62 ALONG THE FLORIDA REEF. 



" that we wouldn't care to sit here. The big 

 hurricane in '50 made a clean sweep of it. I 

 believe there was one tree left ; but you could 

 have sculled the dinghy over the key." 



" You don't have hurricanes often, do you ? " 

 asked Harry. 



" Not very," replied the fisherman ; " onc't 

 or twic't in ten year or so. But when they do 

 come," he added, " they wake snakes ; wipe out 

 everything. That one cleaned out Long Key ; 

 you'd never know 'twas there." 



The lunch over, the boys investigated a peli- 

 can's nest a big bunch of drift-wood in one 

 of the low trees, while the two boatmen repacked 

 the hampers. Soon after they shoved off, and 

 began again the circuit of the great reef. 



Wading along, the party continued their in- 

 vestigations in tide-water ; and Dick and Harry, 

 coming upon a large piece of coral, which had 

 been worn almost through, rolled it over. In 

 doing this they disclosed a natural pool beneath 

 the coral, and at the bottom lay a most peculiar 

 fish. 



" "Well, here's a curious fellow, doctor," cried 



