turtle pool, and the big creature, relieved of that strange thing on his
back, had sunk down to the bottom of the pool, as though to hide away. It
was lucky he had kept himself afloat as long as he had, or Freddie might
have been wet all over.

"Well, you do seem to have the queerest things happen to you, Freddie,"
said his father with a smile. "What will you do next?"

"I--I couldn't help this, Daddy," said the little fellow. "I--I just
slipped!"

"Well, don't do it again," said the Aquarium man, with a smile. "If you
had fallen in the other pool, where there are half a dozen turtles, though
none as large as the one you rode on, you might have been bitten. But
you're all right. Now come along and we'll dry you out."

It was an easy matter to dry Freddie's feet and legs in front of the warm
furnaces in the boiler room, but his shoes and stockings did not get rid
of their wetness so soon. And, as Mr. Bobbsey did not want to wait, he
sent one of the attendants out to buy new shoes and stockings for his son.
With these on, and carrying the damp ones in a bundle, Freddie was soon
ready to go home.

"I guess I've had enough of the 'quarium," he said. "Anyhow I had a funny
ride."

"I should say you did!" agreed Bert. "I wish we had a picture of you
riding around on the back of that turtle."

Mrs. Bobbsey was at first alarmed, and then she laughed, when told of what