of the other five which were now hastening back
to the sea, with laborious but slow haste. His comrades followed suit
instantly with a wild cheer. Now, to the uninitiated, this was the only
moment of danger in that bloodless fight.

Being aware of his incapacity for swift flight, the turtle, when in the
act of running away from danger, makes use of each flipper alternately
in dashing the sand to an incredible height behind and around him, to
the endangering of the pursuer's eyes, if he be not particularly
careful. Sometimes incautious men have their eyes so filled with sand
in this way that it almost blinds them for a time, and severe
inflammation is occasionally the result.

The old salt--Peter Grant by name, but better known among his shipmates
as Old Peter--was well aware of this habit of the turtle; but, having a
spice of mischief in him, he said nothing about it. The consequences
were severe on some of the men, particularly on Muggins. Our sedate
friend was the only one who failed to turn a turtle at the first rush.
He had tripped over a stone at starting, and when he gathered himself up
and ran to the scene of action, the turtles were in full retreat.
Burning with indignation at his bad fortune, he resolved to redeem his
character; and, with this end in view, made a desperate rush at a
particularly large turtle, which appeared almost too fat for its own
shell. It chanced that Larry O'Hale, having already turned two, also
set his affections on this turtle, and made a rush at it; seeing which
Muggins slyly ran behind him, tripped up his heels, and passed on.

"Have a care," cried Will Osten, laughing, "he'll bite!"

"Bad luck to yez!" shouted Larry, leaping up, and following hard on
Muggins' heels.

Just then the turtle began to use his flippers in desperation. Sand
flew in all directions. The pursuers, nothing daunted, though
surprised, partially closed their eyes, bent down their heads, and
advanced. Larry opened his mouth to shout--a shower of sand filled it.
He opened his eyes in astonishment--another shower shut them both up,
causing him to howl while he coughed and spluttered. But Muggins
pressed on valorously.

One often reads, in the history of war, of brave and reckless heroes who
go through "storms of shot and shell" almost scathless, while others are
falling like autumn leaves around them. Something similar happened on
the present occasion. While Larry and several of the other men were