Manatees is mighty scurse in this country."

Dick flared up, and said to the fisherman:

"Do you mean that we've been lying about a manatee?"

"Course not, not lyin'; manatee's all right, only you ain't much ust
to 'em and it may be bigger'n you think, 'nd I'd hate to make th'
box too little."

The lumber was taken on board, the canoe unloaded and laid on the
deck of the sloop, the sails reefed and with her skiff drawn close
up under her stern the craft was soon flying down the coast. When
she reached the river the reefs were shaken out and in little more
than an hour anchor was dropped beside the manatee cove. It was
nearly dark and work was to begin the next morning, but all hands
wanted a look at the little manatee. The fisherman and his son went
in their own skiff while Ned and Dick led the way in the canoe.

"Now I'll show you something worth seeing," said Ned, as he took
hold of the end of the line and pulled it all easily in. As Ned sat
looking at the broken end of the line, half stupefied by the
greatness of his surprise, the fisherman laughed and said:

"That sure was worth seem', 'nd I reckon I've saved you five
dollars by not makin' that box till I got here 'nd saw the critter."

"I'll keep the contract. It isn't your fault that the manatee has
got away."

"No, I reckon 'twan't anybody's fault, much. All I want out o' you
is four dollars for one day's work," and the fisherman laughed
again, adding a moment afterward:

"I'm 'most ashamed to take that much, but I reckon the joke's been
wuth it ter you."

Ned paid the four dollars and the boys paddled back to their old
camp for the night. On the way back Ned stopped paddling, and
turning back, said to Dick:

"Did that old fellow mean that he didn't believe we had caught a
manatee at all?"

"If I thought he did, I'd go back and punch his head."

"No, you wouldn't. He isn't to blame. He only thought what everybody
who hears of it and don't know us will think. I hope he won't tell
about it in Myers, so that it will get to Dad's ears."

"I shouldn't think you'd care for that," said Dick.

"Well, Dad enjoys a joke and I would likely hear of 'Ned's manatee'
pretty frequent for some time."

CHAPTER X

HARPOONING FROM A CANOE

Do you want to go for any more manatees?" asked Dick, the next
morning.

"Guess not. We're pretty well acquainted with the critters already
and if we tackled another it would likely be a bigger one, and the
sampl