how often that sort of thing
happens. Still, even State governments are becoming more intelligent
now, and some, like Rhode Island, for instance, have been in the very
forefront of Fishery administration."

"Yet it means money in the pockets of the people to conserve fish!"

"But also it means a certain small outgo from the Assembly," was the
reply; "there's the rub. But," he added, turning to Colin, for the boy
had told him of his plans, "by the time you're through college and on
the permanent rolls of the Bureau that sort of ignorance about the value
of Fisheries control will probably all have passed away."

"I hope so," the boy answered, "and I'm glad that I haven't seen
anything except hearty support. Going to Brown University, of course, is
a whole lot in my favor, because I understand they've always been strong
on the Fisheries side."

"You're going to leave us to-night, then, Colin?" asked his host.

"Yes, Mr. Murren," the boy replied; "by taking the evening train, I can
get to Providence in time for the opening of college, and Mr. Collier is
kind enough to let me start right away. I can't be grateful enough to
you, sir, for all your kindness on this trip."

"That's all right," his friend said heartily, "I've enjoyed having you,
and so has Paul, I know. I shall hear from you occasionally, I hope, and
maybe the _Golden Falcon_ will have you on board for some other trip."

"Thank you ever so much, sir," Colin answered; "but I guess I'm booked
for college steadily until next summer, and the Bureau of Fisheries
during vacation."

But Colin was mistaken in his idea that almost a year would elapse
before he was busy again with Fisheries work, for shortly before the end
of his first term, he received a letter from his father in which the
suggestion was made that the boy should spend a week on the Great Lakes
during the Christmas vacation, to get an idea of what winter work was
like. Colin smiled as he read the letter, for he knew well that he was
'in for it,' since his father would make him go through every step of
the training.

Accordingly, one cold day, he found himself aboard the steamer _Mary N.
Lewis_, which had been chartered by the Bureau for a couple of weeks'
trawling in Lake Michigan. A bitter wind was blowing and lumps of ice
floated near the shores. The whitefish were not plentiful that winter,
and when the nets came up and Colin had to pick fish out, b-r-r-r, but
it was cold! A great many of the