out about 'em, I reckon. I was in there once
and saw them at work, but I couldn't make nothing out of it, and there
wasn't anybody I could ask."

"Oh, what is that?" cried Candace, as the "Cornelia," tacking again,
opened one of the little bays on the south end of Conanicut, where a
small steam vessel was lying. Two boats, which seemed to belong to her,
were rowing in a parallel line with each other, and behind them
appeared a long line of bobbing points which she could not at all
understand.

"That's one of the fishing steamers, and the boats are drawing her
nets," explained the Captain. "Didn't you ever see a seine drawn before?
Wa'al, I declare! I'm mighty glad we happened just in time, for it's a
cur'us spectacle. I guess we'll kind of hang about till they get the
nets in, and then I'll take the 'Cornelia' up near enough for you to
see."

"Captain, there are the seine-boats out," called Tom Joy at the same
moment. "Let's sail up and see what they've caught."

The two boats began to near each other as they reached the limits of the
long elliptical curves which made their course; and presently a great
number of scintillating specks were seen in the space enclosed between
them. There were the leaping fish, just conscious that they were crowded
into a confined place, and desirous of escape. When they were quite
close to one another, the boats turned and began to row for the
steamer. The "Cornelia" followed; and the Captain with a twist of the
tiller threw her into the wind just beyond the great net, which by that
time was being rapidly hauled in.

It was a wonderful thing to see,--the heavy mass of floundering fishes
pouring over into the steamer's hold. Thousands and thousands of
quivering silvery shapes of all kinds, from the fat, oily-bodied
menhaden, to weird horned monsters with gaping mouths, and
strange, half-translucent blocks like jelly, which seemed to have no
mouths at all. Large and small, pinky white, black, blue,--in they
poured. Now and then some fish more lucky than his fellows would splash
over the side of the net and escape to liberty and the deep sea; now and
then a fisherman with a sudden dash of his hand would single out a
specimen choicer than the rest, a blue-fish, a chicken cod, or a
sea-bass.

The little company in the sail-boat shared all the excitement of the
catch. The young men left their flirtations for the boat's side, where
they could get a better view. A great deal of chaff went