"Now, William," said Ready, "if you are not very sleepy, perhaps you
would like to come with me to-night, and see if we cannot turn some of
the turtle, for the season is going away fast, and they will leave the
island very soon."
As soon as the sun had disappeared, William and Ready went down to the
beach, and sat quietly on a rock. In a short time, Ready perceived a
turtle crawling on the sand, and, desiring William to follow him without
speaking, walked softly down by the water's edge, so as to get between
the animal and the sea.
As soon as the turtle perceived them, it made for the water, but they
met it; and Ready, seizing hold of one of its fore-flippers, turned it
over on its back.
"You see, William, that is the way to turn a turtle: take care that he
does not catch you with his mouth, for, if he did, he would bite the
piece out. Now the animal cannot get away, for he can't turn over
again, and we shall find him here to-morrow morning; so we will now walk
along the beach, and see if we cannot find some more."
Ready and William remained till past midnight, and turned sixteen
turtle.
"I think that will do, William, for once: we have made a good night's
work of it, for we have provided food for many days. Tomorrow we must
put them all into the pond."
"How shall we carry such large animals?"
"We need not carry them; we must put some old canvas under them, and
haul them along by that means; we can easily do that on the smooth
sand."
"Why don't we catch some fish, Ready? We might put them into the
turtle-pond."
"They would not stay there long, William, nor could we easily get them
out if they did. I have often thought of getting some lines ready, and
yet the time has never come, for I feel sleepy after our day's work; but
as soon as the house is built, we will have them, and you shall be
fisherman-in-chief."
"But the fish will bite at night, will they not?"
"Oh yes, and better than they do in the daytime."
"Well, then, if you will get me a line and show me how, I will fish for
an hour or so after the work is done; I know mamma is getting tired of
salt meat, and does not think it good for Caroline."
"Well, then, I will get a bit of candle to-morrow night, and fit up two
fishing-lines. But I must go with you, William. We don't use much
candle, at all events."
"No, we are too glad to go to bed: but there are two or three boxes of
one sort or another up in the cove."
The next morning before breakfast all hands were employed in getting the
turtle into the pond. After breakfast, William and Juno finished the
pond where the walls had not been raised high enough; and, when they
returned to dinner, reported that their task was completed. Mr
Seagrave also said that he had, he thought, cleared quite ground enough
for the present; and as Mrs Seagrave wanted Juno to help her to wash
the linen that afternoon, it was agreed that William, Ready, and Mr
Seagrave should all go down to the garden, and put in the potatoes.
Ready worked with the spade, while Mr Seagrave and William cut the
potatoes in pieces, so as to have an eye in each piece. When they had
finished this work, Mr Seagrave said--"Now that we have finished
cutting the potatoes, let us go and assist Ready in planting them and
the seeds which we have brought down with us."