"Yes," said the Captain, sadly, "but the heat ruined 'em all. It's a shame the way the Weather Bureau lets loose all these hot waves, ruinin' honest men's business—peelin' the names off their boats and spilin' their fish."
"How did it spoil the fish, Captain?" queried Tommie.
"Spoiled 'em for my trade," said the Captain, sadly. "I took two young fellers out to catch 'em. They were fellers that thought there was nothin' so good to eat in this world as broiled blue-fish, and I said I knew where we could catch some beauties, so we struck a bargain and went out. Inside of two hours we'd caught a dozen of the finest yo'd ever seen, and we turned about to come in. 'It's been awful hot,' says one of the fellers. 'Yes,' said the other; 'but we'll make up for our sufferin' in the heat when we have a couple o' those blue-fish broiled and sit down to eat 'em. It makes my mouth water,' says he. Then we came in and landed. We took the fish ashore, and then we found out what had happened."
The old man paused, and pulled mournfully away at his pipe for a full minute.
"Go on," said Bob, softly. "What had happened?"
"They was boiled when we caught 'em, the water was so hot," moaned the Captain. "And if there's anything spoils a blue-fish for broiling, it's to have 'em boiled first!"
"It was too bad," said Tommie. "And wouldn't they take 'em?"
"No," said the Captain; "and I couldn't blame 'em. They only wanted to keep me up to my bargain. I'd made it, and they meant I should stick to it; and havin' promised 'em broilers, they wasn't under any obligations to take boiled fish. The worst part of it is I've got 'em all on my hands, and instead o' havin' the cash to buy tenderloin steaks and pie and apple-sauce with, I'll have to eat boiled blue-fish instead for the next ten days; and boiled blue-fish gives me the most depressed feelin's you ever saw."
With which sorrowful statement the good old fellow rose up and walked away, leaving the boys not only sorry for him, but sorry for themselves as well; for when they realized how awfully hot it must be out upon the sea to boil the fish in the water itself, somehow or other it seemed to grow a great deal hotter there upon the beach.