196 ALONG THE FLORIDA REEF. 



Tom ? " asked Long John, smiling, as Tom tossed 

 a small basket into the boat. 



" Put eggs in it," was the answer. 



" This 'ere's the kind o' basket you want," 

 said Long John, lifting an empty flour-barrel into 

 his dinghy. 



" Do you expect to get that full ? " asked 

 Tom. 



" Well, I reckon," replied the fisherman, shov- 

 ing off the pelican, that expressed a desire to go 

 with them. Tom said nothing, but looked ex- 

 ceedingly doubtful. 



As there was no wind, they took the oars, 

 and slowly pulled along the channel toward 

 Bird Key. Dick stood in the bow, grains in 

 hand, on the lookout for anything new. A long 

 shoal extended out here toward Bird Key, form- 

 ing the southwest channel. Along its edge they 

 skirted, passing groves of branching coral, heads 

 of Astrcea, and again the broad leaf -coral. The 

 reef fairly teemed with life, and oars were often 

 dropped and the boat allowed to drift slowly 

 along, her occupants, with faces near the surface, 

 watching the panorama below. 



