r
his nippers. Strike me! he's a whacker. I thought he was going to get
away. Saw me just as I swung the gaff, an' ducked his nut."

Over the side, bundled without ceremony into the boat, clawing,
thrashing, clattering, and blowing like the exhaust of a donkey-engine,
tumbled the great green turtle, his wet, green shield of shell three
feet from edge to edge, the gaff firmly transfixed in his body, just
under the fore-flipper. From under his shell protruded his snake-like
head and neck, withered like that of an old man. He was waving his head
from side to side, the jaws snapping like a snapped silk handkerchief.
Kitchell thrust him away with a paddle. The turtle craned his neck, and
catching the bit of wood in his jaw, bit it in two in a single grip.

"I tol' you so, I tol' you to stand clear his snapper. If that had been
your shin now, eh? Hello, what's that?"

Faintly across the water came a prolonged hallooing from the schooner.
Kitchell stood up in the dory, shading his eyes with his hat.

"What's biting 'em now?" he muttered, with the uneasiness of a captain
away from his ship. "Oughta left Charlie on board--or you, son. Who's
doin' that yellin', I can't make out."

"Up in the crow's nest," exclaimed Wilbur. "It's Jim, see, he's waving
his arms."

"Well, whaduz he wave his dam' fool arms for?" growled Kitchell, angry
because something was going forward he did not understand.

"There, he's shouting again. Listen--I can't make out what he's
yelling."

"He'll yell to a different pipe when I get my grip of him. I'll twist
the head of that swab till he'll have to walk back'ard to see where
he's goin'. Whaduz he wave his arms for--whaduz he yell like a dam'
philly-loo bird for? What's him say, Charlie?"

"Jim heap sing, no can tell. Mebbee--tinkum sing, come back chop-chop."

"We'll see. Oars out, men, give way. Now, son, put a little o' that Yale
stingo in the stroke."

In the crow's nest Jim still yelled and waved like one distraught, while
the dory returned at a smart clip toward the schooner. Kitchell lathered
with fury.

"Oh-h," he murmured softly through his gritted teeth. "Jess lemmee lay
mee two hands afoul of you wunst, you gibbering, yellow philly-loo
bird, believe me, you'll dance. Shut up!" he roared; "shut up, you crazy
do-do, ain't we coming fast as we can?"

The dory bumped alongside, and the Captain was over the rail like
quicksilver. The hands were all in the bow, looking and pointing to