' Soci'ty of de Young Men's Chrisshun
'Sociashun of de Fustest Bethel.' I reached fo' a chunk of scantlin',
and de ole woman stood by fo' to turn loose de coon, w'en dey hollered
out dey wasn't no 'spenses, no fees, no nuthin', only ten bits fo'
hevin' yo' name 'graved in de soci'ty's books. So I 'lowed I'd jine; an'
d'rectly dey sent me an inwite fo' de fustest meetin', an', fo' de Lawd,
mar's, w'at yo' s'pose hit was? Hit read kinder like disher," he
continued, with a groan: "'Reswolved, which is de butt end of a goat?
Fo' de affermation (de on side), Rastus Pinckey; fo' de neggertive (de
off side), Piffney Pinckey.' Yas, sah, I done pay ten bits fo' to hear
my chillun 'scuss w'at's done been settled in disher fam'ly 'fore dey's
bo'n and sence! All comes o' apin' white folks," said the old man,
threatening the debaters with the scantling. "Dey's boun' to git up a
'batin'-soci'ty an' talk all de evening w'en dere was Paublo Johnson
standin' up all de evenin' from stiffness he cotched from ole man
Geiger's goat, an', hit's a fac', he stan' an' 'scuss de question,
tryin' to make outen how de goat kicked him, all kase he's on de _on_
side. But dat's de coon of it."

"Whish!" whispered Rastus, who, with Piffney, had been trying to look
supernaturally solemn during this tirade.

"Shoo!" repeated Sandy, leaning forward.

The moon had just cleared the mangrove-tops, and illuminated the silvery
sands, casting reflections upon the water, where there was now a perfect
calm. Far away was heard the lonely cry of a laughing gull. The gentle
break of the waves upon the sands gave out a soft, musical sound, and,
as we held our breath, a sharp hiss was heard, seemingly but a few feet
away.

"Turkle," hoarsely whispered Sandy; on which announcement we all
flattened upon the sand. So bright was the moon that every object was
distinctly visible for several hundred feet. A moment later the strange
hiss was repeated, and then a small, black object was seen glistening in
the moonlight a few feet from shore. Again came the penetrating hiss,
and the animal moved several feet farther in, as if cautiously looking
around. The moonbeams scintillated for a moment on its shell, as it
hesitated on the edge, and then the turtle commenced a clumsy scramble
up the beach, lifting itself along in a laborious manner. In ten minutes
it had reached the loose sand above tide-water, and kept its course
toward us until within thirty feet, when it began to