Robert (Bob) Hart

The Clam Diggers' Kids Robert (Bob) Hart

Ordinarily, when we kids go with our parents at night, we stay in the car bundled up together on the leather back seat of the car. This is a totally new and different kind of experience. While in the parked car we cannot see the lighted lantern, which is normally set on the sand behind the car, where it is easily seen by Mom and Dad when digging clams. But now we have no car, no back seat, and only a blanket on the sand to lie upon, with the lantern lighting the surrounding area - corpse, sand fleas and all - the lantern serving as beacon for Mom while in the ocean, and for Dad when returning. The sand fleas, while harmless, are everywhere around us - thousands of them - some on us, some on the corpse, but most attracted to the bright light, jumping all over the lantern.