the
turtle, who continued to swim vigorously, even when in mid air.

"He's splendid and lively!" exclaimed Faith. "You can see him go on the
grass, Gladys," and the little girl put the creature down, heading him away
from the brook, and he made good time, thinking he was getting away from
his captor. "You see, Ernest harnesses them to a little pasteboard box, and
I put in my smallest dolls and we have more _fun_;" but by this time the
turtle realized that he was traveling inland, and turned around suddenly in
the opposite direction.

"No, no, pet!" cried Faith gayly. "Not yet," and she picked up the lively
one. "See, you hold them this way;" she held the shell between her thumb
and middle finger and the sharp little claws sawed the air in vain. "There,
cunning," she added, looking into the turtle's bright eyes, "go see your
auntie or uncle, or whoever it is," and she put it into her dress with the
other one, and they walked on.

"I hope we shall find a prince," said Ernest, "Gladys ought to see one of
those."

"Yes, indeed," responded Faith. "They're snapping turtles, really, and they
grow bigger than these common ones; but they're so handsome and hard to
find we call them princes. Their shells are gray on top and smooth and
polished, like satin; and then, underneath, oh, they're beautiful;
sometimes plain ivory, and sometimes bright red; and they have lovely
yellow and black splashes where the lower shell joins the upper. I wish you
could see a baby turtle, Gladys. Once I found one no bigger than a quarter
of a dollar. I don't believe it had ever been in the water."

"I wish I could," returned Gladys, with enthusiasm. "I wouldn't be a bit
afraid of a little, _little_ one."

"Of course that one she found was just a common turtle, like these," said
Ernest, "but a baby prince is the thing we want."

"Yes, indeed," sighed Faith ecstatically. "If I could just once find a baby
prince with a red under shell, I don't know what I'd do! I'd be too happy
for anything. I've hunted for one for two whole summers. The big ones do
snap so that, though they're so handsome, you can't have much fun with
them."

The children walked on, Gladys now quite in the spirit of the hunt. They
found two more spotted turtles before they turned again to retrace their
steps.

Now it proved that this was to be a red-letter day in the history of their
turtle hunts, for on the way home they found the much sought baby prince.
He had been in th