They were surveying a grant of land running along a brook flowing into the Shenandoah, and in making some measurements and setting stakes the lad was called upon to remove his boots and stockings and wade into a swamp where the water was almost up to his knees. While Dave was thus engaged Washington rested on a rock, doing an example in trigonometry in a field-book he carried.
Presently, while Dave was pounding away at one of the stakes, the water close to him was disturbed and of a sudden a large snapping turtle appeared. It swam directly toward Dave, as if contemplating an attack on the lad’s ankles or feet.
Dave had had a bitter experience with a small snapping turtle two summers before and he had no desire to be attacked by this large fellow, who looked both powerful and ugly.
“Go away!” he cried, loudly, and hit the water with one of his poles. “Go away!”
Instead of going away, the snapping turtle came closer, until it was within ten feet of the boy. Dave started to run, but was hampered by the things he carried and made but slow progress.
At Dave’s first cry of alarm, Washington sprang to his feet and looked in that direction. Had he had his rifle he would undoubtedly have shot the snapping turtle dead, but the firearm was some distance away with the rest of the traps, and to run for it would have taken too much time.
In his school days Washington had been a great lad to throw stones and balls, and in contests of accuracy he had generally come off the victor. Almost instinctively he now looked around for a stone, and finding one to his taste, he snatched it up, took aim, and hurled it forthwith with all his strength.
His old-time cunning had not deserted him and the sharp stone hit the snapping turtle fairly and squarely on the head, with such force that the creature was almost if not quite killed. It disappeared from view, leaving only a ripple of water to mark its departure.
“Come ashore, quick!” called the surveyor to Dave, but that advice was not necessary for, as said before, the youth was already running as rapidly as his burden permitted. In the meantime Washington picked up another stone, and when the turtle’s body reappeared hurled it forth with as good aim as before. Then the turtle disappeared a second time, and that was the last they saw of it until the next day, when they found the dead body floating in the rushes at the edge of the swamp.
“I—I thought he had me sure!” gasped Dave, when he came out of the swamp and threw down his traps. “Oh, but wasn’t he a big one!”