130 RECREATION 



Soon the moon appeared on the east- Bill, "and don't move. Wait till she 



ern horizon, first as a glow of light, lays her eggs." 



then slowly lifting its rim above the Legs and arms began to ache and an 



water and sky line, until it shone like a hour dragged by, while we crouched 



great molten mass in semi-tropical bril- miserably on the damp sand, before a 



liance. movement on her part showed that she 



Bill arose to his feet, and, casting a had begun to cover her eggs and was 



keen glance up and down the beach, in- preparing to return to the water. Care- 



dicated that it was time to go. "Looks fully and dexterously, considering that 



like we ought to get something," he her flippers were her only tools, the 



muttered, stooping to pick up his gun, ponderous monster replaced the sand, 



and then following his lead, I started and began to move toward the sea. 



down the coast. It is not easy, without some previous 



Hunting loggerheads involves a vast practice, to grapple the underside of the 

 amount of walking. Together we shell of a turtle weighing something 

 trudged along, keeping a sharp lookout like a thousand pounds, being very care- 

 well ahead for any object either mov- ful to avoid her sharp flippers, and her 

 ing or stationary, which on nearer ap- still more formidable jaws, and then, 

 proach might prove to be a turtle. Un- -with a quick movement, throw her over 

 trained eyes are easily deceived in the on her back, where she lies helpless, 

 uncertain moonlight by what after- Bravely she struggles to escape her pur- 

 wards on closer scrutiny turns out to be suers and fiercely her jaws snap in her 

 only bunches of seaweed or driftwood, efforts to bite her captors. Woe to the 

 Not a living thing was in sight. We man who gets within their reach. There 

 only felt the steady night wind carry- was no time for hesitation ; we must 

 ing with it the moisture and brine oi catch her before she got too close to the 

 the ocean, and heard the gentle crunch- water. 



ing of the wet sand under our feet. I had reached the turtle before Bill 



After covering about three miles to the and scarcely knew how I was to ac- 



southward and having seen nothing, we complish the task of turning over -her 



retraced our steps and proceeded with huge bulk. Theories were now put to 



even greater caution toward our start- flight. Stern reality started me in the 



ing place. We began to think that we fact. It was clear that it was to be a 



were too early and that, after all, it hand-to-hand encounter — a wrestling 



would probably be better to give it up match between a turtle and a man, with 



till later, when a sudden whispered Bill in the background as umpire., Her 



warning from Bill dismissed all regrets, quickness of movement, now that she 



A hundred yards ahead, where a was alarmed, surprised me. Her- neck 



breaker was just receding, appeared a at close quarters seemed fearfully long 



huge dark form. Hastily going down and flexible. I just escaped her sharp 



on all fours we watched it eagerly. Its jaws in my first effort to grasp her; 



great horny head protruded from its then she had gotten beyond my reach 



shell, the scales of which glistened in and I was after her with every nerve 



the moonlight. Freed from the water tingling. Coming up to her again,- I 



and finding itself in a new element, the succeeded in grasping her shell midway 



great turtle began to crawl laboriously between her two right flippers and rais- 



towards dry ground. In spite of its ing her enough to check her progress, 



awkward movements it traveled with Her flippers flew like windmills. Bill 



considerable alacrity and was speedily had tripped over a piece of wreckage 



beyond the reach of the breakers, and half buried in the sand, and there he lay 



made its way toward the cliff. sprawling just when I most needed 



"Don't make a sound," whispered him. "Hold on to her," he shouted. 



