ON BOARD THE HOUSEBOAT
After questioning Captain Starr as closely as possible all three of the
Rover boys came to the conclusion that it must have been Dan Baxter who
had visited the _Dora_ on the sly.
"I don't like this at all," said Sam. "He is going to make trouble for
us--no two ways about that."
"The best thing to do, in my opinion, is to get away without delay,"
said Tom. "He won't find it so easy to follow us then."
"I'm going to throw him off the scent," said Dick.
"How?"
"By pretending to go to one place, while we can really go to another."
"That's a scheme."
A small tug had been chartered to tow the houseboat, and the captain of
this was ordered to be ready for moving at eleven o'clock.
"We shall go to Camdale first," said Dick, naming a place about forty
miles away.
"All right, sir--wherever you say," said the tug commander.
Returning to the hotel, the boys found the others finishing breakfast
and sat down to their own. They said the _Dora_ was in perfect trim and
that the trip down the Ohio was to begin without delay.
"Well, I am sure I am ready," said Nellie. "I am just dying to see the
houseboat."
Aleck hurried around to buy the necessary stores, which were taken to
the _Dora_ in a wagon, Then two carriages brought down the ladies and the
boys and a truck brought along the baggage.
"What a beautiful boat!" cried Dora after going on board. "And how tidy
everything is!"
"Then you are not ashamed to have her called the _Dora?_" said Dick,
well satisfied.
"Ashamed? Oh, Dick, I am delighted!"
"This boat is a gem," was Songbird Powell's comment. "Say, folks on the
Ohio will take us, to be millionaires."
"Dis ship is besser dan a ferrypoat," was Hans' comment.
"A ferryboat!" shrieked Grace. "Oh, Hans!"
"I mean von of dem double-decker ferrypoats vot runs from New York to
Chersey City--dem kind vot has got blate-glass vinders und
looking-glasses der sthairs on," explained the German cadet. "Da vos
peauties, too."
"If we don't enjoy this trip it will be our fault," said Fred.
The lines were cast off, the steam tug puffed, and in a moment more the
houseboat had left the dock and the voyage down the Ohio was begun.
"I'll not be sorry to leave Pittsburg behind," said Nellie. "There is
so much smoke."
"Well, they have to have smoke--in such a hive of industry," answered
Dick.
By noon Pittsburg and Allegheny were left behind and once more the sky
was clear and blue above them. The sun shone brightly and there was
just enough breeze to keep the air cool and delicious. All sat on the
forward deck, under a wide-spread awning, watching the scenery as they
floated onward.
After a consultation it was decided that the first stop should be made
at a small village on the river called Pleasant Hills. Mrs. Laning had
a friend there whom she had not seen for years, and she said she would
be pleased to make a call.
"All right," said Dick, "Pleasant Hills it is." And he called to the
tug captain and gave the necessary directions.
"That will throw Dan Baxter off the track a little," whispered Sam.
Aleck Pop was highly pleased with the cooking arrangements. There was a
first-class gasolene stove, and the kitchen was fitted with all sorts
of appliances for rendering cooking easy.
"I'se gwine to do my best fo' you," said the colored man, and dinner,
which was served at one o'clock, proved to be little short of a genuine
feast, with oxtail soup, breast of lamb, mashed potatoes, green peas,
lettuce, coffee, pudding and cheese.
"Why, Aleck, this is a surprise," said Dora. "Some day they will want
you to become the chef in a big hotel." And this compliment tickled the
colored man greatly.
"T'ank yo' Miss Dora," he answered. "But I don't want to be no chef in
a hotel. All I wants to do is to stay wid de Rober boys so long as I
lib."
During the afternoon the boys tried their hands at fishing and caught
quite a mess. By four o'clock Pleasant Hills was reached and they tied
up in a convenient spot. All of the girls and Mrs. Stanhope went ashore
with Mrs. Laning, to visit the friend that had been mentioned.
"Bring them down to the houseboat to-night, if they care to come," said
Dick.
"Thank you, Dick, perhaps we will," answered Mrs. Laning.
"Let us take a swim while they are gone," suggested Tom. "That water is
too inviting to resist."
"Agreed!" shouted the others, and ran to their rooms, to get out their
bathing suits. Soon Tom was ready, and leaping to the end of the houseboat,
took a straight dive into the river. Sam followed and Fred came next,
and then Dick, Songbird, and Hans came down in a bunch. The water was
just cold enough to be pleasant, and they splashed around in great sport.
"This is what I call living!" yelled Tom and diving under, he caught
Hans by the big toe.
"Hi, hi! let go mine does!" shrieked the German lad. "Somedings has me
py der does cotched!"
"Maybe it's a shark," suggested Fred.
"A shark! Vos der sharks py der Ohio River?"
"Tons of them," came from Sam. "Look out, Hansy, or they'll swallow
you."
"Du meine Zeit!" gasped the German cadet. "Vy didn't you tole me dot
pefore, hey? I guess I don't schwim no more." And he started to climb
up a rope ladder leading to the deck of the houseboat.
"Don't go, Hans!" sang out Songbird. "They are fooling you."
"Dere ton't been no sharks in der river?"
"No, nothing but sawfish and whales."
"A vale! Dot's chust so bad like a shark."
"No, not at all. A shark bites. A whale simply swallows you alive," put
in Sam, with a grin.
"Swallows me alife, hey? Not on your life he ton't!" returned Hans, and
started again for the rope ladder. But Sam pulled him back and ducked
him, and was in turn ducked by Fred, who went under by a shove from
Dick; and then followed a regular mix-up, the water flying in all
directions.
"By golly, dat's great!" cried Aleck, from the deck. "I dun' t'ink a
lot ob eels was dancin' a jig down dar!"
"Come down here, Aleck, and get some of the black washed off!" shouted
Tom, gleefully.
"Not fo' a dollah, Massah Tom--leasewise, not while yo' is around."
"What are you afraid of?" asked Tom, innocently.
"Yo' is too full ob tricks fo' dis chile. When I wants a baf I'se gwine
to take dat baf in a tub, an' when yo' ain't around," answered Aleck.
"Yo' am--Oh--wough!" And then the colored man retreated in great haste,
for Tom had sent up a shower of water all over him.
"Here comes a big river boat!" cried Songbird, presently. "Let us go
out and catch the rollers!" And out they swam and waited until the
swells, several feet high, came rolling in. It was immense fun bobbing
up and down like so many corks.
"Wish the steamers would continue to come past," said Fred. "This suits
me to death."
"Here comes another pretty big boat," answered Tom. "And she is closer
to shore than that other craft, so we'll get the rollers at their
best."
"Don't get too close," cried Songbird. "I knew a fellow who did that
once and got sucked under."
On came the river boat and was soon opposite to where the houseboat
lay. She carried only a few passengers, but a very large quantity of
freight.
"Here she comes!" cried Fred. "Now for some more fun."
"Don't get too close!" repeated Songbird, but Tom did not heed him and
went within fifty feet of the steamboat's side. The rollers here were
certainly large, but all of a sudden Tom appeared to lose interest in
the sport.
"Hullo, Tom! What are you so quiet about?" sang out Dick in alarm.
"Perhaps he has a cramp," put in Sam. "Tom, are you all right?" he
cried.
"Yes, I'm all right," was the answer, and then Tom swam to his brothers
with all speed. The steamboat was now well on its way down the Ohio.
"What is it?" asked Dick, feeling that something was wrong. "If you
have had even a touch of a cramp you had better get out, Tom."
"I haven't any cramp. Did you see them?"
"Them? Who?"
"The two fellows at the stern of that boat?"
"No. What of them?"
"One was Dan Baxter and the other was Lew Flapp."