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.

"Wait,--until I make sure that nobody is around!" whispered Dora.
She was so agitated she could scarcely speak.

She opened the door cautiously and looked out. Not a soul was in
sight. From the galley came a steady hum of voices and a rattle of
pots and dishes.

"They are too busy to watch us just now--the way is clear," she
whispered. "Come on."

"Let us lock the door behind us, and stuff the keyhole," answered
Nellie. "Then they will think we are inside and won't answer."

This was done, and with their hearts beating wildly the two girls
stole to the end of the houseboat, where lay the small rowboat Dora
had mentioned.

CHAPTER XXVI

THE SEARCH ON THE RIVER

As may be surmised, the news which Dick and Tom had to tell to the
others at the stock farm produced great excitement.

"Dora and Nellie gone!" gasped Mrs. Stanhope. "Oh, Dick, what has
become of them?"

"They must have gotten into some trouble!" cried Mrs. Laning. "You
found no trace of them?"

"We did not," said Tom. "But we tried hard enough, I can assure you."

"Oh, what shall we do?" wailed Mrs. Stanhope, and then she fainted
away, and it was a good quarter of an hour before she could be restored.

All the boys were highly excited, and Sam was for making a search
for the missing houseboat without delay.

"They may have gone on board and Captain Starr may have sailed off
with them," said the youngest Rover. "Remember, he is a queer stick,
to say the least."

"That doesn't explain the screams I heard," said Tom.

"I dink me dot Paxter got somedings to do mit dis," said Hans. "He
vos a rascals from his hair to his doenails alretty!"

"The only thing to do is to make a search," came from Songbird Powell.
"I'm ready to go out, rain or no rain."

They were all ready, and in the end it was decided that all of the
boys should prosecute the hunt, leaving Mrs. Stanhope, Mrs. Laning,
and Grace with the wife of the proprietor of the stock farm. The
proprietor himself, a Kentuckian named Paul Livingstone, said he
would go wit