They spoke in whispers and went on waiting.
But after a while this policy of watchful waiting became tiresome.
Apparently the turtle was ready to withstand this siege for years if necessary.

Disgustedly, one scout after another went away, and others came.

Tempting morsels of food were placed in front of the turtle, in a bee line with his head.
"Gee whiz, if he doesn't care for food what _does_ he care for ?" Pee-wee observed, knowing the influence of food.
That settled it so far as he was concerned, and he went away, saying that the turtle was not human, or else that he was dead.

Others, more patient, stood about, waiting.

And all the famed ingenuity of scouts was exhausted to beguile or to drive the turtle out of his stronghold.
At one time as many as twenty scouts surrounded him, with sticks, with food, and Scouty, the camp dog, came down and danced around and made a great fuss and went away thoroughly disgusted.
The turtle was master of the situation..