Now in early spring, that is, between September and October, the turtles used to come on shore at some parts of the coast to lay their eggs. It was very curious to watch them. They were exceedingly shy, and usually chose a moonlight night for their work. So having now no fear of kelpies or other apparitions, our heroes, accompanied by Cassia-bud, used to go to a distant part of the beach and lie in wait for the turtles. By-and-by a great beast would be seen waddling slowly and cautiously towards the scrub.
After listening, apparently to make sure no one is looking, she quietly digs a deep hole about a yard in width. Then presently the eggs are laid, probably a hundred or two, and one by one taken by the flipper, as if it were a hand, and gently placed side by side in the hole. In about an hour's time the business is finished, Then the eggs are covered with sand, and carefully patted down. Her wonderful wisdom is shown by the tact that she even tries to conceal the place by snapping down twigs and leaves and covering it up. She then waddles off towards the sea again. Now would have been the time for Fred and Frank to have rushed out and tried their hands at turtle-turning. But it seemed the height of cruelty at such a time. Besides, it would have taken them a long time indeed to have eaten a turtle.
But the eggs were very delicious. Pure white they are and round. They have no shell, only a skin, and in size are about four inches to five inches round.
Our castaways soon discovered a plan for supplying themselves with plenty of young turtle. They simply took the very wee ones, after they were hatched, and kept them in a natural sea-water reservoir near the reef, feeding them on different kinds of weeds. They could in this way have stewed turtle for dinner any day, just as in our country we have fowls.
Well, one day among the rocks, while gathering algae to feed the juvenile turtles, Cassia-bud noticed Bob coming wading out of the water with some huge brown thing. It was a turtle of small size, and probably not very old. Bob held it by the flipper. When he attempted, however, to put it down he found that this was impossible. The turtle had seized him by the collar, and held fast on to it.
Bob looked very serious over it. His catching the turtle was all very well and very clever he thought, but to be caught by the turtle in turn was turning the table with a vengeance. He had caught a Tartar. He shook himself again and again, but all in vain. Then he walked straight up to Cassia-bud.
"Look here, Kashie," said the dog, talking with his eyes and his tail, "here is a pretty piece of business! I don't want to wear this beast dangling on my breast all my life night and day. Can't you choke him off?"
Cassia-bud couldn't choke him off, however, but he unloosed the dog's collar; and Bob carried collar, turtle, and all home in his mouth. Strange to say, the beast became as great a pet with the nigger-boy as either the bird or the robber-crab. Nor was the turtle a bit particular as to what he ate, so long as he could swallow it.
* * * * * *
The difficulties to be encountered in building a vessel of any size, that should be at all seaworthy, seemed at the first blush almost insurmountable. It was long talked about before anything was done.