I wish they would
turn into shore, at some town. Then we'd have an easier time of it,
rounding them up."

"I have an idea!" cried Sam. "Why not follow them until they do land
somewhere and go to sleep? We'll have a better chance to capture all
of them than in a fight out here. Here, if we get into a row, somebody
may fall overboard and be drowned."

"Yes, let us follow them until they stop somewhere," came from
Songbird, who had no desire to fight out there on the bosom of the
swiftly-flowing Mississippi.

This decided on, they did not attempt to catch up to the launch, but,
getting near enough to keep the craft in plain view, held back just
a trifle.

"Do you suppose they see us?" asked Fred.

"They may see the houseboat, but they don't know what craft it is,
or who is on board," answered Dick.

Presently the launch stopped running and merely drifted with the
current. Those in the houseboat saw the gas lamp turned toward the shore.

"I think they are making preparations to land," said Harold Bird.

A moment later the acetylene lamp was turned back and the sharp rays
fell full upon the _Dora_ and those on the forward deck.

"Hi! There is the houseboat!" cried Dan Baxter, who was following
the rays of light with his eyes.

"That's so!" returned Gasper Pold. "They must be following us!"

"How did they do it so quickly?" questioned Solly Jackson.

"That's a puzzle, but it certainly is the houseboat, and there are
three or four of the crowd on board," said Sack Todd.

Those on the launch were amazed to think they had been followed so
quickly and for the moment knew not what to do. Then Sack Todd drew
his pistol.

"Hi, there!" he yelled. "Keep your distance, if you know when you
are well off!"

"They know us right enough," murmured Tom. "And they mean to fight!"

"Go ahead,--we can't afford to land around here!" said Gasper Pold,
to Baxter, who had been running the motor of the launch. And soon
the power was turned on and the launch started down the river faster
than ever.

"They are running away from us!" ejaculated Dick. "Oh, what luck!"

"Stop!" yelled Sam. "Stop, or we'll fire at you!"

"That's the talk," said Harold Bird.

"If you do any firing, so will we!" came back from one of the persons
on the _Venus_.

Then of a sudden the acetylene gas lamp was either turned off or its
rays were hidden, for the launch was almost lost in the darkness of
the night.

"They were trying to hide," said Fre