“Take it easy, Simms,” the short man said. “These kids don’t mean any harm. They—they’re not trying to steal our fishing secrets. Now, are you?” He smiled at Teena, displaying a mouthful of yellowish uneven teeth. Looking at those teeth made Eddie mighty glad his teeth would never look like that. What little bother his braces and the cleaning were would sure be worth it in the long run. He never wanted yellow, uneven teeth like that man had. “I should say we wouldn’t try to steal any fishing secrets,” Teena answered the fat man’s question. “You’re welcome to all the fish you can catch.” “We don’t care how you catch them, or what with,” Eddie added, “long as it’s legal.” “Anyway, we’re on our way to visit Captain Daniels at the lighthouse,” Teena said. “Come on, Eddie.” “Don’t go away mad,” the heavy-set man said. “We didn’t mean any harm.” “Let ’em go, Roy,” Simms said. “We’ve got work to do.” Eddie motioned to Teena and called Sandy. He had intended to tell the men of a good fishing spot only a few hundred yards out from the cove, but the way the men acted made him change his mind. At the far end of the cove, Eddie and Teena stopped and turned to watch the two men as they shoved the rowboat into the calm surf and climbed in clumsily over the side. “Boy, I’m glad all fishermen aren’t like that,” Teena said. “That tall man sure acted mean. I hope they don’t catch any fish.” “I don’t think they will,” Eddie said. “I saw their bait can. Know what they’re using?” “Sand crabs?” “No. That’s what they should be using. They had some old dried up mussels. The fish here in Moon Bay don’t bite on mussel. Dad and I have tried it.” “Then I wonder why Mr. Anderson sold it to them,” Teena said. “Mr. Anderson usually helps the fishermen. It’s good for his boat-rental business to sell the right bait.” “I’ll bet they didn’t even ask what kind of bait was best,” Eddie said. “They probably grabbed the first thing they came to. And Mr. Anderson always has a few mussels in his bait bins.” “I didn’t think fishing was so good in the middle of the day,” Teena said. She pointed out across the water. “See, most of the boats have gone ashore.” “That’s right,” Eddie said. “If those guys wanted to catch fish they should have been out there early this morning when the big ones were biting.” “Guess they don’t know much about fishing, huh, Eddie?” Teena said, smiling. “That’s what I figure,” Eddie agreed. “Besides, they didn’t even act like fishermen. That tall fellow really was a grouch. First time I ever ran across a grouchy fisherman.” “Anyway, let’s quit worrying about them,” Teena suggested. “It’s almost noon. We want to reach the lighthouse before Cap has lunch. He can’t very well eat his lunch and ours, too.” “O.K.,” Eddie agreed, taking one last glance at the two men rowing out on the blue water of the bay. “But something smells fishy about those two—and I don’t mean the kind you catch on a hook!” CHAPTER FOUR