he Ocean" and then "The Rover
Boys in the Jungle," and then, year after year, there followed "The
Rover Boys Out West," "On the Great Lakes," "In the Mountains," "On
Land and Sea," "In Camp," "On the River," and "On the Plains," where
we last met them.

In the present tale the scene is shifted to the lower Mississippi
and then the Gulf of Mexico. As before, Sam, Tom, and Dick are
introduced, along with a number of their friends, and all have a
variety of adventures and not a little fun. While on the Gulf the
boys discover a deserted steam yacht, board the craft, and try to
ascertain who is the owner, and this leads to a mystery which I leave
the pages that follow to unfold.

Once again I take the opportunity to thank the thousands of young
folks all over our broad land who have signified their appreciation
of my efforts to afford them amusement and at the same time teach a
moral. Were it possible I should like nothing better than to write
to each and shake everyone by the hand. But that is out of the
question, so I can simply pen my thanks, and subscribe myself,

Affectionately and sincerely yours,

ARTHUR M. WINFIELD.

THE ROVER BOYS IN SOUTHERN WATERS

CHAPTER I

THE ROVER BOYS AND THEIR FRIENDS

"The houseboat is gone!"

"Tom, what do you mean?"

"I mean just what I say, Sam. The houseboat is gone--vanished, missing,
disappeared, drifted away, stolen!" ejaculated Tom Rover, excitedly.

"Tom, don't go on in such a crazy fashion. Do you mean to say the
houseboat isn't where we left it?"

"It is not,--and it is nowhere in sight on the river," returned Tom
Rover. "Come, we must tell Dick and the others about this."

"But we left the _Dora_ in charge of that big planter last night,"
insisted the youngest of the Rover boys. "He said he would take good
care of the craft."

"Well, he is gone too. I hunted high and low for the houseboat, and
for that planter, but without success."

"Maybe the boat drifted away, with the planter on board, Tom. The
current has been pretty strong since those heavy rains."

"She was tied up good and tight," answered Tom Rover, his usually
merry face wearing a troubled look. "I can't understand it."

"I must say I didn't like that planter's manner much. He looked to
be rather a sly one. Come on, let us find Dick and the others at
once," went on Sam Rover. "If the houseboat has been stolen we want
to know it right away, so we can get on the trail of the thief."

"