CHAPTER X
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 hadhappened 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 sooneror later, if we stick to the chase."
Yet, though he spoke so hopefully, the outlook just then was dismalenough. The gasoline launch had a good start, and they had nothingat 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 seethose 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, Fredand Songbird in the meantime bathing their wrists and having thembound up with handkerchiefs. Not only was the launch gone, but theirfood also.
"I saw a few things left on the _Dora_," said Dick; "canned stuffand like that, which they forgot to take or ruin. That will give ussomething to eat."
"We might find a trail out of the swamp to some plantation," suggestedHarold Bird, "but that would take time, and I think we ought to befollowing 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 firsttrail that had been taken and, remembering the bad spots, coveredthe 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 stoveand prepare the best meal possible under the circumstances, the othersturned the houseboat down the inlet and out into the small lake. Itwas hard work poling the big craft along, but once in the little lakethey were delighted to find that the current was fairly strong towardsthe big lake and the Mississippi. They used both poles and sweepsand worked like Trojans.
"Dinner is ready!" called Fred at last, and one after another tooka seat and ate the canned corn, tomatoes, and salmon which had beenmade ready. They also had a few crackers and a pot of rather weakcoffee, but they were sincerely thankful that matters were not worse.
"The worst of it is, we are not the only sufferers," said Dick toHarold Bird. "The ladies and the girls who have been traveling withus have lost all their valuables--that is, such things as happenedto be left on the _Dora_. Just what is missing they will have to tellus."
"Well, as I said before, I shall do all in my power to bring them tojustice. I should think you'd be more than anxious to have this DanBaxter 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 calledPutnam Hall, in New York State, we ran across this Baxter. He wasannoying Miss Stanhope and her two cousins, Grace and Nellie. We hada row then and there, and ever since that time he has been our bitterenemy and has tried, in a thousand ways, to make trouble for us. Notonly that, but his father was a bitter enemy of my father and waslocked up. But strange to say, Arnold Baxter has reformed, while Danseems 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," answeredthe eldest Rover.
The meal, slim as it was, put all on board the houseboat in betterhumor, and as he washed the dishes Hans hummed a little German dittyto himself. Soon the small lake was left behind, and they foundthemselves skirting the upper shore of Lake Sico. Nothing was insight on the broad bosom of this body of water.
"Can the launch be in hiding in some cove?" asked Sam. "We don't wantany more tricks played on us."
"It is possible," answered Harold Bird. "Still I think our wisestcourse will be to get to the river as soon as possible. If the launchhas passed out we may find somebody who has seen her."
All worked with vigor, and by nightfall they gained the bayou leadingto the mighty river beyond. As they came out they saw a lumber bargetied 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, Howcan we follow her down the river?"
"On the houseboat, of course," answered his elder brother. "If westop 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 fullspeed 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 leavethe river with safety. I think we can follow in the houseboat as wellas 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 cabinand sleeping quarters. As Harold Bird knew the owner well, there waslittle difficulty in obtaining provisions and at a reasonable price.Then off those on the _Dora_ pushed, and soon the current of thebroad Mississippi carried them out of sight down the stream.
"We must keep a good lookout," said Dick, as night came on. "We don'twant 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," observedHans. "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," answeredTom. "But we have got to put up with what we happen to have, as thedog 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, sohe 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 countlessstars bespangling the heavens.--They had managed to find two lanternsfit for use and each was lit and placed in position. Most of the boysremained on the forward deck, watching anxiously. Dick was at therudder, steering as Harold Bird directed.
It was not long before something dark loomed up along shore and theyknew they had struck one of the numerous levees, or artificial ba
nks,along the Mississippi, put there to prevent the country from beinginundated during the freshets. The levee was very high and lookedstrong enough to withstand almost any pressure that could be broughtto bear against it.
"And yet they sometimes give way and cause a terrible amount ofdrainage," said Harold Bird, in reply to Sam's question. "I have seenthe river spread out for miles, and houses and barns carried off tonobody 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 downto New Orleans."
After that an hour passed without anything unusual happening. Twicethey passed river steamboats, one of them sweeping quite close tothe 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 sweptapart, 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, andpointed it out.
"It is the acetylene gas lamp," ejaculated Harold Bird, "and it mustbe aboard of the launch!"
The Rover Boys in Southern Waters; or, The Deserted Steam Yacht Page 10