Edward Stratemeyer

“ The clown got no further, for just then the mule turned around and gave him a kick which sent him sprawling. Then, like a flash Hanky-Panky turned around, caught Frozzler by the waist and began to run around the ring with him.
"Hi! let go!" screamed the thoroughly frightened circus owner. "Let go,
I say! Help! he will kill me! Help!"
"Hurrah! the mule has got the best of it!" sang out Tom. "He knows how to run a circus even if that fellow don't."
"I'll bet on the mule," put in Dick. "He's a nose ahead in this race!"
"Save me!" yelled Frozzler. "Drat that beast! Stop him, somebody!" ”

“ Leaving the captain a prisoner, Dan Baxter and Lew Flapp made their way with caution toward the houseboat. As they had surmised, the Dora was now totally deserted. They leaped on the deck and entered the sumptuous living room.
"This is fine," murmured Lew Flapp. "They must be living like nabobs on this craft."
"You're right. A piano and a guitar, too." Baxter passed into the dining room. "Real silver on the table. Flapp, we've struck luck."
"Sure."
"That silver is worth just so much money,—when we need the funds." ”

“ CHAPTER XXI THE DISAPPEARANCE OF THE HOUSEBOAT Never was a girl more light-hearted than was Dora when in the saddle on the Kentucky thoroughbred. And her cousin was scarcely less elated.
"Let us have a little race, Nellie," cried Dora. "It will be lots of fun."
"Oh, we don't want the horses to run away," answered Nellie.
"I don't think they will run away."
The race was started, and to give the girls a chance, Dick and Tom dropped to the rear. Soon a turn of the road hid the two girls from view. ”

“ The prospects looked bright to the two horse thieves, and as soon as Loring returned to the houseboat he and Hamp Gouch applied themselves arduously to the liquor taken from Captain Starr's private locker.
"Those fellows mean to get drunk," whispered Lew FIapp, in alarm.
"I'm afraid so," answered Baxter. "But it can't be helped."
Late in the evening, much to their surprise, an old man in a dilapidated rowboat came up to the houseboat. It was Jake Shaggam, the hermit, who had been out fishing.
"How are ye, Shaggam!" shouted Pick Loring, who, on account of the liquor taken, felt extra sociable. ”

“ Dora, and her surmise was correct.
Night was coming on once more when they felt a sudden jar of the houseboat, followed by several other jars. Then they heard a scraping and a scratching.
"We have struck the bottom and are scraping along some trees and bushes," said Nellie. "Where can we be?"
"Here is a fine shelter!" they heard Pick Loring exclaim. "They'll never spot the houseboat in such a cove as this."
"I believe you," answered Dan Baxter. "It is certainly a dandy hiding place."
"Those girls can't very well get ashore neither," said Hamp Gouch. ”

“ Why didn't you tell him that, Dora? You know—"
"Hi, you folks!" came in a cry from Tom. "What are you steering for the smoking room for? We are bound for the dining room."
"Well, I never!" murmured Dora. "Dick, we had better watch out where we are going."
"That's right." They turned toward the dining room. "Dora, you know, as
I was saying, that—"
"Dick Rover, I thought we were going to dinner! ”

“ Dan Baxter was right; the lights had reappeared and now they seemed to approach the houseboat with alarming rapidity.
"They'll run into us if they are not careful," said Flapp, in fresh alarm. "Boat, ahoy!" he screamed. "Keep off!"
"Keep off! Keep off, there!" put in Dan Baxter.
If those in the other craft heard, they paid no attention. The light came closer and closer and of a sudden a fair-sized gasolene launch came into view. She was headed directly for the Dora, and a moment later hit the houseboat a telling blow in the side, causing her to careen several feet. ”

“ Songbird Powell recited several original poems, Fred Garrison made a really comic speech, and Hans Mueller convulsed everybody by his good nature and his funny way of talking.
"I never felt so light-hearted in my life!" said Tom, after the celebration had come to an end.
"We owe you and the others a great deal," said Mrs. Laning.
"Yes, and I shall not forget it," put in Mrs. Stanhope. "All of you are regular heroes!"
"Heroes? Pooh!" sniffed Tom. "Nothing of the sort. We are just wide-awake American boys." ”

“ Both of the girls rowed with all their strength, but before they could gain the shore, which was now less than two rods away, the launch came up and made fast to the rowboat.
"Might as well give it up," said Dan Baxter, sarcastically. "It's no use, as you can see."
"Oh, Mr. Baxter, do let us go!" pleaded Nellie, more terrorized than ever before.
"Not much! You have got to go back to the houseboat."
At this Nellie gave a loud scream, and Dora immediately followed with a prolonged call for help.
"Shut them up!" came from Pick Loring. "There are a whole lot of people living around here." ”

“ This brought forth another laugh at Frozzler's expense, in which even some of the circus hands joined.
"Say, those boys are sharp," said the clown who had been discharged. "I shouldn't care to run up against them."
"Three of them are the Rover boys," answered a man sitting near.
"Nobody can get the best of them."
"I dreamed a whale came along and swallowed me," went on Frozzler.
"Hullo, I knew you were a Jonah!" sang out Tom. And once more the crowd roared.
"In the whale I met my old schoolmate, Billy Black," continued the clown.
"That was a black moment for poor Billy," was Sam's comment. ”

“ At the promise of a reward Lemuel Gregg became interested. He knew that the Rovers were well-to-do and could readily pay him handsomely for his services.
"You—you had better stay here, young man," he said, to Lew Flapp. "If you are innocent it won't hurt you. We'll have the squire look into this case."
"I won't stay!" roared the bully, and making a sudden leap at Sam he hurled the youngest Rover to one side and tried to bolt through the door.
"No, you don't!" came from the barber, and leaping to the front he caught Lew Flapp by the end of the coat and held him. ”

“ CHAPTER XVIII 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." ”

“ I don't want a ride!"
"Behold, the conquering hero comes!" announced Sam, as six of the boys hoisted poor Snuggers up into the air. "Now, sit up straight, Peleg. Don't you want a sword?"
"Here's a broom," put in Fred Garrison, and handed over an article which was worn to a stump. "Present arms! Forward, march! General Washtub will lead the funeral procession."
"If you let me tumble I'll break my neck!" gasped Peleg Snuggers. "Oh, creation! How can I carry that broom and hold on, too! This is awful! Shall I call the captain? Let up, I say!" ”

“ Frozzler.
"Why don't you buy hats for the pool' dear monkeys?" went on Tom. "Then they wouldn't want yours."
"Oh, you keep quiet!"
"Those monkeys are about starved," said Sam. "Let us get up a subscription for their benefit. I don't believe they have had a square meal in a year."
"All of the animals look starved," said Dick, loudly.
"Dat am a fac'," added Aleck.
"This is a bum show," cried a burly farmer boy standing close by. "Why, they have more animals nor this in a dime museum."
"Will you fellows shut up?" cried Giles Frozzler. "This show is all right." ”

“ Let us ask the others to go too. I haven't seen a circus in a long time."
"Well, this won't be much to look at. But we may get some fun out of it," added Tom, with a sly wink.
"Yes, there is sure to be fun when you are around," added his younger brother, with a laugh.
When the circus was mentioned at home Dick said he would be glad to go and so did Fred.
"It is Frozzler's Grand Aggregation of Attractions," said Tom, looking over one of the showbills. "The Most Stupendous Exhibition on Earth. Daring bareback riding, trained elephants and a peanut-eating contest, likewise an egg-hunting raffle. ”

“ Dinner had been ordered, and the three Rovers dined with the captain in his private dining room. Then the boys went up to their dormitory to pack their trunks.
"I must say this is a fine ending for the term," was Tom's comment, as he began to get his belongings out of the closet. "And after everything looked so bright, too!"
"It's a jolly shame!" cried Sam. "If Lew Flapp did this, or Dan Baxter,
I'd like to—to wring his neck for it!"
"It will certainly put a cloud on our name," said Dick. "In spite of what we can say, some folks will be mean enough to think we are guilty." ”

“ In the distance they saw the lights of a steamboat and this was all they had to guide them.
"If we strike good and hard we'll go to the bottom," said Lew Flapp.
"Flapp, you are as nervous as a cat."
"Isn't it true?"
"I don't think so. Most of these boats are built in compartments. If one compartment is smashed the others will keep her afloat."
"Oh, I see." And after that Lew Flapp felt somewhat relieved.
When the houseboat was well away from Skemport, Dan Baxter walked to the door of the stateroom in which Dora and Nellie had been confined.
"Hullo, in there!" he called out. ”

“ 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!" ”

“ Last night, in the dark and mist, he heard somebody in a rowboat and a launch having a row. Two gals screamed for help, and somebody said something about a houseboat and tell somebody something—he couldn't tell exactly what. I thought Bill had 'em on, but maybe he didn't."
"Where is this Bill Daws now?" asked Dick.
"Gone home. He works nights and sleeps in the daytime."
"Where does he live?"
"Just up that street over yonder—in the square stone house with the red barn back of it."
Waiting to hear no more, Dick set off for the house mentioned, taking Tom with him. ”

“ It came in directly, and in half a minute more they were being whirled away in the direction of Oak Run.
"There is no use of talking, those girls are just all right," said Sam, bluntly. "I never met a nicer lot in my life."
"I guess Dick thinks one of them is all right," said Tom, with a grin. "Although I don't see why you were steering her into the smoking room," he added, to his big brother. "Were you going to teach her to smoke cigarettes?"
"Oh, say, Tom, let up," grumbled Dick. "You paid about as much attention to Nellie as I did to Dora." ”

“ So it was agreed; and fifteen minutes later the tug was on the way after the Beaver, with Dick, Tom, and Sam on board.
"Can we catch the steamboat, captain?" questioned Tom, anxiously.
"We can try," was the answer. "If I had known you wanted to use the tug again to-night I should have kept steam up."
"Well, we didn't know."
The Beaver was out of sight and they did not see the steamboat again until she was turning in at the Penwick dock.
"There she is!" cried Sam.
"Hurry up, Captain Carson!" called out Dick. "If you don't hurry we will lose the fellows we are after, sure." ”

“ I am told there is a constant cry for "more! more!" and so I present this new Rover Boys story, which tells of the doings of Dick, Tom, and Sam and their friends during an outing on one of our great rivers,—an outing full of excitement and fun and with a touch of a rather unusual mystery. During the course of the tale some of the old enemies of the Rover Boys turn up, but our heroes know, as of old, how to take care of themselves; and all ends well. ”