In all the stress and excitement of sending the old dory out there where the water was rippling its news to her, Judy had time to think of several things. She had time to remember how she and Jem Three had used, from the time they were little brown things in pinafores, to plan about their first school o' mackerel--what they would do with all the wealth it should bring them, how they would share it together, how they would pull in the silvery, glistening fellows, side by side. What plans--what plans they had made! They had practiced a shrill, piercing call that was to summon the one of them who should happen to be absent when the "school" was descried out there in the bay. Even lately, big and old as they had grown, they had laughingly reviewed that call. Now--this minute--if Judith were to utter it, piercing and far-carrying and jubilant, perhaps Jemmy Three might hear and come plowing through the waves to get his share--had he any share? Because when they were little brown things they had made vows, did that give him any rights now? Of course, if--if things had been different--lobster-things--Judith might have pursed her lips into that triumphant summons. But-- "Sit still! I'm going to swing her round!" called Judith sharply. "I've got to go ashore for father's old net. It's in the boat-house." "You won't leave me, Judy--promise you'll take me out with you!" pleaded Blossom, eagerly. "I'll have to," Judith responded briefly. "There isn't time to carry you home--I don't dare _take_ time." She made her plans as she went in, and put out again with the clumsy heap of netting towering at her feet. The thing she meant to do was stupendous for a girl to attempt alone, but she was going to attempt it. The shabby old net had lain in its corner, useless, for two years. Now it should be used--she, Judith Lynn would use it! She was glad as she pulled seaward again that she had thrown in two scoops--perhaps when the time came Blossom could make out to use one a little. The net was like a long--a very long--fence, with its lower edge weighted heavily and its upper edge provided with wooden floats, to insure its standing erect under water. When in position properly it surrounded the school of fish, completely fencing in the darting, glimmering, silver fellows. Then the circle could be gradually narrowed and the fish brought together in a mass, when scoops could be used to dip them up into the boat. The school once located, Judith began to circle slowly round it, "paying out" her fence of netting with no small difficulty, but gradually surrounding the unsuspected fish, until at length she had them penned. "What did I tell you! I told you I'd be the--the mastif, Judy!" Blossom chattered. "I told you you'd say how thankful you was you brought that child!"