“Oh, I don’t know,” responded her brother, who was beginning to feel that all this turtle business was a rather youthful pastime for a member of a baseball team.

“You see,” went on Faith, “we put the turtles on the grass only a foot or two away from the brook, and wait.”

“And we do have to wait,” added Ernest, “for they always retire within themselves and pull down the blind, as soon as we start off with them anywhere.”

“But we press a little on their backs,” said Faith, “and then they put out their noses, and when they smell the brook they begin to travel.  It’s such fun to see them dive in, ker-chug!  Then they scurry around and burrow in the mud, getting away from us, just as if we weren’t willing they should.  They are pretty silly, I must say,” laughed Faith, “and it’s the hardest thing to make them understand that you love them; but,” her tone changed tenderly as she held up the baby prince, “you’ll know I love you, won’t you, dear, when I give you tiny little pieces of meat every day!”

The cloud on Gladys’s face deepened.

“Come on, let’s hustle and put the turtles away and go for a row.  Do you like to row, Gladys?” asked Ernest.

“Yes, I guess so,” she responded, rather coldly.

They ran up the hill to the side of the house where was a shallow tub of water with a rock in the middle, its top high and dry.  There was also a floating shingle; so the steeds could swim or sun themselves just as suited their fancy.  The upper edge of the tub was covered with tin so that sharp little claws could not find a way to climb out.

“It’s fun to see them go in,” said Faith, placing one on the rock and one on the shingle, where they rested at first without sign of life; but in a minute out came head and legs and, spurning the perches with their strong feet, plump the turtles went into the water and to the bottom, evidently convinced that they were outwitting their captors.

“Don’t you want to choose one special one for yours, Gladys?  It’s fun to name them,” said Faith.

The visitor hesitated only a moment.  “I choose the baby, then,” she said.  “You know I’m afraid of the big ones.”

Ernest thought she was joking.  It did not occur to him that any one who had seen Faith’s happiness in finding the prince could seriously think of taking it from her.

“Yes,” he laughed, “I guess you and I won’t get a chance at that one, Gladys.”

Faith’s expression changed and her eyes grew thoughtful.  “Hurry up, girls,” continued Ernest, “come on, we won’t have very much time.”

So the turtles, prince and all, were left disporting themselves in the tub, and the trio went down to the pond, where Ernest untied his boat.  Faith jumped in, but Gladys timorously placed her little foot upon the unsteady gunwale, and the children had to help her into the boat as they had done over the wall.

“I wish I’d brought Vera,” she said when she was seated and Ernest was pushing the boat off.