p on. Tom Kew was
a-praisin' up both of you to me the other day: says he, 'They don't put
on no airs, but I tell ye they can pull a boat well, and swim like
fish,' says he. There now, if you'll give me the oars I'll put the dory
just where I want her, and you can be getting your lines ready. I know a
place here where it's always toler'ble fishing, and I guess we'll get
something."

Kate and I cracked our clams on the gunwale of the boat, and cut them
into nice little bits for bait with a piece of the shell, and by the
time the captain had thrown out the killick we were ready to begin, and
found the fishing much more exciting than it had been at the wharf.

"I don't know as I ever see 'em bite faster," said the old sailor,
presently; "guess it's because they like the folks that's fishing. Well,
I'm pleased. I thought I'd let 'Bijah take some along to Denby in the
cart to-morrow if I got more than I could use at home. I didn't
calc'late on having such a lively crew aboard. I s'pose ye wouldn't care
about going out a little further by and by to see if we can't get two or
three haddock?" And we answered that we should like nothing better.

It was growing cloudy, and was much cooler,--the perfection of a day for
fishing,--and we sat there diligently pulling in cunners, and talking a
little once in a while. The tide was nearly out, and Black Rock looked
almost large enough to be called an island. The sea was smooth and the
low waves broke lazily among the seaweed-covered ledges, while our boat
swayed about on the water, lifting and falling gently as the waves went
in shore. We were not a very long way from the lighthouse, and once we
could see Mrs. Kew's big white apron as she stood in the doorway for a
few minutes. There was no noise except the plash of the low-tide waves
and the occasional flutter of a fish in the bottom of the dory. Kate and
I always killed our fish at once by a rap on the head, for it certainly
saved the poor creatures much discomfort, and ourselves as well, and it
made it easier to take them off the hook than if they were flopping
about and making us aware of our cruelty.

Suddenly the captain wound up his line and said he thought we'd better
be going in, and Kate and I looked at him with surprise. "It is only
half past ten," said I, looking at my watch. "Don't hurry in on our
account," added Kate, persuasively, for we were having a very good time.

"I guess we won't mind about the haddock. I've got