PLOTTING AGAINST DORA AND NELLIE

“In the first place,” said Dan Baxter, “perhaps we had better give some directions to that man on the launch.”

“What kind of directions?”

“We want to go straight down the river for the present.”

“He’ll take you down.  I told him not to go near either shore.”

“Is he to be trusted?”

“Sure.  He’ll do anything I tell him to.”

“Very well, then, that is settled.  In the second place, tell me if I am right.  You are both wanted for stealing sixteen horses over at a place called Kepples.”

“Who told you we took sixteen horses?”

“I read about it in the papers a couple of days ago.”

“Well, the report is true.  I don’t deny it.”

“You were fleeing from the officers of the law.”

“That’s as straight as shooting,” came from Hamp Gouch.

“If we help you to escape, will you stick by us in a little game we are trying to put through?”

“I will,” answered Pick Loring, promptly.

“So will I,” added Hamp Gouch.  “No game too daring for me either.”

“Well, it’s this way,” continued Dan Baxter.  “Supposing I told you I had a game on that beats horse stealing all to bits.  Would you go in for half of what was in it?”

“Sure.”

“Trust me,” added Gouch.  “Say,” he went on.  “Got any liquor aboard?  This rain is beastly.”

“I guess there is some liquor.  We’ll hunt around and see.”

“Ha!” exclaimed Pick Loring.  “Say, perhaps you don’t know much more about this houseboat than we did about them horses we took.”

“As you just said, I don’t deny it.”

“You and your pard are running off with the boat?” queried Hamp Gouch.

“Yes.”

“Good enough.  We claim a half-interest in the boat.  Don’t that go?”

“That’s pretty cheeky,” returned Lew Flapp.

“Let it go at that, Flapp,” came from Baxter.  “Yes, you can have a half-interest.  But that isn’t our game.”

“What is the game?”

“On board of this houseboat are two girls who are mighty anxious to get back to their families and friends.”

“Run off with ’em, did you?” cried Pick Loring, and now it must be confessed that he was really astonished.

“We carried them off, yes.  And we don’t expect to let them get back home unless we can make considerable money out of it,” continued Dan Baxter.

“Are they rich?”

“They are fairly well-to-do, and they have close personal friends who, I feel sure, would pay a good price to see the girls get home again unharmed.”

“You’re putty young to be runnin’ a game like this,” came from Hamp Gouch.

“Maybe, but I know just what I am doing.”

They walked into the living room, and Lew Flapp made an inspection of the pantry and then of Captain Starr’s private apartment.  As it happened, the captain used liquor, and several bottles were brought out, much to the satisfaction of the horse thieves.