“We’re having good luck!” said Teddy.
“And lots of fun!” added his sister.
They caught several more crabs, some large and some smaller. The peach basket was filling up. Suddenly one of the crabs scrambled over the side of the peach basket to the bottom of the boat.
“Oh, one’s loose! One’s loose!” screamed Janet. “He’ll bite my toes!”
“I’ll catch him! He won’t hurt you!” shouted Ted. He knew just how to catch up a crab by one of the back “flippers,” so that the sea creature could not turn its claws around to pinch. “Get back in your basket where you belong!” laughed Ted, as he tossed the crab—a big one with blue claws—in on top of the others. There was a great clashing of claws, the crabs pinching one another.
“I’m glad he didn’t get me!” exclaimed Janet, as she saw the lively fellow settle down.
“I’ll put some seaweed on top of them,” offered Teddy.
This he did, scooping up some green weed, like immense leaves of lettuce, from the bottom of the bay in his net. Thus covered, the crabs grew quieter.
Then the Curlytops went on catching crabs, hauling up line after line as they saw the cords straighten out, one after another. The crabs were biting well—not exactly biting as a fish bites, but taking hold of the bait in their claws, which was much the same thing.
“Well, I guess we have enough,” said Teddy, after a while. “The basket’s nearly full.”