DRAGGING THE SEINE. 141 



jerked back by the hanging of the net ! the poor float man 

 nearest is literally deafened by the universal howl of execra- 

 tions, as if it were his fault that the snag was there and 

 shouted admonition to " make haste !" 



" Take care I" " don't let them get out !" " you are lifting 

 the sink too high I" " hurry, hurrry !" until he is so confused 

 that he scarcely knows what he does and looking about 

 him as he stoops to obey all these injunctions in a second, is 

 frightened still farther at the ferocious faces scowling upon 

 him as if eager for his very life blood. Lucky is he if he 

 loosens the net without much delay in the face of all this, 

 for the next minute the landing is effected, and all the ex- 

 citement is diverted from his devoted head by the sight of 

 the glittering spoil dragged suddenly, flashing and leaping to 

 the sunlight. 



The fish are at once secured in baskets, carried by the el- 

 ders on one arm, while the other bears across it a suit or two 

 of clothes, or pairs of boots ; and now the pent up breaths 

 of excitement are drawn, and laughter and pleasant gibes 

 relax the ferocious scowls of a moment since while the net 

 is being freed from the leaves and twigs that it had gathered, 

 and sundry useless monsters of mud-cats, hard-shell terra- 

 pins, or snapping-turtles, &c., are being thrown back into the 

 water preparatory for another haul. 



Now the seine is carried on our shoulders across the " ripp," 

 or ripple above, to the next hole the boys sent on again to 

 the " ripp " beyond that, and the seine spread out again, is 

 dropped once more into the deep water. 



There had been a heavy Spring freshet lately, and, now 

 that it had just subsided, the fish which always ascend the 

 small streams at such times, had been left behind in the holes 

 in great numbers. The rule is, the deeper the hole, the 

 larger and finer the fish ; and sometimes we were plunged 

 in over our heads by a single step, to rise sputtering and 

 floundering, amidst the general shouts of laughter at the 

 mishap. 



