. The rest of the party
had now come up. Jerry and Tim, in the same way, turned over two more.
Their success encouraged Billy, who, being ambitious, tackled a big
fellow, which was scrambling away at a great rate towards the water.
Billy, who was as courageous as a lion, seized hold of its fins, and in
an instant he was covered over with showers of sand thrown up by its
other fin, while the turtle showed no disposition to stop. Billy
shouted to his companions to come and help him. Pat, who though the
last on the field, having just turned a turtle, rushed forward and
seized the big fellow by the other fin; but the creature had got good
way and was not to be stopped by the united efforts of the midshipman
and the Irish sailor, who in another instant were dragged into the
water. It was still too shallow for the turtle to swim, but it used its
four flappers with so much effect against its two assailants, as to give
them a thorough shower-bath.

"We must have him; help, help!" shouted Billy; "don't let him go, Pat!"

"That I'll not, shure!" answered Pat, who maintained his hold like grim
death to the hind flapper. "Tim, me darlin', be quick here, or the
baste will be off. Jerry, man, lend a hand."

"Rogers, Desmond, do come and help, or the fellow will get away after
all our trouble," shouted Billy.

Thus summoned, the whole party came to the assistance of the two heroes,
Tim in his eagerness toppling over on his nose in the shallow water. He
quickly, however, recovered himself, and he and Jerry seizing one of the
fore flappers, and Tom and Gerald the other. They managed to stop the
progress of the unfortunate turtle, though not until they had all been
well wetted.

With a heave they turned the turtle over and dragged it up again on the
dry beach. By this time nearly all the other turtle had escaped; but
another big fellow had just got into the water, and was paddling off,
when Pat in his eagerness threw himself upon it, shouting to his
companions for help. Billy dashed forward, when Pat at the same moment
contrived to turn over the turtle, but, unhappily for poor Billy, his
foot slipping, down he fell with the turtle on the top of him; though
his head was above water, the turtle almost smothered him with water and
sand, which its flappers sent flying into his face.

"Help, help!" he kept crying out. Pat, in his efforts to release the
midshipman, also slipped down under the turtle, which was all the time
w