orking itself into deep water, and dragging its assailants, who still
held on, with it.

Tom and Gerald, however, came to their rescue; but already the turtle
had got into water of sufficient depth to enable it to recover its
proper position, and with such good effect did it use its flappers,
that, in spite of the exertions of the midshipmen and Pat, who had to
choose between being drawn into deep water at a risk of being drowned or
seized by a lurking shark, or losing their prize, they instinctively let
go, and the turtle diving, joined its more fortunate companions who had
escaped. As, however, more turtle had been caught than the party could
possibly eat, they had no cause to complain.

"Hurrah! I don't mind the wetting," cried Billy, as he shook himself
like a spaniel on coming out of the water. "We shall live for many a
day like aldermen."

"There's little chance of our eating them up before they turn bad,"
observed Desmond.

"You need not fear that, sir," said Pat; "we will build a house for
them, where they will live as happy as princes till we want to cook
them?" His plan was to form an enclosure with a roof over it to protect
the turtle from the rays of the sun, and to keep them well supplied with
wet sea-weed.

"I wonder I did not at once think about that," said Tom. "We will do as
you propose immediately."

The axes were soon at work, and the enclosure was formed of sufficient
size to contain all their turtle, before they returned to breakfast,
dragging with them one of the smaller turtle, which was destined to
serve them as food for the day. They had turtle steaks for, breakfast,
turtle soup for dinner, and turtle again at night.

"It is a pity we have not some port wine, and cayenne pepper, and some
lemons," cried Billy.

"We have no cause to complain, since we have abundance of salt," said
Tom. "For my part, I think we have every reason to be thankful for the
ample supply of food with which we have been provided."

As day after day went by the hope that the _Dragon_ would return became
fainter and fainter. Tom made up his mind that if they were to escape
from the island, they must perform the voyage in the boat; but as he
examined her again and again he could not help confessing that she was
but ill-suited for the undertaking in her present state. Whenever they
went out fishing they had to keep constantly baling, so that they ran a
great risk of going down. He had no anxiety about prov