| Share page |
|
128 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON
place of landing. The state of the tide was such as to throw us upon a sand-bank ; we were at this time close to the shore; the boat, though driven with violence, remained upright in the sand. I stepped into the water, which did not reach far above my knees, and, seeing the turtle stretched at the bottom of the water where it was shallow, I cut off his head with the hatchet. Being now near Tent House, Fritz gave a halloo, and fired a gun to warn the others we had not only arrived, but arrived in triumph. His mother and the three boys soon appeared, running towards us. Our story of the turtle was received with acclamation., only my wife sparing a word of pity for the poor creature so rudely awakened to pain and death.
I sent the younger boys for the sledge, and while they were away made both boat and raft fast, so that the tide should not float them away.
When the sledge arrived we placed the turtle upon it, and also some mattresses, pieces of linen, etc. As we walked up I gave Jack his watch, and Francis his coins, with which he was delighted. As he had lately expressed his intention of sowing some gunpowder to produce a crop, I asked him jestingly if he was going to sow the gold, to which he replied, gravely, no, he should save it up for the |
||