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."

"Den jest you wait a minute."

They were quite likely to wait, for the shining black face had instantly
disappeared.

"Sunk!" exclaimed Ford.

"There he comes," replied Dab. "He'd swim ashore from here, and not half
try. Why, I could swim twice as far as that, myself."

"Could you? I couldn't."

That was the first time Dab had heard his new acquaintance make a
confession of inability, and he could see a more than usually thoughtful
expression on his face. The coolness and skill of Dick Lee had not been
thrown away on him.

"If I had my clothes off," said Ford, "I'd try that on."

"Dab Kinzer, you's de best feller dar is. Wot'll we do wid de ole boat?"
burst out Dick on coming to the surface.

"Let the tide carry her in while we're crabbing. She isn't worth
mending, but we'll tow her home."

"All right," said Dick, as he grasped the gun-wale of Dab's boat and
began to climb over.

"Hold on, Dick."

"I is a-holdin' on."

"I mean wait a bit. Aint you wet?"

"Ob 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."

"Aint I glad about dem!" emphatically exclaimed 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 or three crabs in getting away from it. It was not
the first time by many that Dick Lee had found himself bathing without
time given him to undress.

And now it was discovered that the shipwrecked crabber had never for one
instant loosened his hold of the line to the other end of which was
fastened his precious sheep's-head.

It was a regular crabbing crew, two to pull up and one to scoop in, and
never had the sprawling "game" been more plentiful on that crab pasture,
or more apparently in a hurry to be captured.

"What on earth shall we do with them all?" asked Ford.

"Soon's we've got a mess for both our folks, we'll quit this and go for
some fish," replied Dab. "The clams are good bait, and we can try some
of your tackle."

Ford's face brightened a good deal at the suggestion, for he had more
than once cast a crestfallen look at his pretentious box. But he
replied:

"A mess! How many crabs can one man eat?"

"I don't know," said Dab. "It depends a