y canalboats went toward Durginville to-day?" the collegian
inquired.

"Why--lemme see," drawled the lock-keeper thoughtfully, as though there
was so much traffic that it was a trouble to remember all the boats.
"Why, I cal'late about _one_. Yes, sir, one. That was the _Nancy
Hanks_."

"She ought to be a fast boat at that," muttered Neale O'Neil. "_Nancy
Hanks_ was some horse."

"So that was the only one?" Luke persevered. "And you spoke with Cap'n
Quigg, did you?"

"With Bill Quigg?" snapped the lock-keeper, with some asperity. "I guess
not! I ain't wastin' my time with the likes of him."

"Oh-ho," said Luke, while his friends looked interested. "You don't
approve of the owner of the _Nancy Hanks_?"

"I should hope not. I ain't got no use for him."

"Then he is a pretty poor citizen, I take it?"

"I cal'late he's the poorest kind we got. He ain't even wuth sendin' to
jail. He'd gone long ago if he was. No. I've no use for Cap'n Bill."

"But you saw there was nobody with him on the boat--no children?"

"Only that gal of his."

"No others?"

"Wal, I dunno. I tell you I didn't stop none to have any doin's with
_them_. I done my duty and that's all. I ain't required by law to gas
with all the riffraff that sails this here canal."

"I believe you," agreed Luke mildly. He looked at Neale and grinned.
"Not very conclusive, is it?" he asked.

"Not to my mind. Bet the kids were on there with this little girl he
speaks of," muttered Neale.

"Oh, do you believe it, Neale?" gasped Agnes, leaning over the back of
the seat.

"I am sure we are much obliged to you, sir," Ruth said, sweetly, as the
engine began to roar again.

"What's up, anyway?" asked the crabbed lock-keeper. "You got something
on that Bill Quigg?"

"Can't tell, Mister," Neale said seriously. "You ask him about it when
he comes back."

"Now, Neale, you've started something," declared Ruth, as the automobile
sped away. "You just see if you haven't."

CHAPTER XVI

THE RINGMASTER

"Just the same, that old fellow didn't even know whether there was
somebody aboard the canalboat with Quigg and his daughter or not," Neale
O'Neil said, as they turned back into the Durginville road.

"Oh!" cried Cecile. "Are you going on?"

"We are--just," said her brother. "Until we solve the mystery of the
_Nancy Hanks_."

"Do you suppose that canal boatman is bad enough to have shut the
children up on his boat and will keep them for ransom?" deman