“Reverse the engine!” suggested Ned.
“I don’t want to do that,” objected Jerry. “He’s pulling so strong that if 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 boys had stowed their guns. Jerry took out his repeating rifle and loaded it. By this time the boat was well out from shore, close to which the craft had been kept because the water was not so rough there.
“What are you going to do?” asked the professor. After his first glimpse of the turtle he had, apparently, taken no further interest in it, but was intently watching the gyrations of a swarm of little gnats that were flying about the boat.
“Going to shoot the turtle,” replied Jerry. “We can’t get rid of him any other way, and there’s no telling where he’ll take us.”
“But you can’t shoot him,” said the scientist, steadying himself against the rocking of the boat, which was now among some big rollers.
“Why not?”