100 ALONG THE FLORIDA REEF. 



half an inch or so, holding by suction, and not 

 injuring the turtle in the least, while if it had 

 been struck with the grains the shell would 

 have been torn and a bad wound the result, ren- 

 dering it impossible to consign the turtle to the 

 crawl or ship it any distance. 



" Did you ever see a sea serpent ? " Harry 

 asked Long John, after the excitement over the 

 turtle had subsided. 



" Ever see a sea sarpint ? " repeated Long 

 John, looking at Harry earnestly with one eye, 

 while the other appeared to wink slyly at the 

 doctor. 



" Yes," said Harry. " Have you s " 



" I can't say I have," replied Long John, put- 

 iug on a very wise look ; " but Bob Rand has. 

 Bob " he continued, " ain't much of a talker ; in 

 fact, I've pardnered with him five years and 

 never held much conversin' with him, but he's 

 a great obsarver — takes in everything, and stores 

 it up like. If lie can't tell you about the sea- 

 sarpint, I'm mistaken." 



The boys determined to broach the subject 

 to Bob Rand at the very first opportunity. 



