e isn't much to tell," said Tom. "We got there, looked around,
made a search, and here we are. No boat in sight, no person to be
seen, just nothing and nobody."

"But the houseboat must be somewhere, Tom."

"I agree with you, but not being a second-sight mind reader I can't
tell you where."

Alexander Pop, who was with the boys, had listened closely with his
eyes rolling in wonder.

"Fo' de Ian' sakes!" he ejaculated. "Dat's de wuss news I's heard in
a long time. Seems lak da was no end of troubles fo' dis crowd!"

"Well, if this doesn't beat the Dutch!" murmured Fred Garrison.

"Yah, und it beats der Irish too alretty!" came from Hans Mueller.
"Chust ven ve dink der sthars vos shinin' it begins to rain; eh,
ain't dot so?"

"You've struck the nail on the head, Hans," answered Sam. "I thought
we'd have plain sailing from to-day, and now it looks as if we'd have
no sailing at all!"

"Boys," spoke up Dick, sharply, "if that houseboat has been stolen
we must get the craft back."

"So say I, Dick," answered Tom. "But how are you going to begin about
it?"

"That remains to be seen. Of one thing I am pretty certain--if the
houseboat went anywhere it went down the stream. Only a powerful tug
or steamboat could pull such a boat up this mighty river."

"That's true--and we must look down the Mississippi for the craft,"
said Fred.

"Where is Songbird?" asked Tom.

"I left him with the ladies and the girls. They will be along presently,
in a carriage," answered Dick.

"There won't be any use of the ladies and girls going down to the
river, so long as the _Dora_ is missing," said Sam. "They'll have to
stay in town, or go back to that sugar plantation, until we learn
about the craft."

It was decided that Sam should join the other crowd and acquaint them
with the news. He found them at one of the stores, where Mrs. Stanhope
was buying some embroidery silk.

"Have you got tired of waiting for us, Sam?" asked Grace Laning, who
was the first to see the youngest Rover.

"Oh, I've got bad news, Grace." And then he told the girl of what
had occurred, in the midst of which the others came up.

"Missing again!" ejaculated Songbird Powell. "Too bad! What's to be
done?"

"We don't know yet."

The ladies were much alarmed and so were the girls. Sam did what he
could to quiet their fears, yet he felt unhappy himself.

"I did not like the looks of that planter at all," declared Dora
Stanhope. "He had the face of a sn