They took the lid off of the pot, and stepping to the brook turned the
beam from their flash-light on the bottom of the run. The scene was
fascinating. Feeling secure in the darkness, the living creatures in the
brook had ventured abroad freely. Where the bright light of the sun would
have disclosed only stones and sand, the little beam from the search-light
revealed a myriad of moving shapes. Little minnows moved about in schools.
Salamanders, large and small, crawled about among the rocks. Occasional
trout were visible, lurking in the deeper holes, lying as motionless as
sticks, or moving their tails slowly. Eels lay on the sandy spots. And
lying still or crawling slowly among the stones were many crayfish. The
water seemed to be filled with living objects.

"Gee whiz!" whispered Charley. "It's like going to an aquarium and looking
at the fish in glass cages. I never dreamed a brook could be so
interesting."

With the utmost caution they moved along the bank of the run, looking for
crayfish of suitable size. Whenever they found one, Charley focused the
flash-light on it, moving the beam so as to dazzle the creature and keep
the space behind it in darkness. And Lew would slip the coffee-pot into
the water and move it cautiously up to the crayfish, ready for a final,
quick scoop. Sometimes he was successful and sometimes the intended victim
escaped. Always the click of the metal pot against the stony bottom sent
the little creatures in the water scurrying for cover. A second after Lew
tried for the crayfish not a living thing was visible. So it was necessary
to move on along the stream. From spot to spot the two boys proceeded, now
getting a good bait, now missing one, but ever keenly enjoying the
wonderful glimpses of the life in the brook. So they continued until they
had a goodly number of crayfish.