“You’re a poor chief,” said a big turtle lying beside the seal.  “If your people are disorderly, it is your own fault.”

Muffruff gave a chuckling laugh.  Then, with a movement quick as lightning, he pushed his head under the shell of the turtle and gave it a sudden jerk.  The huge turtle was tossed up on edge and then turned flat upon its back, where its short legs struggled vainly to right its overturned body.

“There!” snorted the Seal contemptuously.  “Perhaps you’ll dare insult me again in the presence of visitors, you old mud-wallower!”

Seeing the plight of the turtle, several young seals came laughingly wabbling to the spot, and as they approached the helpless creature drew in his legs and head and closed his two shells tightly together.  The seals bumped against the turtle and gave it a push that sent it sliding down the beach like a toboggan, and a minute later it splashed into the water and sank out of sight.  But that was just what the creature wanted.  On shore the upset turtle was quite helpless; but the mischievous seals saved him.  For as soon as he touched the water, he was able to turn and right himself, which he promptly did.  Then he raised his head above the water and asked: 

“Is it peace or war, Muffruff?”

“Whichever you like,” answered the Seal indifferently.

Perhaps the turtle was angry, for it ran on shore with remarkable swiftness, uttering a shrill cry as it advanced.  At once all the other turtles awoke to life and with upraised heads joined their comrade in the rush for the seals.  Most of Chief Muffruff’s band scrambled hastily down the rocks and plunged into the water of the sea without waiting for the turtles to reach them; but the chief himself was slow in escaping.  It may be that he was ashamed to run while the mermaids were watching, but if this was so he made a great mistake.  The turtles snapped at his fins and tail and began biting round chunks out of them so that Chief Muffruff screamed with pain and anger and floundered into the water as fast as he could go.  The vengeful turtles were certainly the victors, and now held undisputed possession of the island.

Trot laughed joyously at the incident, not feeling a bit sorry for the old seal who had foolishly begun the battle.  Even the gentle queen smiled as she said: 

“These quarrels between the turtles and the seals are very frequent, but they are soon ended.  An hour from now they will all be lying asleep together just as we found them; but we will not wait for that.  Let us go.”

She sank slowly beneath the water again, and the others followed after her.

ZOG THE TERRIBLE AND HIS SEA DEVILS

CHAPTER 11

“The sun must be going under a cloud,” said Trot, looking ahead.

They had descended far into the ocean depths again—­further, the girl thought, than they had ever been before.