BLUE-FISHING. 293 



clothes once more, he clambered overboard and set 

 to work treading out clains. In his heart he be- 

 lieved there was no truth in the pretence of their 

 existence, as clams were not to be found much less 

 to be trodden out in Hemlock or Keuka Lake, or 

 even in Caledonia Brook. The assumption, that 

 men could find them by just walking about in the 

 South Bay and picking them up, was more than he 

 could credit, and not to be accepted without the 

 clearest proof. He soon satisfied his doubts, how- 

 ever, and was punished by having to listen to a lec- 

 ture from the Commissioner, on the wonderful pro- 

 ductiveness of that sheet of water, under the in- 

 fliction of which he went to bed early and slept 

 soundly. 



Next morning Mr. Green was evidently anxious 

 to continue the study and practice of the great art 

 of "treading out clams," but the yacht was afloat 

 and it was thought better to get under-way and 

 leave the prosecution of that industry to some 

 other occasion. 



" To the west of this," remarked the Com- 

 missioner calmly, when the vessel was plowing 

 her way along towards the setting sun, "I am not 

 acquainted with our course, and we must rely on 

 our charts." 



"Why not ask the men?" enquired the Super- 

 intendent, who evidently had not much faith in 

 that mode of making out a course. "Don't they 

 know it?" 



" Oh no, a man in the South Bay only minds his 



