Part 2 (1/2)
”Either here or at the sugar plantation,” answered Sam.
”What will you do?”
”I don't know yet--probably go down the river and look for the _Dora_.
She is so large they can't hide her very well.”
”Maybe the current of the river carried her away and the planter got scared and left,” suggested Songbird. ”You'll remember, she broke away once before.”
”She couldn't break away--she was tied up good and tight,” answered Sam, decidedly.
”Well, if you cannot find the houseboat, we'll have to go home from here instead of from New Orleans,” said Mrs. Stanhope. ”That will shorten our trip somewhat but not a great deal. But I hope, for your uncle's sake, that you get his property back.”
”We'll do that, or know the reason why,” answered Sam.
”What's this trouble about your houseboat?” asked the storekeeper, who had caught part of the conversation.
”It's missing.”
”So you said. Too bad!”
”Do you know the planter who had charge of the craft?” went on Sam.
”He was tall and thin and went by the name of Gasper Pold.”
”What, did you leave your boat with that man? You should have known better. Didn't you know Pold was an old lottery sharp?”
”We did not.”
”Well, he is, and has cheated many a poor white man and n.i.g.g.e.r out of his hard-earned savings. He's in bad flavor around here, and some of the citizens were just about to ask him to leave or run the risk of tar and feathers.”
”Well, he has left, and taken our houseboat with him,” said Sam, bitterly. ”What about Solly Jackson, the carpenter who was going to do some repairs for us?”
”Oh, Solly's a fairly good kind, but years ago he used to work the lottery ticket game with Pold. He's an old bachelor and never has much to say about anything.”
”Has he any regular shop?”
”Oh, no; he's a come-day-go-day sort of fellow, boards around, and like that.”
”Then he must be in with Gasper Pold,” said the youngest Rover.
”They've cleared out together with our property.”
”Hum! Might be so, lad. Have much on board the craft?”
”Yes, a great many things--furniture, a piano, books, and all of our clothing.”
”Hum! Quite a haul--if they can get away with it. Maybe you had better notify the authorities.”
”We certainly will--if we can't find the houseboat,” said Sam, and then, after a few words more with the ladies and the girls, he started off to rejoin Tom and d.i.c.k, and Songbird Powell went with him.
CHAPTER III