At school, the day before, Timoteo had heard Herbert say that he intended going after abalones on Saturday.
"He no get any," prophesied Timoteo, gazing after Herbert's disappearing figure.
Timoteo himself was out abalone-hunting.

This was one of the ways by which he occasionally earned a few cents, visitors to the town buying the large shells for curiosities.

But Timoteo had with him a long iron spike with which he intended to urge the abalone-shells from the rocks.
The abalone has a large, very strong, white "foot" inside its long shell, and there is a row of holes in the shell itself.

It is conjectured that the abalone perhaps exhausts the air under the shell, and so causes the shell to cling more tightly to the rock than ever, through atmospheric pressure.

It is very difficult to take an abalone from its rocky home, unless the creature is surprised.
Timoteo, however, was acquainted with abalones, and made good use of his weapon.