262 ALONG THE FLORIDA REEF. 



These orders were followed literally. Tom 

 and Dick leaped overboard, the water being 

 about three feet deep, and taking an end stick 

 of the seine, walked or waded away with it, 

 while the others payed it out regularly. They 

 made a long sweep, so as to surround the roots, 

 and, when two thirds of the net had been hauled 

 over, Harry and Long John went overboard and 

 drew the other end of the seine toward shore — 

 the net now presenting a semicircle. The doc- 

 tor now pushed the dingh) T just inside the bend 

 of the net and gave signal to go ahead. 



What a sight it -was ! The moon was look- 

 ing over the mangroves on the keys, bathing the 

 fishermen in its light. The net came slowly in ; 

 the doctor or Long John called a halt whenever 

 a root was found, these obstructions being lifted 

 and the occupants frightened out of the home 

 that was then tossed outside of the floats ; then 

 the signal would be again given, and the seine 

 taken in until another root was met, and so on 

 for half an hour or more, when, the ground being 

 clear, the net went rapidly in. 



" Look at them ! " cried Tom, who was haul- 



