Part 37 (1/2)

At this both girls screamed--another signal of distress which reached Tom's ears but did no good.

”I don't see the reason--” began Lew Flapp.

”Just do as I say, Flapp. We can make money out of this,” answered Dan Baxter.

He caught Dora around the waist and lifted her into the air. She struggled bravely but could do nothing, and in a moment more he had her on the houseboat. Lew Flapp followed with Nellie, who pulled his hair and scratched his face unavailingly.

”Where--where you going to put 'em?” queried Flapp.

”In here,” answered Dan Baxter, leading the way to one of the staterooms--that usually occupied by Mrs. Stanhope and Dora. ”Now you stay in there and keep quiet, or it will be the worse for you,” Baxter went on to the girls.

As Nellie was pushed into the stateroom she fainted and pitched headlong on the floor. Thoroughly alarmed, Dora raised her cousin in her arms. At the same time Baxter shut the door and locked it from the outside.

”Now, don't make a bit of noise, or you'll be sorry for it,” he fairly hissed, and his manner was so hateful that Dora was thoroughly cowed.

”What's the next move?” asked Flapp, when he and Baxter were on the outside deck. He was too weak-minded to take a stand and placed himself entirely under the guidance of his companion.

”Get the houseboat away from the sh.o.r.e and be quick about it,” was the reply. ”Somebody else may be on the way here.”

The order to push off was obeyed, and soon the _Dora_, caught by the strong current of the river, was moving down the Ohio and away from the vicinity of Skemport. The mist was now so thick that in a few minutes the sh.o.r.e line was lost entirely to view.

”I must say, I don't like this drifting in the dark,” said Flapp. ”What if we run into something!”

”We've got to take some risk. I'll light the lanterns as soon as we get a little further away. You stand by with that long pole--in case the houseboat drifts in toward sh.o.r.e again.”

The _Dora_ had been provided with several long, patent sweeps, and for a while both of the young rascals used these, in an endeavor to get the houseboat out into the middle of the river. 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.

”What do you want?” asked Dora, timidly.

”How is that other girl, all right?”

”Ye--yes,” came from Nellie. ”But, oh! Mr. Baxter, what does this mean?”

”Don't grow alarmed. I'm not going to hurt you in the least.”

”Yes, but--but--we don't want to go with you.”