36 THE FACE OF THE FIELDS 



where I was going to'get them. I had got turtle 

 eggs there before — at a particular patch of sandy 

 shore along a pond, a few miles distant from the 

 academy. 



" Three hours was the limit. From my railroad 

 station to Boston was thirty-five miles; from the 

 pond to the station was perhaps three or four 

 miles ; from Boston to Cambridge we called about 

 three miles. Forty miles in round numbers ! We 

 figured it all out before he returned, and got the 

 trip down to two hours, — record time: driving 

 from the pond to the station ; from the station by 

 express train to Boston; from Boston by cab to 

 Cambridge. This left an easy hour for accidents 

 and delays. 



" Cab and car and carriage we reckoned into 

 our time-table ; but what we did n't figure on was 

 the turtle." And he paused abruptly. 



" Young man," he went on, his shaggy brows 

 and spectacles hardly hiding the twinkle in the 

 eyes that were bent severely upon me, " young 

 man, when you go after turtle eggs, take into 

 account the turtle. No ! no ! that 's bad advice. 

 Youth never reckons on the turtle — and youth 

 seldom ought to. Only old age does that ; and old 



