"Did you get him?" shouted Laddie. "Oh, did you get him?"
"I did; and he's a dandy big one!" his father answered. In the net was the great crab, clashing his blue claws together. He had let go of the meat now, and was much surprised at being disturbed at his meal in this fashion.
Laddie lifted the meat from the net by raising the string, and then Daddy Bunker turned the net upside down over a basket. Out fell the crab, scuttling into a corner of the basket.
There he sat, with his two claws held up, ready to pinch any one who might put his fingers too near him. But no one did this. Some wet seaweed was put over the crab, and Laddie tossed back into the water his bait and string, to wait for another crab. After that every one had good luck, even Mun Bun and Margy. Their mother helped them pull up their crabs off the bottom, and Daddy Bunker scooped them into the net. Russ, Rose and Violet also caught a number of crabs, and when the basket was full they stopped fishing.
"No use catching any more than we need to make salad of," said Mother Bunker.
"I don't want any crab salad," said Mun Bun, shaking his head.
"Well, it isn't good for little boys, anyhow," said Captain Ben. "But why don't you want any?"
"I don't want to be pinched!" said Mun Bun.
"Oh, he thinks the crabs are alive, with their claws, in the salad," laughed Vi. "Why, silly, they take the crabs claws off before they eat 'em," she said.
"Well, maybe they might forget and leave one claw on, and that would pinch me if I ate some, but I'm not going to," and Mun Bun shook his head very decidedly.