“I guess he is going up to the dock yonder,” Said Tom, while the boys got out.

“Looks like it,” answered Dick.

All left the cab and hurried after Jesse Pelter, who was now all but out of sight.  He passed between two buildings and the boys followed him slowly.

“Wait!” cried Dick presently.  “Look!”

“Why, it’s Crabtree!” exclaimed Sam, as another figure came into view—­ that of a heavily-bearded man with a slouch hat.

“Exactly,” returned Dick.  “Now keep back, or we may spoil everything,” he continued, cautiously.

The three boys saw Pelter and Josiah Crabtree converse earnestly for several minutes.  The man who had escaped from jail pointed to a big bundle he carried and Pelter nodded.  Then both walked slowly across the railroad tracks to a dock jutting out into the Hudson.

At the dock lay a rowboat, with a man who looked like a sailor at the oars.  Pelter and Crabtree climbed down into the boat, which was quickly shoved away.  Then the sailor took up the oars and commenced to row out into the broad river.

“Now we are stumped!” murmured Tom, as he and his brothers watched the departure of the rowboat from behind a shed at the inner end of the dock.

“Let us watch that rowboat as far as we can,” returned Dick.  “I don’t believe they intend to row very far.”

“Maybe they are going to one of the vessels anchored out yonder,” remarked Sam.

“More than likely.”

The sailor was pulling up the stream, close to the shore, and the brothers could watch him with ease.  The tide was running out and the oarsman had all he could do to make any headway.

“If he is going to keep to the shore, we might follow him on foot,” suggested Tom, after several minutes had passed, and while the rowboat was still clearly in view.

“He is turning out now!” cried Dick.  “See, I think he is making for yonder two-masted schooner.”

The rowboat had turned out and in a few minutes more the boys felt certain it was headed for the schooner.

“Oh, if we only had a rowboat!” groaned Tom.

Dick did not reply.  He was watching a steam tug that had come up the river.  A line had been thrown from the tug to the schooner and made fast.

“The steam tug is going to tow her down the river!” exclaimed Sam.  “Oh, Dick, what shall we do?”

“Dad may be on that schooner!” supplemented Tom.

Dick gazed up and down the stream.  A rowboat was coming along, manned by two boys.  Dick gave the lads a hail.

“Hi! want to earn a dollar quick?” he asked.

“How?” questioned both lads, in a breath.

“See that schooner?  We want to get on board of her as quickly as possible.”

“All right—­ but let us see the dollar first,” answered one of the lads, shrewdly.

The rowboat came to the dock and the three Rovers leaped on board.  Dick produced a dollar bill, and the boys commenced to row with all the power at their command.