ng rope.

"Who's towing me, Ted?" asked Jan, trying to look over the side of her
box. But, as she did so it tipped to one side and she was afraid it
would upset, so she quickly sat down again.

"I don't know what it is," her brother answered. "But something has
hold of the rope that's fast to the front part of your box, and it's as
tight as anything--the rope is. Something in the water is pulling you
along."

On each of the box-boats the Curlytops had fastened a piece of
clothes-line their mother had given them. This line was to tie fast
their boats to an overhanging tree branch, near the shore of the cove,
when they were done playing.

And, as Ted had said, the rope fast to the end of Jan's box was
stretched out tightly in front, the end being down under water.

"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.

"Right 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.

The turtle, finding that it could no longer swim, had come to the top
of the water and was splashing about, trying to get loose. Jan could see
it plainly now, as Ted had seen it before from his boat, which was still
floating along, as not so much water had leake