CHAPTER X
THE SHELL HUNT
"Now, all ready for the hunting expedition," called Uncle William,very early the next morning, he having taken a day away from hisoffice in the city, to enjoy himself with the Bobbseys at theseashore.
It was to be a long journey, so Aunt Emily thought it wise to take thedonkey cart, so that the weary travelers, as they fell by the wayside,might be put in the cart until refreshed. Besides, the shells andthings could be brought home in the cart. Freddie expected to capturea real sea serpent, and Dorothy declared she would bring back a whale.Nellie had an idea she would find something valuable, maybe a diamond,that some fish had swallowed in mistake for a lump of sugar at thebottom of the sea. So, with pleasant expectations, the party startedoff, Bert and Hal acting as guides, and leading the way.
"If you feel like climbing down the rocks here we can walk all alongthe edge," said Hal. "But be careful!" he cautioned, "the rocks areawfully slippery. Dorothy will have to go on ahead down the road withthe donkeys, and we can meet her at the Point."
Freddie and Flossie went along with Dorothy, as the descent wasconsidered too dangerous for the little ones. Dorothy let Freddiedrive to make up for the fun the others had sliding down the rocks.
Uncle Daniel started down the cliffs first, and close behind him cameMrs. Bobbsey and Aunt Emily. Nan and Nellie took another path, if asmall strip of jagged rock could be called a path, while Hal and Bertscaled down over the very roughest part, it seemed to the girls.
"Oh, mercy!" called Nan, as a rock slipped from under her foot and shepromptly slipped after it. "Nellie, give me your hand or I'll slideinto the ocean!"
Nellie tried to cross over to Nan, but in doing so she lost herfooting and fell, then turned over twice, and only stopped as she camein contact with Uncle William's heels.
"Are you hurt?" everybody asked at once, but Nellie promptly jumpedup, showing the toss had not injured her in the least.
"I thought I was going to get an unexpected bath that time," she said,laughing, "only for Mr. Minturn interfering. I saw a star in eachheel of his shoe," she declared' "and I was never before glad to bumpmy nose."
Without further accident the party reached the sands, and saw Dorothyand the little ones a short distance away. Freddie had already filledhis cap with little shells, and Flossie was busy selecting some of thefinest from a collection she had made.
"Let's dig," said Hal to Bert. "There are all sorts of mussels,crabs, clams, and oysters around here. The fisheries are just abovethat point."
So the boys began searching in the wet sand, now and then bringing upa "fairy crab" or a baby clam.
"Here's an oyster," called Nellie, coming up with the shellfish in herhand. It was a large oyster and had been washed quite clean by thenoisy waves.
"Let's open it," said Hal. "Shall I, Nellie?"
"Yes, if you want to," replied the girl, indifferently, for she didnot care about the little morsel. Hal opened it easily with hisknife, and then he asked who was hungry.
"Oh, see here!" he called, suddenly. "What this? It looks like apearl."
"Let me see," said Mr. Minturn, taking the little shell in his hand,and turning out the oyster. "Yes, that surely is a pearl. Now,Nellie, you have a prize. Sometimes these little pearls are quitevaluable. At any rate, you can have it set in a ring," declaredMr. Minturn.
"Oh, let me see," pleaded Dorothy. "I've always looked for pearls,and never could find one. How lucky you are, Nellie. It's worth somemoney."
"Maybe it isn't a pearl at all," objected Nellie, hardly believingthat anything of value could be picked up so easily.
"Yes, it is," declared Mr. Minturn. "I've seen that kind before.I'll take care of it for you, and find out what it is worth," and hevery carefully sealed the tiny speck in an envelope which he put inhis pocketbook.
After that everybody wanted to dig for oysters, but it seemed the onethat Nellie found had been washed in somehow, for the oyster beds wereout in deeper water. Yet, every time Freddie found a clam or amussel, he wanted it opened to look for pearls.
"Let us get a box of very small shells and we can string them fornecklaces," suggested Nan. "We can keep them for Christmas gifts too,if we string them well."
"Oh, I've got enough for beads and bracelets," declared Flossie, for,indeed, she had lost no time in filling her box with the prettiestshells to be found on the sands.
"Oh, I see a net," called Bert, running toward a lot of driftwood inwhich an old net was tangled. Bert soon disentangled it and it provedto be a large piece of seine, the kind that is often used to decoratewalls in libraries.
"Just what I wanted!" he declared. "And smell the salt. I willalways have the ocean in my room now, for I can close my eyes andsmell the salt water."
"It is a good piece," declared Hal. "You were lucky to find it.Those sell for a couple of dollars to art dealers."
"Well, I won't sell mine at any price," Bert said. "I've been wishingfor a net to put back of my swords and Indian arrows. They make afine decoration."
The grown folks had come up now, and all agreed the seine was a verypretty one.
"Well, I declare!" said Uncle William, "I have often looked for apiece of net and never could get that kind. You and Nellie were thelucky ones to-day."
"Oh, oh, oh!" screamed Freddie. "What's that?" and before he had achance to think, he ran down to the edge of the water to meet a bigbarrel that had been washed in.
"Look out!" screamed Bert, but Freddie was looking in, and at thatmoment the water washed in right over Freddie's shoes, stockings, andall.
"Oh!" screamed everybody in chorus, for the next instant a strongerwave came in and knocked Freddie down. Quick as a flash Dorothy, whowas nearest the edge, jumped in after Freddie, for as the wave recededthe little boy fell in again, and might have been washed out into realdanger if he had not been promptly rescued.
But as it was he was dripping wet, even his curls had been washed, andhis linen suit looked just like one of Dinah's dish towels. Dorothy,too, was wet to the knees, but she did not mind that. The day waswarming up and she could get along without shoes or stockings untilshe reached home.
"Freddie's always fallin' in," gasped Flossie, who was always gettingfrightened at her twin brother's accidents.
"Well, I get out, don't I?" pouted Freddie, not feeling very happy inhis wet clothing.
"Now we must hurry home," insisted Mrs. Bobbsey, as she put Freddie inthe donkey cart, while Dorothy, after pulling off her wet shoes andstockings, put a robe over her feet, whipped up the donkeys, Doodleand Dandy, and with Freddie and Flossie in the seat of the cart, theshells and net in the bottom, started off towards the cliffs, there tofix Freddie up in dry clothing. Of course he was not "wet to theskin," as he said, but his shoes and stockings were soaked, and hiswaist was wet, and that was enough. Five minutes later Dorothy pulledup the donkeys at the kitchen door, where Dinah took Freddie in herarms, and soon after fixed him up.
"You is de greatest boy for fallin' in," she declared. "Nebber sawsech a faller. But all de same you'se Dinah's baby boy," andkind-hearted Dinah rubbed Freddie's feet well, so he would not takecold; then, with fresh clothing, she made him just as comfortable andhappy as he had been when he had started out shell hunting.