CHAPTER V
THE PROFESSOR'S TRICK
The boys looked to where the scientist pointed. Some large shape couldbe seen just under the surface of the water, which was being churnedinto foam by the action of the creature's flippers.
"How did that get hold of us?" asked Bob. "Has it got us in its mouth?"
"The anchor got loose and dangled over the side," explained Jerry as hemade a hasty examination. "One of the flukes must have caught under theturtle's shell after we rammed it. Now the creature is carrying us outto sea!"
"Cut the rope!" cried Ned. "He'll swamp us!"
"No! No!" shouted Jerry. "We can't afford to lose our anchor. We'llneed it later on."
"But how are we going to get rid of the turtle?" asked Bob. "He'llswamp us if he gets us away out in the rough water."
The situation was indeed a grave one. The turtle, doubtless imaginingit had the best of some enemy, was increasing its speed. With theanchor caught under a forward flipper, where it offered no impedimentto swimming, the big creature was towing the _Dartaway_ as easily as itmight a piece of driftwood.
"Reverse the engine!" suggested Ned.
"I don't want to do that," objected Jerry. "He's pulling so strong thatif we start the motor on the reverse we may damage the boat."
"But we've got to do something," put in Bob.
"I have it!" cried Jerry. "I'll shoot the turtle!"
He made his way to the stern of the craft, where in a locker the boyshad stowed their guns. Jerry took out his repeating rifle and loadedit. By this time the boat was well out from shore, close to which thecraft had been kept because the water was not so rough there.
"What are you going to do?" asked the professor. After his firstglimpse of the turtle he had, apparently, taken no further interest init, but was intently watching the gyrations of a swarm of little gnatsthat were flying about the boat.
"Going to shoot the turtle," replied Jerry. "We can't get rid of himany other way, and there's no telling where he'll take us."
"But you can't shoot him," said the scientist, steadying himselfagainst the rocking of the boat, which was now among some big rollers.
"Why not?"
"In the first place he is so far down under the water that the bulletswould glance off, and never touch him. And, if by some chance theyshould hit him, his shell is thick enough to make them seem like driedpeas."
"I'll aim at his head," proposed Jerry, anxious to use his rifle on thecreature.
"I fancy he has his head well drawn back under his protecting shell,"Mr. Snodgrass went on.
"Try for a flipper," put in Ned.
"His flippers are mostly only muscle and cartilage," declared theprofessor. "He wouldn't mind a bullet through them any more than youwould if you stuck a pin in the calloused part of the palm of yourhand."
"Then what can we do?" asked Jerry, who was beginning to be a littlefrightened at the prospect before them. The turtle seemed tireless.
"I'll have to try a trick," the scientist announced. "Have you afishing rod aboard?"
"Several of them," replied Jerry. "But do you think you can catch himon a hook and line?"
"Scarcely. But get the longest pole you have, please. I'll show yousomething that I think will make Mr. Turtle let go of our anchor."
Wondering what their friend was about to do the boys watched himselect a strong line from the supply they had brought along. Next theprofessor fastened on a large hook, using a strong wire snell.
"Got any meat aboard," was the scientist's next question.
"Some canned stuff," replied Bob, who could be depended on to know whatwas in the larder.
"That will do. Get me a large firm piece."
Bob opened some corned beef, and soon the professor had baited thehook. Then he took his position in the bow and, with the rod extendedat the end of which dangled the line, hook and meat, he prepared to puthis trick into operation.
Fortunately the rope to which the anchor was attached had caught ona cleat after paying out a little as the turtle fouled the fluke.This permitted the creature to go but a short distance ahead of the_Dartaway_ which it was towing. Otherwise the scientist might have beenunable to do as he did.
While the boys watched him Uriah Snodgrass lowered the bait into thewater, just ahead of the little ripples that indicated where theturtle's head was located.
"He's surely going to try to catch the turtle," said Bob in a lowvoice. "I hope he does. I've heard that turtle soup and steaks are fineeating."
"Can't you let up on eating at a time like this?" demanded Jerry in asharp whisper.
The professor was leaning forward in an expectant attitude. It did lookas though he hoped to catch the turtle as one angles after a wary fish.To a certain extent, that was what happened. The big creature saw thebait dangling in front of it. The rush of the water through which itwas gliding swept the meat nearer. It liked the smell of the cannedcorned beef, though probably it was a new item on the turtle's bill offare. At any rate the matter of towing that troublesome object, whichpersisted in following it need not interfere with a meal. The turtledecided to take the meat.
Just as it was about to grasp the bait in the horny beak, strong enoughto shear through a man's foot, the professor, who was on the watch withsharp eyes, moved it ahead a little, and then to one side. The turtledoubtless thought the thing was alive and this made it all the moreanxious to get the food. There was a flurry of the strong flippers.The turtle turned to one side to follow the tempting morsel.
Cautiously the professor moved the rod and bait until he was holding itover the side of the boat instead of out from the bow. The turtle keptturning to reach the meat which was held just a few inches beyond itsnose.
THE TURTLE KEPT TURNING TO REACH THE MEAT]
Suddenly there was a rush in the water and the pole bent almost double.The reel sent out a shrill screech.
"I've hooked him!" cried the professor. "He's free from the rope now!Start the engine, Jerry!"
Jerry lost no time in doing this. The chug-chug of the motor was soonheard and the _Dartaway_ forged ahead, freed from its deep-sea captor.
"Haul up the anchor!" called the professor to Ned. "We don't want anymore happenings like that. Bob, put the wheel around and send us towardshore. It's too rough out here."
The three boys were busy attending to the boat, while the scientist wasstill holding the tauted line and the bent pole over the side of thecraft. An instant later there sounded a sharp snap.
"The line's broken!" cried the professor. "There goes the turtle!"
He pointed ahead to where a flurry in the water indicated the presenceof the creature. "Well, I hope he likes his canned beef with hookdressing. At any rate we're well rid of him, though I would liked tohave had him for a specimen."
"That was quite a trick," observed Jerry, as he took charge of thesteering wheel.
The Motor Boys in Strange Waters; or, Lost in a Floating Forest Page 5