The handkerchief was tied about the sore finger, and then Beth watched
Harvey while he pulled up the lines. There were crabs on every one,
and on some of them there were two. Harvey would pull the crabs to the
surface of the water and then scoop the net under them. In moving the
crabs from the net to the basket, he held them by the hind legs,
because, in this position, a crab cannot reach around with its claws to
bite.

Altogether, the children caught about fifteen crabs, and they took them
up to the house with them. Arriving there, they found that Mrs.
Davenport had driven to town to bring home Mr. Davenport and Marian.

Beth therefore went to Maggie about the finger, and Harvey accompanied
her. Maggie proved very sympathetic.

"Yo' precious little honey, yo'. Dat finger jes' am awful, but I knows
what'll cure it in no time. Here, yo', Gustus, yo' run and fetch me
some tar. Hurry, yo' lazy niggah yo'. Dar, dar, honey chile, it'll be
all right in no time. Tar am jes' fine for a sore."

For a wonder, Gustus did hurry and was back in no time with the tar.
Maggie dressed the wound with it very gently and Beth began to feel
easier immediately.

"Now, honey, it'll be all right. If yo'd only known, and jes' held
yo'r finger with dat crab out over the watah, it 'd have seen its
shadah and gone aftah it."

"Here, Beth," Harvey now said, "you can have all of the crabs; I guess