"I think I'll let you be the engineer, Ruth, and run the mixer. That's an important job," he added, winking at Tony. He instructed her how to start and stop the engine, and which levers to use in filling and emptying the drum. She was still busy with the mixer when the dinner bell rang. "I'd like to get a turtle, Uncle Joe," said Ruth at dinner. "How can I catch one?" "Get Bob to shoot a ground squirrel for you and bait a couple of hooks; then set some lines in the new pond. Perhaps you can catch one that way." "Is that what you bait turtle hooks with?" asked Ruth. "Ground squirrels make the best kind of bait," said her uncle. "If there are turtles in the pond, you'll get one of them with that." "Let me shoot the squirrel myself, Uncle Joe," said Ruth. "I won't have time to go hunting squirrels this afternoon, but perhaps you and Bob might be able to find one on the fence down back of the barn. You can take my shotgun, Ruth, but be careful that you don't shoot yourself instead of the squirrel." "Oh, I know how to shoot, Uncle Joe; don't worry," she declared. "Let's go as soon as we get our dinner, Bob," she said enthusiastically. When they had finished, Bob got two turtle lines and hooks from the woodshed and the double-barrel gun and four shells. They went down along the fence back of the barn toward the pond. When they were almost at the foot of the hill, near a chestnut tree, they saw a ground squirrel sitting on the top of a fence post. Bob handed the gun to Ruth and explained to her how to operate it, and much to his surprise and admiration, she quickly raised the gun to her shoulder and fired-the squirrel tumbling off the fence. "How did you happen to do that?" he asked, lost in admiration, for it was a neat shot. "Throw your hat up in the air and I'll show you," she said. As he hesitated, she asked. "You're not afraid I'll hit it, are you, Bob?" "No, I'm not," said Bob, and with that he threw his straw hat high into the air and it came down with a nick in the brim and two holes in the crown. "Where did you learn to shoot, Ruth?" he demanded, looking at his damaged hat. "Oh, I learned that long ago," she replied, pleased that at last she had won his genuine admiration. "I've two medals for shooting. My brothers are both crack shots and they taught me. I usually shoot with a rifle, however." "That's fine shooting," said Bob. "I couldn't do nearly as well as that myself," he admitted grudgingly. "Now, show me how to bait the hook," she said, picking up the squirrel. Bob took it and showed her how to prepare and put it on the hook. They then went along the pond until they came to some small thorn bushes that grew on the bank. Bob showed her how to cast the bait by whirling it round and round and then let it fly out into the water. She tried several times until she got the knack of doing it, then threw in both lines and tied them fast to the thorn bushes.