THE CHASE ON THE RIVER
The whole party walked down to where the launch had been tied up,
and Fred and Songbird told their story and then heard of what had
happened to the houseboat.
"What rascals!" murmured Fred. "We must do our level best to catch them."
"I am going to catch them, if I have to follow them a thousand miles!"
exclaimed Harold Bird, impulsively.
"That's the talk!" came from Dick. "We are bound to catch them sooner
or later, if we stick to the chase."
Yet, though he spoke so hopefully, the outlook just then was dismal
enough. The gasoline launch had a good start, and they had nothing
at hand with which to follow the craft and those on board.
"I'd hate to see the launch wrecked," said Tom. "But I'd like to see
those fellows blow themselves up!"
"Well, in that case I could almost stand the loss of the boat,"
answered the young Southerner, with a faint smile.
They sat down and talked the matter over for quarter of an hour, Fred
and Songbird in the meantime bathing their wrists and having them
bound up with handkerchiefs. Not only was the launch gone, but their
food also.
"I saw a few things left on the _Dora_," said Dick; "canned stuff
and like that, which they forgot to take or ruin. That will give us
something to eat."
"We might find a trail out of the swamp to some plantation," suggested
Harold Bird, "but that would take time, and I think we ought to be
following the launch."
"How?" asked Fred.
"Ve can't schwim," put in Hans.
"Go back for the houseboat and follow them in that. It will be slow,
but it will likewise be sure."
"We'll do it," answered Dick.
This time all set out for the houseboat. They followed the first
trail that had been taken and, remembering the bad spots, covered
the distance without serious mishap. By this time all were hungry,
and while Hans and Fred set to work to make a fire in the cook stove
and prepare the best meal possible under the circumstances, the others
turned the houseboat down the inlet and out into the small lake. It
was hard work poling the big craft along, but once in the little lake
they were delighted to find that the current was fairly strong towards
the big lake and the Mississippi. They used both poles and sweeps
and worked like Trojans.
"Dinner is ready!" called Fred at last, and one after another took
a seat and ate the canned corn, tomatoes, and salmon which had been
made ready. They also had a few crackers and a pot of rather weak
coffee, but they were sincerely thankful that matters were not worse.
"The worst of it is, we are not the only sufferers," said Dick to
Harold Bird. "The ladies and the girls who have been traveling with
us have lost all their valuables--that is, such things as happened
to be left on the _Dora_. Just what is missing they will have to tell
us."
"Well, as I said before, I shall do all in my power to bring them to
justice. I should think you'd be more than anxious to have this Dan
Baxter locked up."
"Yes."
"You say he has been your enemy for years?"
"Yes. When my brothers and I started to go to a boarding school called
Putnam Hall, in New York State, we ran across this Baxter. He was
annoying Miss Stanhope and her two cousins, Grace and Nellie. We had
a row then and there, and ever since that time he has been our bitter
enemy and has tried, in a thousand ways, to make trouble for us. Not
only that, but his father was a bitter enemy of my father and was
locked up. But strange to say, Arnold Baxter has reformed, while Dan
seems to go from bad to worse."
"Then you don't think Dan will reform?"
"Hardly. If he does, it will be the surprise of my life," answered
the eldest Rover.
The meal, slim as it was, put all on board the houseboat in better
humor, and as he washed the dishes Hans hummed a little German ditty
to himself. Soon the small lake was left behind, and they found
themselves skirting the upper shore of Lake Sico. Nothing was in
sight on the broad bosom of this body of water.
"Can the launch be in hiding in some cove?" asked Sam. "We don't want
any more tricks played on us."
"It is possible," answered Harold Bird. "Still I think our wisest
course will be to get to the river as soon as possible. If the launch
has passed out we may find somebody who has seen her."
All worked with vigor, and by nightfall they gained the bayou leading
to the mighty river beyond. As they came out they saw a lumber barge
tied up not far away.
"Ahoy there!" shouted Dick, using his hands for a speaking trumpet.
"Ahoy!" came the answering shout, from a man on the barge.
"Have you seen anything of a gasoline launch around here?"
"Yes."
"When?"
"About an hour ago."
"Coming from the bayou?"
"Yes."
"Which way did she head?"
"Down the river."
"Are you sure of that, Dillard?" called out Harold Bird.
"Hullo, Mr. Bird, that you?"
"I say, are you sure the launch went down the river?"
"Positive, sir--we watched her out of sight. Was she your boat?"
"She was."
"Stolen?"
"Yes."
"You don't say so! Hope you get her back."
"Who was on board?"
"Four men, so far as we could see. We weren't very close to her."
"We are on the right trail!" cried Tom. "Now the question is, How
can we follow her down the river?"
"On the houseboat, of course," answered his elder brother. "If we
stop to do anything else we'll lose too much time."
"But that launch can run away from us."
"Perhaps, but you must remember that they'll have to be cautious,
because the craft is strange to them. They won't dare to run full
speed for fear of blowing up or of striking a snag."
"I vish da struck a hundred of dem snags alretty!" cried Hans.
"Then again, they may tie up as soon as they think they can leave
the river with safety. I think we can follow in the houseboat as well
as in anything."
"Yes, let us stick to the houseboat," came from the young Southerner.
"But wait, pole her over to the barge. Perhaps we can buy some food."
"Yes, let us get food by all means," added Sam.
They were soon beside the lumber barge, which had a comfortable cabin
and sleeping quarters. As Harold Bird knew the owner well, there was
little difficulty in obtaining provisions and at a reasonable price.
Then off those on the _Dora_ pushed, and soon the current of the
broad Mississippi carried them out of sight down the stream.
"We must keep a good lookout," said Dick, as night came on. "We don't
want to miss them in the dark."
"And we don't want to run into anything either," added Sam.
"Dis ain't kvite der life on der oceans vaves vot I like," observed
Hans. "I dink me after all a sail ship oder a steamer been besser, hey?"
"Yes, a sailboat or a steamer would be better just now," answered
Tom. "But we have got to put up with what we happen to have, as the
dog said who got lockjaw from swallowing a bunch of keys."
"Did dot dog git dot lockjaw from dem keys?" asked Hans, innocently.
"Sure he did, Hans. You see, they didn't fit the lock to his stomach,
so he couldn't digest them."
"Poor dog, vot vos his name?"
"Why, his name was--er--Picker,--but he couldn't pick the lock, so
he died."
"Is he teat yet?"
"Is he dead--Say, Hans, what do you mean?"
"Oh, it ton't madder," answered the German boy, and walked away,
leaving Tom wondering if the joke had been turned on him or not.
On and on swept the houseboat over the broad bosom of the Mississippi.
Fortunately for our friends, it proved a clear night, with countless
stars bespangling the heavens.--They had managed to find two lanterns
fit for use and each was lit and placed in position. Most of the boys
remained on the forward deck, watching anxiously. Dick was at the
rudder, steering as Harold Bird directed.
It was not long before something dark loomed up along shore and they
knew they had struck one of the numerous levees, or artificial banks,
along the Mississippi, put there to prevent the country from being
inundated during the freshets. The levee was very high and looked
strong enough to withstand almost any pressure that could be brought
to bear against it.
"And yet they sometimes give way and cause a terrible amount of
drainage," said Harold Bird, in reply to Sam's question. "I have seen
the river spread out for miles, and houses and barns carried off to
nobody knew where over night."
"Well, I don't think the launch would tie up at the levee, do you?"
"It is not likely. I have an idea those fellows will try to get down
to New Orleans."
After that an hour passed without anything unusual happening. Twice
they passed river steamboats, one of them sweeping quite close to
the houseboat.
"Why don't you put out more lights--want to be run down?" came the cry.
"Haven't any more lights," answered Tom, and then the two boats swept
apart, so no more could be said.
A mile more was passed when Fred set up a cry:
"I see a light ahead, flashing from side to side," he said, and
pointed it out.
"It is the acetylene gas lamp," ejaculated Harold Bird, "and it must
be aboard of the launch!"