Leaving the sagging dock, the girls started around the pond. The water was very still. Several times they saw bubbles rising to the surface.
“Turtles must be down there,” Vevi declared. “But I can’t see a single one.”
The girls walked until they were tired. Finally they sat down on a little bank to rest.
“It’s getting late,” said Connie, glancing at the murky sky. “We ought to be starting back to the cottage.”
Vevi shivered, for the air had turned damp and chilly. She would not admit, though, that she was the least bit cold.
“Let’s not go just yet,” she pleaded. “I want to catch a turtle.”
“So do I,” agreed Connie. “But since we aren’t having any luck—”
Vevi at that moment grasped her friend’s arm. She pointed toward a clump of reeds and lily pads directly below where they sat.
A tiny head was peeping out of the water. For a minute, Vevi and Connie both thought that the creature was a snake. Then, in the clear water, they made out a round, curving body and four claws.
“A turtle!” whispered Vevi. “Watch me get him.”