Big Game at Sea 



turtle's flippers were clear of the sand they came 

 whistling through the air, striking me such a stag- 

 gering blow on the side of the face that I lost my 

 hold and fell against my companion, and down went 

 the turtle. Again we seized it, and with a rush 

 endeavored to turn it ; but despite all our attempts the 

 animal fell back and struggled on in the direction of 

 the sea. 



It was evidently too much of a lift for us, so Long 

 John ran along the beach, returning with an oar 

 just as the turtle was carrying me upon its back into 

 the water. He stopped it for a moment by striking 

 it upon its head, then, running the oar beneath it, we 

 both took hold of the lever and with a shout had 

 the monster upon its side; a moment later it was 

 sprawling and helpless on its back, beating its 

 armored breast with its powerful flippers in impotent 

 rage, snapping at the oar and crushing the hard wood. 



" IVe turned heaps of turtle here and over yander, 

 sah," said Long John, " but that's the onerest one of 

 the lot. I reckon it weighs eight hundred pounds." 



The animal was so heavy that we could not haul 

 it out of the water, and as the tide was coming in 

 John started for the next station and brought back 

 two men. The turtle was, with their help, then 

 hauled up the beach where Long John lashed the 

 flippers, each side together, with rope yarn by the 

 simple expedient of cutting holes through the flesh 

 with his knife. Our game was as vicious a specimen 



42 



