204 SPORT m NORTH AMERICA. 



morrow's dawn. At the appointed hour, Downing 

 presented himself at the door of the Fort Imperial 

 Hotel, and we were soon on the road behind a pair 

 of fast-trotting horses. In a very short time, we 

 reached the banks of a stream which flowed through 

 a deep ravine and was shaded over by lofty trees. 

 Following this stream, we reached a lake with grassy 

 margins, and of a form so completely circular that 

 one would have supposed it to have been dug out by 

 the hand of man to adorn the centre of a park or 

 garden. It is called Lake Worth. Downing had 

 brought lines in his pocket, and only wanted rods to 

 rig up the tackle. There was no great difficulty 

 about this, however; and our arrangements being 

 soon completed, we posted ourselves on the higher 

 parts of the bank, and threw our bait into the lake. 

 A few minutes afterwards, I noticed slight move- 

 ments of the water here and there, and presently 

 what looked like the heads of snakes popping up all 

 round. 



" There are the turtles,^^ whispered Downing. 

 ''Look out; they'll bite directly." 



Presently one of them came near the bank where 

 Ave were standing, and I could distinctly see his long 

 head raised out of the water and looking about as if 

 he smelt danger. I turned my head to ask Downing 

 what to do, when I suddenly felt a grab at my hook, 

 just as if a fish had struck it. My surprise, however, 

 was great when I pulled up a turtle, — doubtless tlie 



