But Charley protested. "I never made the mixture strong enough to do any harm in the first place."
"I'm going to take a look," announced Bill, picking up the lantern. "Everything points to that lime water and it must be it."
The three followed in his wake as he led the way down to the dock.
He examined the nets first. "Gee," he exclaimed, "I should say they were rotten. Let's have a look at Walter's."
He stepped over to the rack where hung the lad's net and tested several meshes. "It is not as bad as those others," he announced. "Still it is getting pretty weak, I don't believe it would last out if a good school of fish struck it. Now let's look into that lime-water barrel."
He plunged his arm down in the partly-filled barrel and felt the water tentatively.
"Where do you keep your barrel of lime?" he asked, as he straightened up.
"Right there on shore under that palm tree," Charley pointed out. "Want to look at the lime?"
"No," said the big fisherman, absently, "I've seen enough."