HAULING THE SEINE. 259 



While swimming, many fishes were disposed 

 to examine the boys from mere curiosity, as if 

 they wondered what kind of an animal this was 

 that had so suddenly appeared upon their mount- 

 ain home ; for we must remember that the ma- 

 rine inhabitants also have hills, valleys, and 

 mountains, and the dwellers on the reef were 

 highlanders, living far above those in the water 

 a mile away, and under pressures differing as 

 the air pressures differ between high mountains 

 and valleys on land. 



One afternoon the boys had been on a trip 

 down the reef, and were returning by Bush Key, 

 when Harry suddenly stood up and pointed to 

 a collection of submerged roots that were strewed 

 about. " Look at the angel-fishes ! " he ex- 

 claimed ; and, dropping the oars, the others also 

 stood up and saw the most wonderful assem- 

 blage of these beautiful creatures they had yet 

 observed. 



The roots were those of the mangrove trees 

 that had been washed out into the lagoon be- 

 tween Bush and Long Keys, and in three or 

 four feet of water their tangled masses formed 



