the river, the negro fixed his glittering eyes on a particularly
huge turtle, which was scuttling along in almost drunken haste. With an
impromptu war-howl, Quashy charged down on it, and caught it by the
tail. With a heave worthy of Hercules he lifted his foe some inches off
the sand, but failed to turn it. Making a second effort, he grasped the
edge of the creature's shell with his left hand, and the tail more
firmly with the right.

"Huyp!" he shouted, and made a Herculean heave. A second time he would
have failed, if it had not been that he was on the edge of a part of the
trench which the turtles had not had time to fill up. The weight of the
creature caused a fore-leg to break off part of the edge, and over it
went, slowly, on its side,--almost balancing thus, and flapping as it
went. To expedite the process Quashy seized it by the neck and gave
another heave and howl. Unfortunately, the edge of the trench again
gave way under one of his own feet, and he fell into it with a cry of
distress, for the turtle fell on the top of him, crushing him down into
the soft watery sand!

Well was it for Quashy that night that Lawrence Armstrong had good ears,
and was prompt to respond to the cry of distress, else had he come to an
untimely and inglorious end! Hearing the cry, Lawrence looked quickly
round, guessed the cause, shouted to Pedro, who was not far-off, and was
soon on the spot,--yet not a moment too soon, for poor Quashy was almost
squashy by that time. They dragged the turtle off, dug the negro out,
and found that he had become insensible.

Raising him gently in their arms, they bore him up to the camp, where
they found Manuela ready to minister to him.

"Dead!" exclaimed the horrified girl when she saw the negro laid down,
and beheld the awful dirty-green colour of his countenance.

"I hope not," replied Lawrence, earnestly.

"I's sh---squeesh!--_sure_ not!" exclaimed Quashy himself, with a
sneeze, as he opened his eyes.

And Quashy, we need scarcely add, was right. He was not dead. He did
not die for many years afterwards. For aught that we know, indeed, he
may be living still, for he came of a very long-lived race.

His accident, however, had the useful effect of preventing his giving
way to too exuberant felicity, and rendered him a little more careful as
to the quantity of turtle-egg ragout which he consumed that night for
supper.

It would be pleasant to end our chapter here, but a regar