Sentence:  My hopes wa'n't disappointed. I never saw clams thicker than they was along them inshore flats. I filled my dreener in no time, and then it come to me that 'twouldn't be a bad idee to get a lot more, take 'em with me to Wellmouth, and peddle 'em out. Clams was fairly <WSD>scarce</WSD> over that side of the bay and ought to fetch a fair price. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  Uncommon, rare; difficult to find; insufficient to meet a demand.