he craft stolen?"

"Yes."

"Oh, dear!" Captain Starr wrung his hands. "Please don't blame me!"

"I don't know as I can blame you, exactly. But you want to have your
wits about you after this."

When Captain Starr heard about the disappearance of the two girls he
was more interested than ever.

"I heard them scream," he said.

"Where was that?"

"I think they must have been right in front of where the _Dora_ was
tied up."

"When was this?" asked Sam.

"Not very long after the villains made me their prisoner."

"It's as clear as day!" cried Fred Garrison. "Baxter and Flapp first
stole the houseboat and then they abducted Dora and Nellie."

"It's a wretched piece of business," came from Dick. "Oh, if I can
only lay my hands on them they shall suffer for it!"

"We must chase the houseboat, that's all I know to do," put in Tom.
"And the quicker we begin the better."

"That's easily said, Tom. How are we going to locate the craft in
this mist? She may have gone up the stream and she may have gone down."

"More than likely she went down with the current. They hadn't any
steam tug handy to pull her."

Paul Livingstone was appealed to and told them where they could find
the coal docks at which their own tug was lying. All hurried to the
place and called up Captain Carson.

"I'll get up steam just as soon as I can," said the tug captain, and
hustled out his engineer and fireman. Soon the black smoke was pouring
from the tug's stack and in less than half an hour they were ready
to move.

"This seems like a wild-goose chase," remarked Sam. "But it is better
than standing around with one's hands in his pockets."

"I wish I had dat Dan Baxter heah!" said Aleck Pop. "I'd duck him in
the ribber an' hold him undah 'bout ten minutes!"

All were soon on the steam tug, which was crowded by the party. The
lanterns were lit, and they moved down the Ohio slowly and cautiously.

"We had better move from side to side of the river," suggested Dick.
"Then we won't be so liable to pass the houseboat without seeing her."

As all of the party were wet, they took turns in drying and warming
themselves in the engine-room of the tug. Those on the lookout did
what they could to pierce the gloom, but with small satisfaction.

Half an hour later they passed a small river steamer and hailed the
craft.

"What's wanted?" shouted somebody through a megaphone.

"Seen anything of a houseboat around here?"

"No," was the prompt a