292 BLUE-FISHING. 



made through the western part of the bay, past Mr. 

 Havemeyer's beautiful home by the sea, which 

 stands upon the outmost verge and overlooks the 

 broad ocean and the inlet with its ever-crested 

 surges, as though it were a sentinel keeping watch 

 and ward over the shoals of fish and the hosts of 

 fishermen's boats that pursue them day and night ; 

 past Uncle Jesse Conkling's famous hostlery on Cap 

 Tree Island, past the Wawayanda Club adjoining; 

 then through the narrow channel beyond, heading 

 west by Oak Island and Cedar Island. There it 

 was that Mr. Green once more discovered a mystery 

 which required probing. He noticed a number of 

 men up to their waists in water, "treading out" 

 hard clams, and as he had never seen such an in- 

 dustry before, was absolutely unwilling to accept 

 the Commissioner's explanation of it, but resolved 

 upon examining for himself. As the water was 

 only about three feet deep where the men were at 

 work, and there was a sand bar still shoaler outside 

 of them, the yacht, in spite of its light draught of 

 water, went aground. The tide was falling, and all 

 efforts to get her ofE proving abortive, there was 

 nothing to do but prepare to pass the night in peace. 

 The sails were furled, the anchor was carried out 

 in the small boat and dropped some distance ahead, 

 and all hands calmed their minds to the patience 

 of waiting for the change of tide and rise of water. 

 To my surprise, no sooner were these little duties 

 attended to, than Mr. Green proceeded to utilize 

 his enforced immobility. Donning his bathing 



