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Read Ebook: Motor Boat Boys' River Chase; or Six Chums Afloat and Ashore by Arundel Louis
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Ebook has 128 lines and 5579 words, and 3 pages
HOW THE SEINE NET WAS BROKEN.
BY J. O. DAVIDSON.
"Why, Joe, is that you? Where have you been all day?" asked Ralph Hadley, as he met Joe Manson turning into Hillside Lane.
"I've been to see the rabbit-warren at the goat-house up Hook Mountain road," replied Joe.
"Hello! here comes Scott Otis, with his fish-basket. Wonder what he's after now? Can't be going over to the lake this time in the afternoon."
"Where are you going, Scott?" asked the boys.
"Shaddin'," answered Scott.
"Are you going to haul the seine?" inquired Joe.
"Yes, if the wind goes down, about five o'clock or thereabouts."
"Let's go see them!" exclaimed Joe.
"All right, I'm with you," replied Ralph; and the two boys trudged joyfully along beside Scott, asking many questions as they went.
Down through winding lanes they went, over fences and across lots, and emerged on a broad, open space, commanding a fine view of the Tappan Sea, which was dotted here and there by the bright sails of fishing-smacks and schooners, bathed in the warm afternoon sunlight.
"There they are at work already, getting the seine out," called Ralph, pointing down to the shore, where a group of figures were moving about among the boats.
Down at the water-side was a busy scene. The stony beach was covered with figures and boats. Old fishermen in brown oil-skin suits hurried by with coils of rope and oars slung over their shoulders, while others were preparing the boats, and some were watching for shad signs on the river's surface.
A few paces from the shore stood a machine called a reel. It looked like a huge four-spoked wheel, and from it some men were unwinding the seine net, and stowing it in two large boats.
Near it, under the willows, two old fishermen were engaged in mending some badly torn nets. The boys wondered how they could with their hard horny hands do such delicate knotting and splicing.
"Why, sister Minnie's crochet-work isn't any finer than this!" exclaimed Ralph, examining some of the strands. "I could never learn to do that."
"Oh yes, my boy," replied one of the fishermen, kindly. "If you had worked at it, like me, for over twenty years, I doubt not you would do it just as well."
"What's the matter now?" inquired Joe, as several men ran past them.
"Shad signs, sah," replied a darky. "There they go after them!" and from a distance up the shore two large boats put off, and rowed slowly out into the river. "And here comes a boat from picking de gill-nets out yonder."
"What are gill-nets?" inquired the boys, determined to know all about it.
"Dey am nets fastened to poles in shallow water, and de shad, swimmin' along, gits deir heads through easy enough, but when dey tries to back out ag'in, find demselves caught wid de mesh behind de gills."
"Let's go up and see them," said Joe.
"Better stay here, sah," advised the darky. "Dey'll land hereabouts, and you'll have all de walk for nuffin. You see, sah, de tide am slack now, but 'twill ebb presently, and by de time dey gets 'em surrounded dey'll drift about to dis p'int, den we'll see 'em come asho'. Now, you see, dey have drapped de nets; dey am outside ob de school; one boat goes round 'em on one side, and de other goes de other way. See! de nets am all drapped, and de big boat am pullin' dis way wid de shore-line."
In a few minutes the boat grounded, and the men, tossing in their oars, jumped ashore, and laying hold of the ropes, commenced "pulling in." The cork floats could be seen extending away out into the river like a great semi-circle, the upper end of which was also being dragged ashore by a dozen stalwart fishermen, who slowly moved down the beach, keeping abreast of the tide-driven net, and as the lower party were stationary, the two ends were gradually coming together. The men tugged and pulled, but the net came in but slowly.
"In with her lively now!" shouted Scott, running down the beach. "There's a big school in there."
"You're right; she do pull heavy," said one of the men, straining at the ropes.
"This won't do," cried Scott. "It's not coming in half fast enough. We'll have to use the winch, or the tide will carry it on the rocks. Here, some of you, run the rope up to the winch, and start her."
The winch was a rough wooden machine, with two bars like a ship's capstan. Around the barrel the rope was wound, and two village lads ran rapidly round with it. The extra purchase thus obtained brought in the seine much faster.
Both parties were now within speaking distance, and congratulations and jokes passed between them at the prospect of making a good catch.
The lower ropes were carefully managed by two experienced men, so that no fish should escape underneath, and the disturbed water at the "bag" end of the net indicated that a large school was inclosed. So quietly and smoothly had all been done that the fish had not realized they were caught. But now ensued a great splashing and boiling, particularly at one place.
"Must be sturgeon in there!" cried Scott. "Carefully now, or he'll break away."
The net was coming in beautifully, when suddenly a long black body shot up out of the water, and fell back with a tremendous splash, and commenced rushing back and forth, threatening to destroy everything.
"What is it?" shouted Scott. "Sturgeon don't act that way."
"We don't know," replied one of the men. "It's too dark to see what it is."
"You will have to kill it, or we'll lose the catch," yelled Scott. "He's tearing the net now."
At this several dashed into the water with poles and staves, and a lively and confused conflict ensued with the monster, while the shad and other captive fish darted about in the wildest manner, frightened out of their wits at the terrible uproar; and in the shallow water were hundreds poking their cold noses against the net, trying to get out.
"It's a shark, as sure as I'm alive," shouted one of the men, jumping one side as the monster made a rush.
"It can't be," replied another; "they don't run here."
"Never mind; pull up the net," called Scott; "there come the rollers from the night boat."
But it was too late, for with a low, sullen roar the heavy rollers from the Albany night boat came tumbling in, upsetting and twisting the net, and carrying it on the rocks.
"There he goes!" cried one of the men, and sure enough the big fish had torn the net, and was free, and like a flash hundreds of shad followed through the hole he had made, so that scarcely fifty good fish were left in it to reward the fishermen's labors.
"Isn't it too bad?" said Joe to Scott, as he passed by to a bright drift-wood fire under the rocky headland, where the men were drying themselves. "I'm real sorry you lost them."
"It's fisherman's luck," replied Scott, quietly. "We'll hope for better next time."
"What kind of fish was it?" asked Ralph.
"I hardly know. I never saw one like it, or we would have known how to manage it better."
PLANTING-TIME.
"I've planted a paper of pins in a row; I wonder when will my pin-trees grow?" Cried darling Dora, with puzzled eyes, At aunty's look of complete surprise.
"Planted a paper of pins, my dear? They'll never come up, though you wait a year-- Yes, you may wait a year and a day, And down in the ground your pins will stay.
"Roses and lilies and daisies white, Blossom and flourish in dark and light; But pins will rust in the planted row, For out in the garden no pin-trees grow."
"THE TRIBUTE OF CHILDREN."
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