Evening journal., 1906-08-03

stepped. carefully along the slippery
planklHg which had been laid upon The
piles and into the nRphtha lnnnch which
was TO convey us 10 the place among the
keys where the nshlng bonts had been
anchored on the preceding day after the
nets had been laid down.
The sun had gone down unseen IN
dreary storm OF rain. and, though Il was
full moon, only the falntest light was
dinused through the hlnnket of dense fog
which hung over the face Of the sea.
Nothing could be seen. bat after n pre-.
liminary kissing and spluttering the en-
glne got down 10 It's work ana the launch
began 10 move. Upon the bow stood two
OF the fishermen with polling oars that
is 10 py. oars OF double length with a
thin, clear-cut blade, wherewith they gave
the launch guidance and additional pro-
pulsion by pressing them against the bot
tom Throughout the entire area OF the
sen In which the keys are scattered the
water Is little more than three feet deep.
rising 20 seven on the high tide. with the
exception OF n number Of deep holes on
various Islands. whittier the nsh 20 when
the water fails lower than usually Thus
raising Of a few feet over the area OF
this zone would add many thousands of
acres 20 the marsh lands OF Florida. In
consequence OF this sand bars were nu-
merous, and the passage Of the launch
soon assumed a zlgzag direction through
the fog. as the lookout man. polling on
the bow. shouted "starbonrd." port"
''nstern" OF sand bars ahead" with
scarcely an Interval.
The fog came down more thickly TO.
ward morning. and. after what seemed
an aimless rambling through the unknown
for an hour aud half the launch cnme
20 q halt suddenly.
Does anybody know where we areY'
asked the captain.
I think that was Turtle Crawl" said
a big swede. pointing to one portion OF
the enveioping mist. which appeared 10 be
IN no wise different from the rest.
ITS blowing from the northwest" said
another.
where is the northwest. you blame
foolr' said third
They chafed one another for while.
u had grown nerceptibly lighter. and
dinused brilllancy of the palest mink.
which seemed 10 come from no quarter I'm
particular. Indicated that the sun was
nbout 10 rise The captain cursed gently
IN an even voice. for we were late. the
tide was rising. aud the haul would be
less. Suddenly there wns heard close nj
hand the hoarse screaming OF loon. and
then. all az once. one after another. with
out intermission. came the nop.nopplng OF
hsh leaping IN the water. We were 10
the middle OF n school OF mullet. Imme-
diately came two peiicnns. Just visible IN
the fog, whirling over the launch.
Suddenly the engine began 10 thresh
and ciatter. We were away again. ITS
going 10 clear up. said one OF the sailors
We were going az full speed now, certain,
as II seemed. OF our direction. and sure
enough. a moment later the sun burst
from a bank Of clouds. rolling up the
mists Ike a window shade. and the low
shore OF Turtle Crawl appeared ahead.
with the long line OF corks indicating
where the nets had been set down on
the preceding evening without error or
haw we had been brought 20 our destlna-
tion by a combination Of those Instructive
senses OF space and weather which direct
the seafarer Immediately that the launch
reached the nets the sailors leapcd into
the sea, which was barely knee-hlgh az
this point, aud commenced dragging them
toward the shore.
There are two kinds OF netting. stop-
netting and gill-netting. the former being
IN more repute and bringing much iargec
haulss although Il requires a complete out