HO ALONG TIIE FLORIDA HEEF. 



diving among the fish and filling their capacious 

 pouches. 



Finally, when all were tired out with captur- 

 ing this enormous " catch " of fish, and Long 

 John and Bob were at work storing the game in 

 the flat-boats to carry away for cleaning and 

 salting down, the boys climbed into the boats 

 again and pulled leisurely back to the fort. 



" This ' beating,' " explained the doctor, on 

 the way home, " is simply the rush of the fish 

 after its prey, and is common to many of the 

 mackerel-like fishes, that become crazed, and, as 

 we have seen, leap entirely out of the water." * 



" If you want any shark-fishing, young gen- 

 tlemen," said Long John, who was seated on a 

 keg, skinning and cleaning " jacks," " now's 

 your time ; the heads and backbones I'm chuck- 

 ing over will bait 'em up as thick as mullets." 



"I'll tell you what, boys," said Tom, who 

 was stretched out on the sand, " let's put a shark 



* The ''beating" of the Pacific horse-mackerel, or tuna, is a 

 beautiful sight. I have seen a school sweep up the coast, beating 

 acres of surface into foam in their charges after the flying-fish, that, 

 in their fright, flew upon the beaches and even into boats. — Au- 

 thor. 



