it,
just as a crab would have done.

"Oh, I have one! I have one!" suddenly called Laddie, from his end of
the boat. "He's a big one! He's pulling like anything!"

"Well, don't get excited and fall overboard," said Daddy Bunker. "Keep
still, pull up slowly, and I'll get him in the net for you."

Slowly Laddie pulled up. Every one was watching. Would his "bite," too,
prove to be only seaweed?

"Yes, you have one!" said Mother Bunker in a low voice, so as not to
frighten the crab. I don't really know whether loud noises frighten
crabs or not, but generally every one keeps quiet when fishing.

"Yes, Laddie has a crab," said Daddy Bunker. "Wait, now, I'll get it in
the net!"

[Illustration: THE CRAB HAD HOLD OF LADDIE'S BAIT IN BOTH CLAWS.
_Six Little Bunkers at Cousin Tom's._--_Page 120_]

Laddie's father dipped the net down into the water, shoved it under the
crab, chunk of meat and all, and lifted it suddenly out of the water.
The crab had hold of Laddie's bait in both claws, and before the
creature could let go it had been caught.

"Oh, look at him wriggle!" cried Rose.

"Now I'll dump him into the basket," said Daddy Bunker. He turned the
net upside down over the peach basket. Out dropped Mr. Crab, letting go
of the chunk of meat, which Laddie pulled out by the string. The crab
crawled about sideways on the bottom of the basket, raising its claws
into the air and clashing them together, at the same time opening and
shutting the pinching part.

"That's the way a crab fights," said Cousin Tom. "And sometimes two big
crabs will fight so hard that one pulls a claw off the other. You have
caught a fine, big one, Laddie."

"A dandy," agreed Laddie.

"And I've got one, too!" cried Vi. "Oh, he's pulling like anything!"

She really had a crab on her line. Cousin Tom netted it for her, and it
turned out to be larger than Laddie's.

"I think the crab fishing will be good to-day," said Daddy Bunker.

And so it turned out. From then on each one began to catch the pinching
creatures, the older folks using the net when the children had bites.
Once Russ tried to use the net himself, but he was not quick enough with
it, and the crab let go of the chunk of meat and swam quickly away.

"He was a dandy big one, too!" said Russ regretfully.

Mun Bun and Margy each one caught a crab, with the help of their mother,
and Rose, Violet and Laddie had good luck, also. Cousin Tom and Daddy
Bunker, of course, caught the most. M