seboat was named. Then Dick, Sam, Tom and Fred got in to
do the rowing, while the others remained on the houseboat, to try
what they could do toward poling off. A line was made fast between
the rowboat and the _Dora_, and the boys began to pull away with
might and main.

"Is she moving?" asked Dick, after several minutes of hard pulling.

"Not yet," answered Captain Starr. "Keep at it, though."

"Let us shift some of the heavy things on board," suggested Songbird,
and this was done. Then the boys rowed with all their might and those
on the houseboat used their poles to the best advantage.

"Hurrah! she vos coming!" shouted Hans. "Dot's der time vot you did
sometings, ain't it!"

"Keep at it, boys!" came from the captain. "We'll be all right in a
few minutes more."

"Mind you, we don't want to tow the houseboat down to New Orleans,"
said Tom, who was perspiring freely in the warm sun.

"There she goes!" came a moment later. "We are all right now," and
a little hurrah went up.

"I wish I had those lumbermen here--I'd give 'em a bit of my mind,"
said Sam, who felt tired out from the hard rowing. "It was all their
fault."

"Of course, it was their fault," answered Dick. "More than likely,
though, we'll never meet them again."

"What an awfully long nose one of them had."

"I don't believe that fellow was a lumberman. He wasn't dressed like
the others and didn't act like them."

The rowboat was soon placed aboard of the houseboat once more, and
the _Dora_ continued on her course down the river. All told, a half
hour had been lost, and the lumber raft was scarcely a speck in the
distance.

"I'd like to know for certain if that was Dan Baxter on board," said
Dick to Sam. "If it was, and he saw us, he'll do his best to make
trouble again."

"Well, the best we can do, Dick, is to keep our eyes open."

"Do you think that lumber raft will tie up somewhere below here?"
asked Tom.

"The raft is certain to tie up somewhere, Tom. But it may go a good
many miles before that happens," answered the eldest Rover; and there
the subject was for the time being dropped.

CHAPTER III

A "PEPPER" GHOST

Mrs. Stanhope and Mrs. Laning had been taking a nap, and they were
much interested when they awoke and learned of what had occurred.

"Let us be thankful that the raft did not run us down," said Dora's
mother, who was a widow.

"It was mean to make us run aground," was Mrs. Laning's comment.
"Some folks try thei