"In the woods? In our own back yard. I know how to turn stones over. I have often helped Paul," Hazel attested.
But it was casting the big thirty foot net that really furnished the best sport. It was dropped from a rowboat by Bess and Cora while Laurel and Belle rowed. Then when it was all spread out they had to row very quickly in a circle to close the bottom and to drag in the unsuspecting little fishes that were to make the live bait.
The first trial resulted in Belle resigning as oarsman. She had lost a gold-rimmed side-comb overboard, besides getting very wet when the boat turned suddenly and "took a wave."
"I can row alone," insisted Laurel. "Cora and Hazel must manage the net."
This time they did bring up some fish—a whole drove of wiggling, frightened little minnies.
"How do we get them out?" asked Bess, more frightened than the fish.
"Pick them out and put them in the bait box," Cora explained, while
Bess made a negative face.
"It seems a shame to use them for bait," Laurel said, as on the pier they opened the net carefully and saw the pretty silvery things slip around. "Couldn't we put them some place to grow up?"
"The fish-orphans' home," suggested Cora. "But I must have a few. You know, girls, fish have no brains. That's the reason I suppose they go into the brain business when they get a chance at humans."
The very next afternoon the girl's fishing party rowed out from
Center Landing. Walter went along to take the fish off the hooks of
Belle and Bess who declared they would never be able to do that.
The other boy's composed a rival party.