Homeward Bound 1 17 



They creep up behind the dozing, hstless, and deserted 

 Spharga, the second mate rises stifHy to his feet, raises 

 his iron and crash ! it has pierced caHpee and caHpash, 

 nor can any struggling on the part of the impaled one 

 release him from that terrible barb. A considerable 

 wrestling ensues before the massive prize can be hoisted 

 into the boat, but it is effected without a capsize, and 

 presently, flushed with his triumph, Mr. Smith reports 

 himself to his skipper and the treasure is handed over to 

 the cook. 



Meanwhile the fleeing spouse is making record time 

 towards her objective. Swimming just beneath the 

 surface she makes no ripple above, only a broad band 

 of light marks her passage, and all the hungry sea-people, 

 attracted by the glare, make respectful way for her. 

 They are ravenous, but she is invulnerable. The 

 broad fans of her paddles beat upon the sea with a 

 regularity akin to that of the propeller of a steamship, 

 and apparently as untiringly, until on the second morn- 

 ing she reaches the shining beach on one of the Grena- 

 dines which she has all along been aiming at, guided by 

 that mysterious homing instinct of which mere humans 

 know nothing. A tiny surf curdles round the snow-white 

 sand, a golden globe hangs in the sapphire sky, when 

 alone, and amid a perfect silence the great Turtle drags 

 herself cumbrously up just beyond high- water mark. 



This is one of the secret places of the Almighty. 

 Far from all the iniquities of man's devising, here is 

 only beauty and peace as at the dawning of creation 

 when first the new-made earth arose from the enlight- 

 ened sea. Only a few timorous little birds watched the 

 upward progress of the Turtle, and expressed their 

 disapproval of her intrusion in quavering notes hardly 

 audible. Suddenly stopping, she changed from a 

 lethargic weariful attitude to one of furious activity. 



