Duncan rang the bell out of the window for them to
come to breakfast, they had dug a bucket of clams, and had prepared the
Fawn for her first trip down the bay.

"You won't be anxious about us now, mother, for we have a boat that
can't sink," said Paul, as he took the luncheon prepared for them.

"I shall feel easier now."

"Besides, you know we have two good berths on board the boat, and we
should be just as comfortable, if out all night, as though we were in
our own beds up-stairs."

"That may be, but I hope you will never stay out all night, when you can
help it."

"We shall not, mother; you may depend upon it; but we might get aground;
or the wind might die out, and the Fawn is too large to be rowed up."

"I shan't worry about you, if I can help it, for I know you are very
careful, Paul."

The boys hastened down to the boat, and Mrs. Duncan went out upon the
bluff to see them off. The wind blew fresh from the southwest when they
started, and the Fawn went out under jib and mainsail only; but even
with this sail, she flew like a racehorse over the waters.

"Shall I hoist the foresail, Paul?" asked John.

"I think not; she is doing very well."

"But she will do better with the foresail."

"Let well enough alone."

"I want to see her do her best."

"I have promised mother a hundred times that I would be careful; and if
she should see us put on all sail in this wind, though there might not
be any danger, she would think we were going straight to the bottom. We
will not hoist the foresail."

This answer satisfied the impatient boy, and in a short time they
reached the perch ground; but either there were no fish there, or they
had not got the hang of the new boat; for the fishermen could hardly
get a bite. After trying for an hour, and catching only half a dozen
small perch, the boys became disgusted with their ill luck, and it
required but little persuasion on the part of John to induce Paul to get
up the anchor, and go farther down the bay.

An hour's sail brought them to a reef of rocks, which was quite a noted
locality with the fishermen. The Fawn was anchored in a safe place, and
the young fishermen threw over their lines. Better success attended
their efforts here, and in three hours they had caught eight dozen fine
perch, besides ten handsome rock-cod.

While they were fishing under the lee of the rocks, they had scarcely
noticed that the wind had been steadily increasing, and that it was
produ