ere playing a
joke on us,--a good deal like one of Joe and Fuz Hart's."

"Best kind of a joke. But if we tell about it when we get home, the
whole village'll be over here next week."

"Then we won't tell. Hurrah! I'll get him in. Steady, now. If he isn't a
two-pounder! see him run? Boys, this is going to be fun."

They did not neglect their minnow-catching; and before a great while
they were varying their bait, very much to their advantage. How they did
wish for a boat, so they could try the deeper water! They worked their
way along, from point to point, looking for the best spot, if such there
were; and Dabney at last found himself quite a distance ahead of his
companions.

"Boys! Ford! Frank! A boat! Come on!"

Lying behind the trunk of a tree that had fallen into the water,--not
much of a boat, to be sure, and without any oars or even rowlocks; but
when the water was tipped out of it, and it was shoved in again, it
actually floated.

"Careful, Ford," said Dab. "Remember Dick Lee. The old thing may come to
pieces. It wasn't made yesterday."

"Look's as if Christopher Columbus owned it, and forgot just where he
left it. We can paddle with pieces of bark, as far out as we need go."

Now the fun was doubled; and some of the pickerel they pulled in
reminded Dabney of small blue-fish, while the bass and perch were every
way as respectable as ordinary porgies and black-fish, except for size.
He had even to confess that the sea itself contained a great many small
fish, and that he had often had much poorer luck in his own beloved bay.

The boat was a great acquisition; but when they were paddling ashore for
the fourth time, "to turn her over and let the water out," Dabney
remarked,--

"It's after dinner-time, boys. Could either of you fellows eat any
thing?"

"Eat?" said Frank. "I'd forgotten that. Yes, let's have lunch. But
there's more cold johnny-cake than any thing else in the basket."

"There's plenty of salt and pepper though; and it won't take any time at
all to make a fire, and broil some fish. Didn't you ever go on a
chowder-party, and do your own cooking?"

"No, I never did."

"Nor I," said Ford very reluctantly. "Can we do it?"

"Do it? I'll show you. No kettle. We'll have to broil. You fellows make
a fire, while I clean some of these fish."

It was every bit as good fun as catching those fish, to cook them there
on the shore of that lovely little lake. Dabney did know all about it,
as became