“That looks like her!” cried Sam, pointing to a craft behind the trans-Atlantic steamer.

“So it does!” returned Tom.

They made a semi-circle, other boats giving way to the police tug.  But when they got closer to the schooner in question, all the Rover boys uttered a cry of dismay.  It was a craft similar to the Ellen Rodney, but that was all.

“Either we missed her or else the schooner went up the river,” said Dick, at last.

“Looks that way,” returned Tom, with a sigh.

They continued to move up the stream, scanning each shore closely.  They passed numerous boats, but not one that looked like the craft they were after.

“Well, here we are, at the spot where Crabtree and Pelter got aboard,” said Dick, a while later.  “So, either we have missed them, or else the Ellen Rodney went up the river instead of down.”

The boys were much disheartened, for they had thought that the police tug would surely locate the craft and that they would thus be able to come to their father’s rescue.  They scarcely knew what to do next.

“I’ll go up the river a bit further, if you say so,” said the police officer in charge of the tug.

“Perhaps we had better run down first and make another search on our second trip,” suggested Dick.  “I shouldn’t like them to get out into the Bay and give us the slip.”

The tug was turned back, and a little later they reached the vicinity of the Battery once more.  Then began another search up the river, from shore to shore, as before.  But not a trace of the schooner could be found.

“Must have gone up the river,” said the police official.  “We’ll try it for a way and see.”

This they did, the police tug moving from side to side as before.

“This is the end of it, so far as we are concerned,” said the officer in charge of the tug, at last.  “We don’t go up the river any further than this.”

“All right then,” answered Dick, much disheartened.  “I guess the only thing for you to do is to put us ashore.”

“Sorry we couldn’t find that schooner.  Of course, if you’ll make a regular charge against these men we’ll send word up the river to be on the lookout for them.”

“We’ll make the charge,” answered Dick.

The steam tug turned in on the New York City side and the Rover boys went ashore.

“I’ll make the regular charge a little later,” said Dick.  “It may be that I’ll have some men in the city arrested first.”  And then he and his brothers moved off, after receiving instructions from the police official as to what might be best to do.

“Are you going to have Japson arrested?” asked Sam.

“If I can find him.  But I guess he’ll keep out of sight for the present, Sam.  You must remember one thing—­ these rascals only want to keep dad a prisoner for three days.  After that they will let him go—­ and then it will be too late to save that property.”