-room
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| n.（BrE）客厅，起居室 | |
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