"Oh, maybe it's the big muskrat that has hold of my rope and is giving
me a ride," cried Janet. "It's fun!"
"No, I don't guess it's a rat," answered Teddy. "A muskrat wouldn't do
that. Oh, I see what it is!" he cried suddenly. "I see it!"
"What?" asked Janet.
Again she got up and tried to look over the side of the box, but once
more it tipped as though going to turn over and she sat down.
By this time both her box and Ted's was half full of water, and so
went only very slowly along the little cove. The weight of the water
that had leaked in through the cracks and the weight of the Curlytops
themselves made the boxes float low in the lake.
"Can you see what's pulling me?" asked Janet.
"Yes," answered Teddy, "I can. It's a great big mud turtle!"
"A mud turtle!" cried Janet.
"I guess he's scared, too," said her brother, "for he's swimmin' all
around as fast as anything!"
"Where is he?" asked Janet.
"Eight in front of your boat. I guess your rope got caught around one
of his legs, or on his shell, and he can't get it loose. He must have
been swimming along and run into the rope. Or maybe he's got it in his
mouth."
"If he had he could let go," answered Janet. "Oh, I see him!" she
cried. She had stood up in her box and was looking over the front. The
box had now sunk so low in the water that it was on the bottom of the
little cove and no longer was the turtle towing it along.
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