250 BIRD-LAND ECHOES. 



all of a sudden, a hissin' and splashin' ahead o' me, 

 and, lookin' up, I see the king tortle standin' up 

 like, in the water, and starin' right at me. His head 

 was bigger' n my fist, and his eyes showed all the 

 fire that was in 'em. I was more'n taken aback, for 

 sure, and 'most fell out o' the boat, and when I 

 looked again, I seen his shell, big as the bottom of 

 a wash-tub, floatin' on the water, and then it sank. 

 I knowed it was no use settin' hooks, but somehow 

 I went on kind o' dazed like, and then started for 

 home, but my boat wouldn't move. I shoved an 

 oar into the mud, and it was sort o' jerked to one 

 side, and I just missed goin' overboard. Then I 

 knowed what was up ; old King Tortle was a-keepin' 

 me. I got weak as a kitten, when all of a sudden 

 the boat shot up stream, and when I c'lected my 

 senses I set to rowin' fast as my arms would let me." 



"Is that all?" I asked, for the old man suddenly 

 stopped talking and looked steadily in the direction 

 of which he had been speaking, for the old elms on 

 the creek shore were plainly in view, and I could 

 see, in imagination, all that he described. 



" Ain't it enough?" he asked, and then went on 

 as if there had been no interruption. " I went next 

 mornin' to the place, and there wasn't a hook on 

 any of my lines and not many o' them. Every one 

 was cut off clean. I was a fool to leave 'em, but 

 somehow thought I must, and I think the king tortle 

 sort o' charms you like a sarpint does a little bird. 

 Well, just as I was gittin' out o' the place the old 

 tortle came up out o' the water, but not a-lookin' as 



