Diving for Turtles 



extended, its head resting on the sand, apparently 

 asleep. A few strokes brought me directly over it, 

 then I quickly grasped the big creature with both 

 hands, by the projecting shell just over the head. 

 What happened during the succeeding seconds left a 

 very distinct impression on my mind. I remember 

 seeing the big head rise, the flippers strike the bot- 

 tom, and in a cloud of sand and rushing water, I felt 

 myself jerked to the surface with irresistible force; 

 then dragged down again and away, on the back of 

 as wild a steed as one would wish to mount on land 

 or sea. 



The turtle in its alarm had instinctively dashed to 

 the surface to breathe, then plunged down, with per- 

 haps an undefined idea of washing me off. The 

 remark of Long John that I might win if I could 

 remain under water twenty minutes flashed through 

 my mind, and I was fast giving out when the turtle 

 rose again to blow. In reality it had dragged me 

 only about fifty feet, but, so rapid was the rate against 

 the water, that it increased the necessity for breath- 

 ing. At the time, I believe I could remain under 

 water about one minute under normal conditions, 

 which were now certainly reversed. I allowed my- 

 self to stretch out perfectly straight at first, thus 

 aiding my steed, which was now flying along like a 

 bird, and for a second time I was threatened with 

 suffocation. I could feel the veins in my head swell- 

 ing, my eyes seemed ready to start from my head, and 



45 



