dun' t'ink a
lot ob eels was dancin' a jig down dar!"

"Come down here, Aleck, and get some of the black washed off!" shouted
Tom, gleefully.

"Not fo' a dollah, Massah Tom--leasewise, not while yo' is around."

"What are you afraid of?" asked Tom, innocently.

"Yo' is too full ob tricks fo' dis chile. When I wants a baf I'se gwine
to take dat baf in a tub, an' when yo' ain't around," answered Aleck.
"Yo' am--Oh--wough!" And then the colored man retreated in great haste,
for Tom had sent up a shower of water all over him.

"Here comes a big river boat!" cried Songbird, presently. "Let us go
out and catch the rollers!" And out they swam and waited until the
swells, several feet high, came rolling in. It was immense fun bobbing
up and down like so many corks.

"Wish the steamers would continue to come past," said Fred. "This suits
me to death."

"Here comes another pretty big boat," answered Tom. "And she is closer
to shore than that other craft, so we'll get the rollers at their
best."

"Don't get too close," cried Songbird. "I knew a fellow who did that
once and got sucked under."

On came the river boat and was soon opposite to where the houseboat
lay. She carried only a few passengers, but a very large quantity of
freight.

"Here she comes!" cried Fred. "Now for some more fun."

"Don't get too close!" repeated Songbird, but Tom did not heed him and
went within fifty feet of the steamboat's side. The rollers here were
certainly large, but all of a sudden Tom appeared to lose interest in
the sport.

"Hullo, Tom! What are you so quiet about?" sang out Dick in alarm.

"Perhaps he has a cramp," put in Sam. "Tom, are you all right?" he
cried.

"Yes, I'm all right," was the answer, and then Tom swam to his brothers
with all speed. The steamboat was now well on its way down the Ohio.

"What is it?" asked Dick, feeling that something was wrong. "If you
have had even a touch of a cramp you had better get out, Tom."

"I haven't any cramp. Did you see them?"

"Them? Who?"

"The two fellows at the stern of that boat?"

"No. What of them?"

"One was Dan Baxter and the other was Lew Flapp."

CHAPTER XIX

WORDS AND BLOWS

"Baxter and Flapp!"

The cry came from several at once, and all climbed to the deck of the
houseboat after Tom.

"Are you certain of this, Tom?" asked Dick.

"Yes, I saw them as plain as day. They were looking at the houseboat."

"Did they see you?"

"I think they did