, and if so they must have seen the rest of our crowd
too."

"We ought to go after them," came from Fred. "The name of that
steamboat was the _Beaver_."

"Wonder where she will make her first stop?"

For an answer to this question Captain Starr was appealed to, and he
said the craft would most likely stop first at a town which we will
call Penwick.

"How far is that from here?" asked Sam.

"About six miles."

"Can we get a train to that place?"

"Yes, but I don't know when."

A time-table was consulted, and it was found that no train could be had
from Pleasant Hills to Penwick for two hours and three-quarters.

"That is too late for us," said Dick. "If they saw Tom they'll skip the
moment the steamboat touches the landing."

"If you want to catch them why don't you follow them up in the tug?"
suggested Songbird.

"Dot's the talk!" came from Hans. "I would like to see you cotch dot
Flapp and Paxter mineselluf."

"I'll use the tug," said Dick.

He summoned the captain and explained the situation. It was found that
steam on the tug was low, but Captain Carson said he would get ready to
move down the stream with all possible speed.

"I would like you to stay on the houseboat," said Dick, to Songbird,
Fred, and Hans. "I don't want to leave Captain Starr in charge all
alone."

So it was agreed; and fifteen minutes later the tug was on the way
after the _Beaver_, with Dick, Tom, and Sam on board.

"Can we catch the steamboat, captain?" questioned Tom, anxiously.

"We can try," was the answer. "If I had known you wanted to use the tug
again to-night I should have kept steam up."

"Well, we didn't know."

The _Beaver_ was out of sight and they did not see the steamboat again
until she was turning in at the Penwick dock.

"There she is!" cried Sam.

"Hurry up, Captain Carson!" called out Dick. "If you don't hurry we
will lose the fellows we are after, sure."

"I am hurrying as much as I can," replied the captain.

In five minutes more they gained one end of the dock and the Rovers
leaped ashore. The _Beaver_ was at the other end, discharging passengers
at one gang plank and freight at another.

"See anything of them?" asked Sam.

"Yes, there they are!" shouted Tom, and pointed to the street beyond
the dock.

"I see them," returned Dick. "Come on!" And he started for the street,
as swiftly as his feet could carry him.

He was well in advance of Sam and Tom when Dan Baxter, looking back,
espied