IX THE CORAL COUNTRY. 47 



" A haunted pipe ! " cried Dick, laughing. 



" Haunted by a hermit crab," retorted Tom. 



And this was Bob Band's pet, as from the 

 bowl projected the deep purple and red claws 

 of a soldier or hermit crab, that had taken pos- 

 session of the pipe-bowl, and roamed about the 

 office at will. It did not require much persua- 

 sion on the part of the boys to obtain this cu- 

 rious pet from the obliging Bob, and Diogenes, 

 as he was christened, became then and there a 

 conspicuous object in the household. 



Paublo, after killing the turtle, had spent the 

 morning fitting out a boat for use on the reef, and 

 now came up to report that it was in readiness, 

 whereupon the entire party started for the mid- 

 dle wharf, where both the Hosetta and the dinghy 

 awaited them. In the former had been placed 

 two large cans containing diluted alcohol for the 

 reception of specimens. A number of. long coral- 

 hooks (iron instruments or tongs not unlike 

 small oyster-claws) and three or four pairs of 

 " grains " — long poles ending in two-tined spear- 

 heads, with barbed points — some fastened to the 

 poles, others fitted on with a socket and held by 



