DKAGGING THE SEINE. 
139 
an old mill. Here some of his negroes were gathered abont 
the net, which lay stretched along the sand, and they sprang 
to our horses, as we dismounted rapidly. 
" 1^0 w," called out the jolly Planter, " off with your dandy 
coats, boys. Strip off your fine feathers ! quick ! — every 
mother's son of you. Peel for your work— you've had play 
enough 1" 
Now there was a hurried scene of preparation, and now it 
became apparent that there were a good many saddle-bags 
thrown across the saddles of the young men, and from their 
depths were hauled forth rude suits of cast-off clothing, which 
were to supply the place of our "dandy suits." 
The transfer was made with becoming rapidity. Our fine 
clothes were passed over to the safe keeping of the elderly 
gents of the party, whose duty it was to carry them for us 
along the banks, as well as to take charge of the fish, when 
any had been caught. Old shoes had followed the old clothes 
from their receptacles, and now we stood equipped in full — 
a pocket-handkerchief tied around the head, a pair of old 
shoes to protect our feet from the sharp stones of the river 
bottom, a pair of pants tied about the waist, and a shirt to 
shield our shoulders from the scorching sun. With shud- 
dering steps we slowly waded in, bearing the net. It was 
two miles, by the river, up to the spring — and through holes 
and shallows, rapids or eddies, we were expected to drag 
this seine, which was full forty feet in length by four in 
depth. A heavy chain sinker was attached along the whole 
length to the bottom, while at the two ends were the stout 
upright poles, by which the ends were to be held on to the 
bottom and to be dragged. 
The two strongest and most experienced of the party took 
hold of these poles, with which they stretched the seine be- 
tween them across the river, while the rest of us took our 
stations at short intervals in the rear to " mind the floats" — 
that is, when the sinking of one of the large cork floats 
strung along the top of the seine showed that the chain 
