Watching the Brant Grow Big. 69 



lot of round quahogs are soon rolling into 

 the scuppers and wedging themselves into 

 the rake just as our fingers get warm and 

 dry. We have to be a little cautious in 

 walking about, because it is a well-known 

 fact that the quahog will turn when trod- 

 den upon. 



Now for the soft-shelled clams that fired 

 a salute when we alighted upon their bar 

 in the morning. The shooting-box spade 

 turns them out of their compact moulds 

 in the sand half a dozen at a time. Ten- 

 der and luscious they are, and so corpulent 

 that they cannot draw their necks into the 

 shell and close the shell at the same time. 

 Just one thing more and the larder is 

 complete for the day. We anchor in deep 

 water between the submerged flats and 

 crack open a quahog, putting a sweet 

 clean piece upon the hook, and casting 

 the line astern. In a minute the sinker 

 is dancing ; I give a quick jerk and then 

 bring up hand over fist a fish as flat as 

 a flounder and weighing about a pound, 

 made of just the right shape to fit the 

 bottom of a frying-pan and become 



