CHAPTER II
ABOUT A MISSING HOUSEBOAT
"Let us go down the river and see if the _Dora_ is behind yondertrees," suggested Sam, after he had had time to digest what hisbrother had said.
"All right, if you say so," answered Tom. "But I feel it in my bonesit won't do any good."
The two brothers ran along the wet and slippery bank of the river,which at this point sprawled out into almost a lake. They had to walkaround several wet places and were pretty well out of wind by thetime they gained the patch of wood the youngest Rover had pointedout. They ran to a point where they could get a clear view of thestream for a full mile.
"Gone--just as I told you," said Tom, laconically.
"Oh, Tom, do you really think that planter stole the houseboat?"
"I don't know what to think, to tell the truth. We have fallen inwith all kinds of evil characters since we began this trip."
"Even if we go back to Dick and the others and tell them, what goodwill it do?"
"I don't really know. But I am going to tell Dick, just as fast asI can."
There seemed really nothing else to do, and with heavy hearts Samand Tom retraced their steps to where the _Dora_ had been tied up,and started to return to town.
"This will certainly worry the ladies and the girls a good deal,"observed Sam, as they hurried along. "If the houseboat is gone, wecan't continue the trip."
"They won't be worried any more than we are, Sam. It's hard linesall around. If that planter really stole the boat he ought to sufferfor it."
"Just what I say."
The brothers soon came in sight of Shapette,--a small settlementwhere half of the inhabitants were of French extraction. As theyreached one of the streets they heard a cheerful whistle.
"That's Dick!" said Sam. "He won't whistle so happily when he learnsthe news."
"Hullo!" came from Dick Rover, as he caught sight of his brothers."What brings you back so soon?"
"Thought you were going to stay on the houseboat until we got there,"added Fred Garrison, who, with Hans Mueller, accompanied the eldestRover.
"There is no houseboat to stay on," answered Tom.
"What!"
"The houseboat is gone--and so is that planter who said he'd takecare of her."
"Mine cracious me!" burst out Hans Mueller. "You ton't tole me alretty!"
"Tom, you don't mean--" Dick paused.
"The houseboat is gone, clean and clear, Dick."
"And that planter, Gasper Pold--"
"Is gone too," returned Sam. "And so is that carpenter who said he'drepair the craft."
"This is certainly too bad. Tell me the particulars," and Dick's facegrew decidedly serious.
"There 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 beseen, 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'ttell you where."
Alexander Pop, who was with the boys, had listened closely with hiseyes rolling in wonder.
"Fo' de Ian' sakes!" he ejaculated. "Dat's de wuss news I's heard ina 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 thoughtwe'd have plain sailing from to-day, and now it looks as if we'd haveno sailing at all!"
"Boys," spoke up Dick, sharply, "if that houseboat has been stolenwe must get the craft back."
"So say I, Dick," answered Tom. "But how are you going to begin aboutit?"
"That remains to be seen. Of one thing I am pretty certain--if thehouseboat went anywhere it went down the stream. Only a powerful tugor 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 theriver, so long as the _Dora_ is missing," said Sam. "They'll have tostay in town, or go back to that sugar plantation, until we learnabout the craft."
It was decided that Sam should join the other crowd and acquaint themwith the news. He found them at one of the stores, where Mrs. Stanhopewas buying some embroidery silk.
"Have you got tired of waiting for us, Sam?" asked Grace Laning, whowas the first to see the youngest Rover.
"Oh, I've got bad news, Grace." And then he told the girl of whathad occurred, in the midst of which the others came up.
"Missing again!" ejaculated Songbird Powell. "Too bad! What's to bedone?"
"We don't know yet."
The ladies were much alarmed and so were the girls. Sam did what hecould to quiet their fears, yet he felt unhappy himself.
"I did not like the looks of that planter at all," declared DoraStanhope. "He had the face of a sneak. I was going to speak to Dickabout it, and I am sorry now that I didn't."
"I presume we shall have to remain here until you find the houseboat,"came from Mrs. Laning.
"Either here or at the sugar plantation," answered Sam.
"What will you do?"
"I don't know yet--probably go down the river and look for the _Dora_.She is so large they can't hide her very well."
"Maybe the current of the river carried her away and the planter gotscared and left," suggested Songbird. "You'll remember, she brokeaway once before."
"She couldn't break away--she was tied up good and tight," answeredSam, decidedly.
"Well, if you cannot find the houseboat, we'll have to go home fromhere instead of from New Orleans," said Mrs. Stanhope. "That willshorten our trip somewhat but not a great deal. But I hope, for youruncle's sake, that you get his property back."
"We'll do that, or know the reason why," answered Sam.
"What's this trouble about your houseboat?" asked the storekeeper,who had caught part of the conversation.
"It's missing."
"So you said. Too bad!"
"Do you know the planter who had charge of the craft?" went on Sam."He was tall and thin and went by the name of Gasper Pold."
"What, did you leave your boat with that man? You should have knownbetter. Didn't you know Pold was an old lottery sharp?"
"We did not."
"Well, he is, and has cheated many a poor white man and nigger outof his hard-earned savings. He's in bad flavor around here, and someof the citizens were just about to ask him to leave or run the riskof tar and feathers."
"Well, he has left, and taken our houseboat with him," said Sam,bitterly. "What about Solly Jackson, the carpenter who was going todo some repairs for us?"
"Oh, Solly's a fairly good kind, but years ago he used to work thelottery ticket game with Pold. He's an old bachelor and never hasmuch to say about anything."
"Has he any regular shop?"
"Oh, no; he's a come-day-go-day sort of fellow, boards around, andlike that."
"Then he must be in with Gasper Pold," said the youngest Rover."They've cleared out together with our property."
"Hum! Might be so, lad. Have much on board the craft?"
"Yes, a great many things--furniture, a piano, books, and all of ourclothing."
"Hum! Quite a haul--if they can get away with it. Maybe you had betternotify the authorities."
"We certainly will--if we can't find the houseboat," said Sam, andthen, after a few words more with the ladies and the girls, he startedoff to rejoin Tom and Dick, and Songbird Powell went with him.