rag of clean hands again after this. There,
my fish is tied on the sinker; now what do I do, Weasie?"

"Don't rock the boat, that is always first and last orders," replied her
chum, "and next, just throw your line out in any direction you choose."

"Oh, I see. You just guess where the crabs are," replied Cleo, quite
interested, as her bait was leaving port, so to speak. "There! That's
the best part of the fun--taking aim," and she gracefully tossed her
flying line out into the water.

The other girls had likewise "cast," and now all were patiently waiting
for a bite.

"Now, when you feel a pull," advised Louise, "just bring it up and slip
your net in quietly, and scoop up Mr. Crab. There! I've got one! Now
watch!"

Just as she had ordered the others to do, Louise now scooped up her net,
and in came a good sized blue crab.

"Oh, look out," cried Grace. "Crabs bite fearfully. Louise, you are not
going to turn that thing loose in this little boat?" she wailed.

"Don't worry Grace; he goes right in his little basket. There!" and with
a skillful motion Louise did turn the squirming shell fish into the
basket.

"He's crawling out!" shrieked Julia. "Oh, we should have a cover for the
basket."

"No," Margaret said, shaking the basket and thus settling the nervous
crab. "He can't get out. He is just exercising. My, how clawy he is! How
many like that would it take to make a meal?"

"Quite a few I should think," replied Cleo. "For I know we don't eat the
shell. But this is fun. Let me have another try. My turn to land one
now," and again she cast out and patiently waited a bite.

The next shout of victory, however, came from Julia's end of the boat,
and she presently landed a very large crab, so large and lively in fact,
that all four girls helped to get him in the basket.

"Now, they'll fight," murmured Margaret. "See the way they claw each
other."

"Come on girls," called Louise. "We'll never fill our baskets if we hold
an autopsy over every catch. Here! I've got another," and into the
basket went another unfortunate.

"It's just like a game, and I think the chance of grabbing one is as
good fun as grabbing at Cross Tag," Cleo remarked. "Oh, there's one,
Grace; look at your line dragging!"

And so it went on until the crabs were piling up in the basket and
threatening to get out, in spite of the sea weed that was heaped on much
thicker than necessary, according to the opinion of Louise.

So intent were the