until
about six o'clock, when the supper hour put a stop to our literary and
biblical pursuits. But the following day, the day after, every day, I
had to read that doomsday pamphlet whenever it was my turn to take the
helm, and frequently a chapter in the Bible besides.

One morning, as we were slowly moving along with a light breeze, on
soundings between Cape Henry and Cape Hatteras, a large loggerhead
turtle was seen a short distance to windward, motionless, and apparently
asleep on the water. This caused quite a sensation; every man was on
deck in a moment. The schooner was hove to, preparations were making
to launch the boat, and the captain was loudly calling for his GIG, a
species of three-pronged harpoon for striking small fish, when one of
the crew, named Church, remonstrated against this mode of proceeding.

"Hold on, captain," said he, "or you will lose the lovely crittur.
If you go near him in a boat he will open his peepers and vanish as
suddenly as an evil spirit sprinkled with holy water But I know a trick
to take him that cannot fail. Let me have my own way, and I'll catch
that lazy, lubberly chap, and bring him alongside, man fashion, in no
time!"

Church, while making this appeal, had been hastily divesting himself of
his garments, and by the time he finished his remarks, stood, EN CUERPO,
on the gunwale.

"Go ahead, my lad!" said the captain. "But if you let that turtle slip
through your fingers, don't you ever come back to the schooner."

Church grinned, let himself gently into the water, and paddled away
noiselessly and swiftly towards the unsuspicious reptile, who was lazily
snoozing in midday, without dreaming of danger. The sailor approached
him warily from behind; and when sufficiently near, grabbed the
astonished animal by the stern flippers, and exclaimed, "Hurrah, the
day's our own, boys! Captain, I've got a prize. Run up the stripes and
stars. Turtle steaks forever! Victory, hurrah!"

The turtle, although taken at disadvantage, did not at once "give up the
ship." He struggled manfully for that liberty which is the birthright of
every living creature, and made a desperate attempt to go down, knowing
intuitively that his captor would not dare follow him to the depths
below. But whenever he attempted to dive, Church threw the whole weight
of his body on the stern flippers, and thus prevented him from executing
that maneuver. After being foiled in this manner two or three times his
turtles