THE ISLANDS OF THE BAY OF BENGAL. 121 



a dozen more at least." Now the pool was fully four feet deep 

 in some places, studded with huge branching corals that would 

 cut one's legs. I had'nt the smallest intention of wetting 

 myself up to my neck, as was quite unavoidable in catching 

 a turtle in water as deep as this, but I thought it only right 

 to encourage him, so responding to his call I sang out 

 "hurrah !^go ahead old chap, give me the turtle to put down/' 

 and seizing the latter by the hind legs, I left D. free to 

 plunge again rejoicing into the pool. 



Those turtle must have been very lively. I am sure D/s agility 

 would have gratified any one ; he tumbled head over heels it is 

 true a few times, but what did that signify ? beyond a certain 

 point no fellow can acquire any additional wetness, and besides 

 was'nt I sticking to him like a man, standing boldly at the 

 very brink and cheering him on to renewed exertions ? What 

 more could a man desire ? and when all the six turtle had 

 been caught, (for there really were five more), and I had laid 

 each carefully on its back, and I hailed Stol (who emerg- 

 ing at that moment from the jungle in a state of extreme 

 raggedness and perspiration) to come and see the turtle 

 we had caught, was it not ungrateful and uufeeling of 

 that fellow D. to say "we? well I am blowed if I know 

 where those you caught have got to"? Need I say that I 

 took no notice of this ribaldry, but on the Philoso- 

 pher's arrival started him off with a couple of the turtle 

 to the beach, reproaching him plaintively with having been 

 enjoyed himself in the shade, while we had been so 

 hard at work in the sun. He did not saij "Walker/"' that 

 not being a Sclavonic idiom, but he adjusted his spectacles 

 with his arm, (his hands were occupied with turtles), and 

 I regret to say (for it may create an impression unfavor- 

 able to him) most emphatically looked it. 



Thus if is that the world rewards modest merit ! 



At the very height of the turtle hunt, I heard a rush 

 overhead, and a fine Peregine struck at a lot of little Sand- 

 plovers, which were trotting about the sandy margin of another 

 neighouring reef-pool. It was the female, I could have shot 

 her easily, but my gun was far away, so I had to content 

 myself with watching her as joined a little further on by the 

 male, both made repeated strokes at small waders along the beach. 

 Directly they crossed the next point, six mysterious shots were 

 fired in rapid succession, clearly from their movemeuts, at 

 the birds, who, however, never l< seemed a penny the worse." 

 I say mysterious because not one of the party knew any- 



