CHAPTER XI
LOBSTER POTS
Well might the little Curlytop boy have felt afraid--small chap that hewas--out on the ocean in an open boat with a big shark bumping itsshovel-nose against the craft. But, somehow or other, Ted was not at allafraid. Perhaps he knew the sturdy fishermen were more than a match forthe big fish tangled in the net.
"Look out there, my boy!" cried one of the boatmen, as he saw Ted tumbledown on the pile of nets as the boat heeled over. "Don't fall out!"
"No, I won't," answered Janet's brother, as he scrambled to his feet. Hewanted to lean over the edge of the boat and see the men catch theshark. But the same fisherman called out:
"Be careful! Don't lean over the gunwale!"
Ted kept back at that warning. Then he saw Captain Oleson catch up along, sharp harpoon, fastened to a stout rope. This harpoon the captainthrew into the shark. The big fish struggled, he bumped the boat againwith his head, he lashed out with his tail, splashing water over everyone in the boat, including Ted. But the piece of oilskin on the boy kepthim pretty dry.
"That's the last of him! Haul him in and we'll let the folks on shoresee him!" ordered the captain, as the shark was killed. He was hauledover the side of the boat--no very easy work--but at last the big, uglyfish lay on the bottom. It was a shark about ten feet long, and as Tedlooked at the cruel teeth and the long nose, like a shovel sticking outin front, the Curlytop boy was glad he had not fallen into the waterwhile the shark was about.
"Well, we settled him, but I think he has torn our nets and let out alot of fish we might have had," said the captain, as he looked at thedead shark in the boat.
This proved to be true. When the fishermen hauled up their net there wasa big hole torn in it by the shark, who had been entangled in it and hadtried to get out. Through this hole many fish had escaped. But stillthere was a goodly load which half-filled the boat.
The fish were dipped out of the drawn purse net by smaller scoop, ordip, nets, and dumped, flapping and leaping, into the bottom of the boaton top of the shark.
Then, indeed, Ted was glad of the oilskin he had wrapped about him. Forsome of the fish flapped on him, slapping him with their tails, coveringhim with salt water and spray. There were some big bluefish in thecatch, at the sight of which the eyes of the captain gleamed.
"I'll get a good price for those," he said. "Bluefish are scarce.Haven't had any in a dog's age. The bluefish must have been sofrightened at the shark that they didn't dare run away."
There were also sea bass in the net, and many queer fish that seemed tohave two wings.
"What are those?" asked Ted, when the net was emptied and the boatstarted for shore.
"Sea robins," answered one of the men.
"They're not the kind of robins that sing, either," added another, andhe began tossing overboard the sea robins, which are of no use as food.
Ted felt quite proud of himself as the boat rode through the surf and upon the beach. Other men from the fishery were waiting for it, and assoon as it was near enough a big hook was put in a loop of rope in thebow of the boat, and a team of horses hauled the craft well up on thesand, out of reach of the high tide waves.
Ted almost wished there might have been more danger as the boat camethrough the surf. Sometimes the fishing boats upset, he had heard. Butthough the sea was rough Captain Oleson skillfully steered his craft inand hardly any water came aboard.
Janet and Trouble were waiting for Teddy, and as soon as Janet saw herbrother in the boat she called out:
"Are you all right? Oh, I was so scared!"
"Pooh! There wasn't anything to get scared about!" laughed Ted, as oneof the men helped him down and out of the craft. "We got a big shark,too!" the Curlytop boy added, as he dropped down on the sand.
"Have you?" exclaimed Janet. "I want to see it!"
"Oh, they caught a shark! They caught a shark!" murmured many voices inthe crowd drawn up on Sunset Beach to await the arrival of the fishboat. Men, women and children crowded about the craft, anxious for asight of one of the monsters of the deep.
When the good fish had been taken out and sent to the icing place, theshark was dumped out on the sand. The crowd gathered close about it, andsome venturesome boys even opened the mouth of the shark, to look at hisrows of sharp teeth.
"How did you catch him, Teddy?" asked Janet.
"Well, course I didn't catch him," Teddy modestly answered. "But I sawthe captain harpoon him," and the Curlytop boy told of the capture ofthe big fish, while other boys and girls listened.
Then, when the other fish had been taken care of, the shark was put onthe wagon and shipped to New York, for Captain Oleson had an order for ashark from a firm of leather manufacturers who made the thick skin ofthe big fish into pocketbooks.
Just as the crowd was moving away, down to the beach came Mr. Martin. Helooked worried, but this passed away when he saw the Curlytops andTrouble.
"I've been wondering where you children were," he said. "Your mother wasgetting anxious about you."
"I've been off to the fish nets in the boat and I saw 'em catch ashark!" exclaimed Ted, not wanting his sister to get ahead of him intelling the news.
"You did what?" cried Mr. Martin, hardly able to believe what he heard.
"Yes, he was out in the fish boat," added Janet.
"And the shark--he has a nose like a nellifunt, only it isn't so long,"chimed in Trouble.
Then Mr. Martin had to laugh, though he looked a bit serious when Tedtold about having fallen into the boat and being taken out to sea.
"Of course it wasn't your fault, little Curlytop," said his father. "Butyou must be more careful when playing about the beach, the ocean and theboats. The sea is deep and wide--it isn't like the brook at home. So becareful, all of you."
The children promised that they would, and when Mr. Martin saw how dirtyTed was, from the fish, he said to his son:
"You'd better go up to the cottage and get cleaned."
"I will," Ted answered. "Did they find Mr. Keller's keys, and thewedding ring?" he asked.
"No," replied his father. "I'm afraid they're lost for good. Theysearched all around in the sand, but didn't find them."
Several days passed, and each day brought more fun to the Curlytops andTrouble. They spent long, sunny days on the beach or in the water,splashing about in shallow pools left by the tide as it went out.
Every day Mr. or Mrs. Keller walked down to the place where the keys andthe wedding ring had been lost in the sand, hoping to find them.
"But I'm afraid we shall never see them again," sighed Mrs. Keller.
"I only hope Mr. Narr doesn't ask me about his keys," said Mr. Keller."I may be able to get another set from the bank and, if I can,everything will be all right. But if I don't--" He did not finish whathe started to say, but he looked worried.
"We'll help you hunt for them," offered Ted.
"It's very good of you," answered Mr. Keller, shaking his head. "But Ifear it is of little use."
However, the Curlytops did not give up. Whenever they had nothing elseto do--which was not very often, to be sure--they would wander down tothe beach near the spot where the ring and the keys had been lost. Theycould tell the spot now, for Mr. Keller had planted an old post in thesand--a post that had once been part of a ship's mast.
But though they delved about, the children found nothing more valuablethan shells and stones, with now and then a bit of white coral that hadbeen washed up by the waves.
One day, after the Curlytops and Trouble had been bathing in themorning, Ted called to Janet after lunch and said:
"Let's go down near the lighthouse and look inside."
"Will they let us?" his sister wanted to know.
"Sure, they will," Teddy answered. "Captain Oleson told me they would.Come on."
There was a lighthouse on the point of land that separated the bay fromthe open ocean. The Martins' cottage was on the bay and faced thesetting
sun (that was why the place was called Sunset Beach) but wasvery near the ocean, too. The lighthouse was a square tower of stone,and in the top, at night, a flashing light burned, to warn ships, out atsea, not to come too near shore, because of a dangerous sand bar.
The lighthouse was not so far from the Martin cottage that Mrs. Martincould not let the children go alone. They would be safe on the beach,she felt sure.
So then, a little later, Ted, Janet and Trouble might have been seenwending their way down the sand. It was a pleasant day, the sun wasshining and the waves were sparkling. The sea was quite calm, only lowrollers breaking on the beach.
A short distance from the lighthouse, the Curlytops came upon a numberof queer, black objects on the beach. They were of wood, and seemed tobe made of laths nailed on some half-round pieces of wood, with bits offish net inside.
"What are they?" asked Janet.
"Lobster pots," answered her brother. "I guess the man that owns themput them out here on shore to mend them."
"What are lobster pots?" Janet wanted to know, while she stopped to lookat them. Trouble pulled his hand out of his sister's and began tossingpebbles into the waves.
"Lobster pots are pots to catch lobsters in," said Teddy. "They take 'emout to sea with a brick inside, and when lobsters get in the men take'em out."
"What do they put a brick in for?" asked Janet. "Does a lobster like toeat a brick?"
"Course not!" laughed Ted. "They put some pieces of fish in for thelobster to eat, and the brick makes the wooden pot heavy so it sinksdown on the bottom of the ocean. Then the lobster crawls in to get thefish bait, and it can't crawl out again."
"Why can't it, and how do you know?" asked Janet.
"I know 'cause Captain Oleson told me," answered Teddy. "And the lobstercan't get out 'cause he gets tangled in the piece of fish net. A lobsterhas to crawl backward in the ocean. He can't go frontwards 'cause hisbig claws are in the way. He crawls backward into the little hole in thepiece of fish net in the pot, and when he wants to crawl out again hecan't do it. He can't find the hole 'cause he has to go backward all thewhile."
"I should think," said Janet, "that if he could find the hole to crawlin backward, he could find the hole to crawl out backward."
"He can't," explained Ted, "'cause, Captain Oleson says, the hole wherehe goes in is big, like the big end of a funnel. But when he gets insidethe hole is little, like the little end of a funnel, and he can't findit."
"Oh, I see what you mean!" exclaimed Janet, as she looked inside one ofthe several lobster pots scattered on the beach.
Lobster pots are tied together with a long rope, and, as Teddyexplained, they are sunk to the bottom of the ocean by means of bricksinside them. The two ends of the ropes to which the pots are fastenedare buoyed up by big pieces of cork, or are tied to poles, and on top ofthe poles the fisherman places red flags so he can find his pots when hecomes to empty them. Sometimes a storm will break the mooring ropes andthe pots will drift ashore.
The Curlytops were not certain whether these pots had drifted ashore orhad been brought there purposely. At any rate, there were a number ofthe pots, which were black because they were covered with tar, whichkeeps them from rotting in the salty water of the ocean.
"I wonder if there's any lobsters in them now?" ventured Janet.
"No, I don't guess so," answered Ted.
"Look, Trouble," went on Janet, calling her small brother. "This is howa lobster goes into a pot."
Janet had with her a rag doll, and she now thrust this treasure into thelarge funnel-like opening of one of the lobster pots. Close up to theround hole in the fish net part of the trap the little girl thrust herdoll.
Suddenly she gave a startled cry.
"What's the matter?" called Ted, turning back, for he had walked on.
"Something in one of the pots grabbed my doll away from me!" answeredJanet. "I guess a lobster took my rag doll, Teddy!"