on through by their larger girth of body, and from going back
because of their gills, which catch in the mesh. It requires two
fishermen to set such a net,--one to row the boat, while the other,
standing in the stern, carefully pays out the net. When it is all
out, stretching directly across the stream, the men make their boat
fast to one end of the net and drift along with it.

As we came upon the fleet of law-breaking fishermen, each boat two
or three hundred yards from its neighbors, and boats and nets
dotting the river as far as we could see, Charley said:

"I've only one regret, lad, and that is that I have'nt a thousand
arms so as to be able to catch them all. As it is, we'll only be
able to catch one boat, for while we are tackling that one it will
be up nets and away with the rest."

As we drew closer, we observed none of the usual flurry and
excitement which our appearance invariably produced. Instead, each
boat lay quietly by its net, while the fishermen favored us with
not the slightest attention.

"It's curious," Charley muttered. "Can it be they don't recognize
us?"

I said that it was impossible, and Charley agreed; yet there was a
whole fleet, manned by men who knew us only too well, and who took
no more notice of us than if we were a hay scow or a pleasure
yacht.

This did not continue to be the case, however, for as we bore down