Dab Kinzer A Story of a Growing Boy

ing was a sad one

, the gift of Mr. Dabney Kinzer. It was done after Dick was in bed; and

n Friday. He had sold his fish instead of bringing them home, and th

n the gorgeous bit of cheap silk. "Reckon it won't be wasted on any good-for-nuffin

of a determination to go for crabs that day, mainly because his

ent explanation of her dislike. "Dey's all clo'es and no body, like some

the mouth, where, over several hundred acres of muddy flats, the depth varied from three and a half to eight feet, with the ebb and flow

of them should notice the change in his raiment. At an early hour, therefore, Dab and Ford were preceded by thei

other. It followed him down to the shore of the inlet, and compelled h

ed to their owners; but on this particular morning not one of them all was available. Some were fastened with ugly chains and padlocks. Two were hauled aw

s must hab come

oung fisherman was for once compelled to put

off when they went to sea in a bowl than was Dick

it l

eavier weight than Dick's; but th

wn a fish in, when you cotch 'im.

l the truth, he had not been able to free himself from a lingering fear lest his mother might come after him, before he could get afl

shoved off. "It'd be an awful risk to tru

e as yet beyond the reach of Dick Lee; but he was quite like

way to the water-side, after all, at an hour which indicated either

d the little "landing" and its vicinity with the air of a man

, big and little, have to be built s

the sai

There's Ham M

e's as big as

ut she don

a cruise in h

s fast enough, but she's built so she'll stand 'most

ndl

ry of the Navy, or the Chairman of the Naval Affairs Committee in Con

e otherwise than well s

owner. She was just such a boat as Mrs. Kinzer would naturally have provided for her boy,-stout, well-made, and sensible,-without any bad habits of upsetting or the like. Not too larg

said Dabney, "and as crooked as a ram's horn. I'll steer, and

," said Ford, as he pitched his coat forward

lided gracefully away from the landi

s experience had been limited to a class of vessels

at the third or fourth stroke the oar-blades went a little too deeply below the smooth surface of the water. There was a vain tug,

t it," sho

ll-but angry voice from do

Dabney: "that's what we call it. Ca

ined his seat and his oars. "I sha'n't catch any more crab

ittle. Well, it won't hurt

off his hands in doing so; and he did very creditable work for

last. "We are in the inlet yet,

he bay, o

n that and the ocean's no b

ou get p

run it next week in Ham's yacht. Splendid weak-fishing

Ford, "I'm in for th

abney; "but it gets p

face just then, with his unaccustom

e isn't Dick Lee, in his dry-goods box. That boat'll drown hi

re as he tried to turn around fo

rk as quick as we can

ht f

n't they go

pnel over the bows, and we'll

and the two boys were in such an eager haste that they had hard

em had brought a load. The former had only a neat little japanned tin box, about as big

en Ford's mental comment; but he had

thought Dab at the same moment,

. Lunch was the one thin

ox and th

secret of the box; for he now took a little key

this, w

n assortment of brand-new fish-hooks, of many sorts and sizes, and of fish

ne of these days, but there isn't time to go over 'em now.

'em. You don't s'pose I'd go for crabs with a rod, do

Hooks an

an to scoop 'em up in t

in blank amazement, and then the tru

rabs. Well, just you lock up your

ot given him so many lessons in good-breeding for nothing, and Ford was permitted to clos

ut the secret

f clams, large and small, but mostly of good size,-tough old customers, that

e they f

t, weight

's t

against the other; tied the fleshy part of one to each of the cords; tied bits of shell on, a foot or so from the ends, for sinkers;

hing pull on it. Then you draw it up gently,-steady as you know how. You mustn't jerk the crab loose. Yo

nd obeyed in silence the

eration of the scoop-net was

plunge the net into the water, and then shake out of it into the bott

do fo

mine! I declar

ay from him. Sink it ag

e right h

now, or it's

he thinks he's stealing something, h

and he held his breath; for just behind and below it was a sprawling shad

awful b

I sco

o scoop him myself. I

the surface; and Ford began, somewhat excitedl

u don't mean to say he was

him. You hit him, square, and knocked him ever so far. The water deceives your eyes. Dr

but the rapidity with which he caught the "knack of it" after that

ts slack moments, and in one o

l! If he hasn't gone a

eep's

, where Dick Lee was apparently enjoyi

They're a sight better'n clams, only you can't alw

e does pul

ey, when suddenly there came a shrill

confessed, something like a grin; "and one of the

on of a crab's bad temper. But Dick Lee was more than ordinarily averse to any thing like physical pain,

dance up and down in the punt, accompanied by exclamatory h

so at the same instant, did the rotten board in the

t poor Dick had only time for one tremendous yell

bushel of freshly-caught and ill-tempered crabs were manoeuvring in all directio

ord," shouted Dab. "Tak

duck, but he migh

scared t

might go for him

e does