us.

"I've got him," he shouted, his voice sounding hollow and strange.

"What is it?"

"I dunno," he cried, and then, wrenching himself round, he dropped
something soft down upon the rock.

"Why, it's a crab!" I cried.

"A soft one," shouted Bob. "He can't nip now."

As he spoke he poked the curious-looking object with his finger, making
it wince and threaten with its claws, but they were perfectly soft, and
it was evident that the creature had only just crept out of its old
shell, and was hiding away in the dark hole waiting for the new armour
to form.

"Well, he is a rum one," said Bob, growing bolder. "Why, he's just like
a counterfeit is when you pull his tail out of a whelk shell."

"Not quite so soft," I said, gaining confidence and handling the crab in
turn, for it was not so fleshy feeling as the back part of hermit crabs,
which we called counterfeits in our part of the world.

"What shall we do with if?" said Big. "It isn't good to eat now."

"Kill the nasty, bloaty thing, and throw it in for bait for the fishes."

"No, no," I said, "put it down and let it creep back. It will grow into
a fine crab, and we know its hole and can come and get it some day when
the tide's down."

"That's it," said Big; and taking the pulpy, soft crab, which pinched at
his hands without the slightest effect, he crept back and thrust it into
its hiding-place once again.

We two were looking in after him when--_thud_!--_plash_!--came a wave,
breaking just below us and drenching us from head to foot, while a
quantity of the water rushed into our baled-out hole, filled it, and
began running swiftly up the channel, so swiftly that we saw at a glance
it would only take another or two to fill the upper pool.

"Here, come out, Big. Quick!" I cried. "Tide's coming in. Now, Bob,
get the baskets and nets."

I ran down a few yards, and was only just in time to snatch mine up
before a wave washed right over the spot where they had lain. For the
tide was coming in rapidly, and, as I have shown, we were on a part of
the shore that was only bare about once a month.

"All right," cried Bob. "I've got mine and old Big's."

"Where are Big's shoes?" I said.

"Down by the pool. Come on, Big, old chap," shouted Bob.

"I'll get them," I said, and I ran to the bottom pool and had to fish
them out of the bottom where they had been left.

As I took them out I felt ready to drop them, but I did not, for I flung
them and m