oldest Rover.

Once more Tom set off. But he had pushed his horse so fast before the
animal was now tired and had to take his time in traveling.

The third road led down to the river front, and before a great while
the water's edge was reached. Here there were numerous bushes and trees
and the road turned and ran some distance along the bank.

"Well, I'm stumped and no mistake," murmured the fun-loving Rover, "I
felt sure--"

He broke off short, for a distance scream had reached his ears.

"Was that Nellie's voice?" he asked himself, and then strained his
ears, for two more screams had reached him. "Nellie, and Dora too, as
sure as fate!" he ejaculated. "Something has happened to them! Perhaps
those horses are running away!"

He hardly knew how to turn, for the trees and bushes cut off his view
upon every side. He galloped along the road, which followed the
windings of the Ohio. But try his best he could locate neither girls
nor horses.

It was maddening, and the cold sweat stood out upon Tom's forehead.
Something was very much wrong, but what was it?

"Nellie! Dora! Where are you?" he called out. "_Where are you?_"

Only the faint breeze in the trees answered him.

"I've got to find them!" he groaned. "I've got to! That is all there is
to it." He repeated the words over and over again. "What will Mrs.
Laning and Mrs. Stanhope say, and Grace?"

Again he went on, but this time slower than before, looking to the
right and the left and ahead. Not a soul was in sight. The road was so
cut up he could make nothing of the hoofmarks which presented
themselves.

"This is enough to drive one insane," he reasoned. "Where in the world
did they go to? I'd give a thousand dollars to know."

At last he reached a point where the road ran close to the water's
edge. He looked out on the river. Only a distant steamboat and a small
sailboat were in view.

"Wonder if they rode down to where we left the houseboat?" he asked
himself. "She must be somewhere in this vicinity. Maybe they have only
been fooling us."

Although Tom told himself this, there was no comfort in the surmise. He
moved on once more. It was now growing dark and there were signs of a
coming storm in the air.

At last he reached a spot which looked somewhat familiar to him. He
came down to the water's edge once more.

"Why--er--I thought the houseboat was here," he said, half aloud. "This
looks like the very spot."

But no houseboat was there, and scr