"It won't do any good to block the lock," he called out. "Answer me,
or I'll break down the door."

Still nothing but silence, and in perplexity he ran back to Baxter.

"I can't get a sound out of them, and the keyhole is stuffed," he said.

"We'll break in the door," said the leader of the evil-doers.

It took but a minute to execute this threat, for the door was thin
and frail. Both gave a hasty look around.

"Gone!"

"They must have taken the rowboat and rowed away," said Lew Flapp.

Both went back to where they had left Pick Loring and Hamp Gouch.

"The girls are gone," said Baxter. "They must have skipped in that
rowboat."

"We can soon fix 'em," muttered Loring. "We'll get Sculley to go
after them."

The launch ahead was signaled and soon came up alongside.

"What's wanted now?"

"Take me aboard and I'll tell you," answered Baxter, and he and Pick
Loring boarded the launch.

In the meantime the two girls had placed the oars into the rowlocks
and were rowing off as fast as their strength would permit.

"Oh, Dora, do you think we can get away!" gasped Nellie.

"We must! Do your best, and keep time with me."

"But which way are we going?"

"I don't know, yet. The best we can do is to keep away from the lights
of the houseboat."

Stroke after stroke was taken in dire desperation, and after a while
they had the satisfaction of seeing the lights of the houseboat fading
away in the distance.

All was gloom and mist around them and they stopped rowing, not
knowing in which direction to turn next.

"We are lost on the river," said Nellie.

"Yes, but that is better than being in the hands of our enemies,"
was Dora's answer.

"Yes, Dora, ten times over. But what shall we do next?"

"Let us try to row crosswise with the current. That is sure to bring
us to shore sooner or later."

This they set out to do, and after a while felt certain that they
were drawing close to the river bank on the north.

"We are getting there!" cried Nellie. "Oh, Dora, aren't you glad?"

Scarcely had she spoken when they saw a light behind them, and a long
launch came unexpectedly into view. In the bow stood Dan Baxter with
a lantern.

"I thought I heard their oars," cried that rascal. "Here they are!"

"Pull, pull, Nellie!" cried Dora. "Pull, or we shall be captured!"

Both of the girls rowed with all their strength, but before they
could gain the shore, which was now less than two rods away, the
launch came up