DRAGGING THE SEINE. 
141 
jerked back by tbe banging of the net !• — tbe poor float man 
nearest is Hterally deafened by tbe universal bowl of execra- 
tions, as if it were bis fault tbat tbe snag was tbere — and 
sbouted admonition to " make baste !" 
"Take care !" ''don't let tbem get out!" "you are lifting 
tbe sink too bigb !" "burry, burrry !" until be is so confused 
tbat be scarcely knows wbat be does — and looking about 
bim as be stoops to obey all tbese injunctions in a second, is 
frigbtened still fartber at tbe ferocious faces scowling upon 
bim as if eager for bis very life blood. Lucky is be if be 
loosens tbe net witbout mucb delay in tbe face of all tbis, 
for tbe next minute tbe landing is effected, and all tbe ex- 
citement is diverted from bis devoted bead by tbe sigbt of 
tbe glittering spoil dragged suddenly, flashing and leaping to 
tbe sunlight. 
The fish are at once secured in baskets, carried by the el- 
ders on one arm, while the other bears across it a suit or two 
of clothes, or pairs of boots ; and now tbe pent up breaths 
of excitement are drawn, and laughter and pleasant gibes 
relax the ferocious scowls of a moment since — while tbe net 
is being freed from the leaves and twigs that it had gathered, 
and sundry useless monsters of mud-cats, bard-shell terra- 
pins, or snapping-turtles, &c., are being thrown back into the 
water preparatory for another hauL 
Now tbe seine is carried on our shoulders across tbe "ripp," 
or ripple above, to tbe next hole — the boys sent on again to 
the " ripp " beyond tbat, and the seine spread out again, is 
dropped once more into the deep water. 
There had been a heavy Spring freshet lately, and, now 
that it had just subsided, the fish which always ascend the 
small streams at such times, had been left behind in the holes 
in great numbers. The rule is, the deeper tbe bole, the 
larger and finer the fish ; and sometimes we were plunged 
in over our heads by a single step, to rise sputtering and 
floundering, amidst the general shouts of laughter at the 
mishap. 
