The Cedar Queen was a little craft and somewhat slow, and the boys fretted a good bit at the long time it took to reach Cayuga.
When they ran into the harbor of the town at the foot of the lake they looked in vain for the Falcon.
"We'll take a sail around," said Captain Lambert; and this they did, continuing the hunt until long after dark.
"It's no use!" groaned Dick. "We've missed her."
It took nearly all the money the boys could scrape up between them to pay off the captain of the tug, and when they had been landed at one of the docks they wondered what they had best do next.
"We've got to stay here over night," said Dick.
"We may as well telegraph to Captain Putnam for cash," and this they did, and put up at one of the hotels.
The place was crowded, for there was a circus in the town and a public auction of real estate had also taken place that day. The boys could get only a small room, but over this they did not complain. Their one thought was of Dora and of the rascals who had carried her off.
"We must get on the track somehow," said Dick. But how, was the question. He could not sleep and after the others had retired took a long walk, just to settle his nerves.
Dick's walk brought him to the lot where the circus had held forth, and for some time he watched the men as they worked under the flaring gasoline torches, packing up what still remained on the grounds. The tent men had to labor like slaves in rolling up the huge stretches of canvas and in hoisting the long poles into the wagons, and he shook his head grimly as he turned away.