“Now, don’t make a bit of noise, or you’ll be sorry for it,” he fairly hissed, and his manner was so hateful that Dora was thoroughly cowed.

“What’s the next move?” asked Flapp, when he and Baxter were on the outside deck.  He was too weak-minded to take a stand and placed himself entirely under the guidance of his companion.

“Get the houseboat away from the shore and be quick about it,” was the reply.  “Somebody else may be on the way here.”

The order to push off was obeyed, and soon the Dora, caught by the strong current of the river, was moving down the Ohio and away from the vicinity of Skemport.  The mist was now so thick that in a few minutes the shore line was lost entirely to view.

“I must say, I don’t like this drifting in the dark,” said Flapp.  “What if we run into something!”

“We’ve got to take some risk.  I’ll light the lanterns as soon as we get a little further away.  You stand by with that long pole—­in case the houseboat drifts in toward shore again.”

The Dora had been provided with several long, patent sweeps, and for a while both of the young rascals used these, in an endeavor to get the houseboat out into the middle of the river.  In the distance they saw the lights of a steamboat and this was all they had to guide them.

“If we strike good and hard we’ll go to the bottom,” said Lew Flapp.

“Flapp, you are as nervous as a cat.”

“Isn’t it true?”

“I don’t think so.  Most of these boats are built in compartments.  If one compartment is smashed the others will keep her afloat.”

“Oh, I see.”  And after that Lew Flapp felt somewhat relieved.

When the houseboat was well away from Skemport, Dan Baxter walked to the door of the stateroom in which Dora and Nellie had been confined.

“Hullo, in there!” he called out.

“What do you want?” asked Dora, timidly.

“How is that other girl, all right?”

“Ye—­yes,” came from Nellie.  “But, oh!  Mr. Baxter, what does this mean?”

“Don’t grow alarmed.  I’m not going to hurt you in the least.”

“Yes, but—­but—­we don’t want to go with you.”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t help that.  If we let you go ashore you’ll tell the Rovers that we took the houseboat.”—­”

“And is that why you took us along?” questioned Dora.

“Certainly.”

“How far are you going to take us?”

“That depends upon circumstances.  I don’t know yet where or when we will be able to make a landing.”

“It is horrid of you to treat us so.”

“Sorry you don’t like it, but it can’t be helped,” answered Dan Baxter, coolly.  He paused a moment.  “Say, if I unlock that door and let you out will you promise to behave yourselves?”

“What do you mean by that?” questioned Dora.

“I mean will you promise not to scream for help or not to attack myself or Lew Flapp?”