Part 49 (1/2)

”Does he live there alone?”

”Yes. He is a bachelor and don't like to go down to the village.”

The girls heard this talk quite plainly, but presently Baxter, Flapp, and the two horse thieves withdrew to another part of the houseboat and they heard no more.

”We are at a place called s.h.a.ggam Creek,” said Dora. ”That is worth remembering.”

”If only we could get some sort of a message to the Rover boys and the others,” sighed Nellie. ”Dora, can't we manage it somehow?”

”Perhaps we can--anyway, it won't do any harm to write out a message or two, so as to have them ready to send off if the opportunity shows itself.”

Paper and pencils were handy, and the cousins set to work to write out half a dozen messages.

”We can set them floating on the river if nothing more,” said Nellie.

”Somebody might pick one up and act on it.”

The hours slipped by, and from the quietness on board the girls guessed that some of their abductors had left the houseboat.

This was true. Baxter and Flapp had gone off, in company with Pick Loring, to send a message to Mrs. Stanhope and to Mrs. Laning, stating that Dora and Nellie were well and that they would be returned unharmed to their parents providing the sum of sixty thousand dollars be forwarded to a certain small place in the mountain inside of ten days.

”If you do not send the money the girls will suffer,” the message concluded. ”Beware of false dealings, or it may cost them their lives!”

”That ought to fetch the money,” said Dan Baxter, after the business was concluded.

”If they can raise that amount,” answered Loring. ”Of course you know more about how they are fixed than I do.”

”They can raise it--if they get the Rovers to aid them.”

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 s.h.a.ggam, the hermit, who had been out fis.h.i.+ng.

”How are ye, s.h.a.ggam!” shouted Pick Loring, who, on account of the liquor taken, felt extra sociable. ”Come on board, old feller!”

Against the wishes of Baxter and Flapp, Jake s.h.a.ggam was allowed on board the houseboat and taken to the living room. Here he was given something to eat and drink and some tobacco.

”You're a good fellow, Jake,” said Hamp Gouch. ”Mighty good fellow.

Show you something,” and he took the old man to where the girls were locked in.

”Better stop this,” said Flapp, in increased alarm.

”Oh, it's all right, you can trust Jake s.h.a.ggam,” replied Gouch, with a swagger. Liquor had deprived him of all his natural shrewdness.

He insisted upon talking about the girls and tried to open the door.