Dora and Nellie heard the loud talking after the crashing of the launch into the houseboat and also heard part of what followed.  Both wanted to cry out for assistance, but did not dare, fearing that something still worse might happen to them.

“They might bind and gag us,” said Nellie.  “That Dan Baxter is bad enough to do almost anything.”

“Yes, and from the way Lew Flapp treated Dick, I should think he was almost as wicked as Baxter,” answered her cousin.

The girls wondered who the newcomers on board could be, but had no means of finding out.  Nobody came near them, and at last tired nature asserted itself and both dropped into a troublous doze.

When they awoke it was still dark.  A steam whistle had aroused them.  They looked out of the stateroom window.  It had stopped raining, but the mist was just as thick as ever.

“Oh, if only it would clear up!” sighed Dora.  “Nobody will be able to follow the houseboat in such a mist as this.”

“Where do you think they will take us, Dora?” questioned Nellie.

“Goodness only knows.  Perhaps down the Mississippi, or maybe to the Gulf of Mexico.”

“Oh, Dora, would they dare to do that?” And Nellie’s face grew pale.

Dora shrugged her shoulders by way of reply, and for the time being the cousins relapsed into silence.  Both were thinking of their mothers and of the Rovers.  What had the others said to their strange disappearance?

“It is perfectly dreadful!” cried Nellie, at last, and burst into tears, and Dora followed.  The crying appeared to do them some good and after half an hour they became more at ease.

“We must escape if we possibly can, Nellie,” said Dora.  “We cannot afford to remain a moment longer on this houseboat than is necessary.”

“But how are we going to escape?  It looks to me as if we were out in the middle of the river.”

“That is true.  But both of us can row, and there is a small rowboat on board.  If we could launch that and get away we might escape.”

“Well, I am willing to try it, if you think it can be done.  But we must get out of this stateroom first.”

The two girls listened, but nobody appeared to be anywhere near them.

“I can hear them talking in the kitchen,” said Nellie.  “More than likely they are getting something to eat.”

“I could eat something myself.”

“So could I. But I’d rather get away.”

Both looked for some means of getting out of the stateroom and suddenly Dora uttered a cry of delight.

“Oh, why didn’t I think of it before!”

“Think of what?”

“That key on the hook over there.  It fits the door.”

“Then we can get out!”

“If that other key isn’t on the outside.”

Dora got down and looked through the keyhole.  It was clear and she quickly inserted the key taken from the hook.  It fitted perfectly, and in a second more the door was unlocked.