there were loud murmurs of
discontent. The others had the best place.

"You make such a racket you frighten them away," said Ben.

"Can they hear?" asked Hanny.

"I think about everything in this world can see and hear in some
fashion."

They certainly were dreadful looking. The laughter and the exclamations,
the disappointment at losing one, the funny conundrums the children
propounded to one another, and the limp appearance of the voyagers,
partly made amends for the sudden fright every time the great sprawling
things came up. Hanny would not even undertake the capture of one.

The crabs grew wise presently. Not one of them could be aroused to the
faintest curiosity concerning bait. Ben's boat had nineteen, the other
eleven. They rowed up to the little dock, and managed to get them all in
one basket. Jack showed Hanny how you could take hold of a crab, and
render him helpless. It certainly did look funny to see him struggling
with all his might and main, and his numerous legs. The two front ones
were very fierce.

"He could give you an awful pinch with them," said Jack; and he made
believe fling him at a group of girls, who scattered pellmell.

"I suppose the legs are oars, and help him swim," said Hanny.

"And help him grab his prey. He's a sort of savage fellow, and lives on
smaller folks."

Then Ben and Jack went to dig for clams. There were very nice clam and
oyster beds along the river then. There were not many people to disturb
them, and no sewage to starve them out.

Hanny thought planting oysters a very funny idea. They were put in their
beds like other babies.

The boys, and some of the girls, picked up the clams, until they had a
half-bushel basket full. Tony Creese, the black man who did odd jobs,
was to drive down for the "freight;" but he seemed in no hurry. Some of
the boys went in swimming; and Janey Odell did wish she had brought
another frock along. She could swim very well. They waded instead. Ben
walked up to a little bank that, having lain in the sun all day, was
warm and dry, and stretched himself out. Ann was too big to go "larking"
about with the girls, so she and Hanny, and one or two others, sat down
on the soft, sunburned turf.

How beautiful it all was! The sun was going down behind the New Jersey
hills. The little rise of ground between this and the Hudson shut out
the river; but it could not shut out the amethystine splendour. Back of
it all was heaven, to the child's faith