"He is as bad as Paddy's flea," said Dora. "When you put your finger on him, he isn't there."
The houseboat left the town the following afternoon, and the course was now down the Mississippi in the direction of a village called Braxbury, where Mrs. Stanhope had some friends of many years' standing.
"They used to have quite a plantation," said the lady. "If they still have it, we'll have a good chance for a nice time on shore."
"And we can go out for that ride on the prairies," added Sam.
"Want to scalp a few noble red men?" asked Tom, with a wink.
"No red men in mine, Tom. But wouldn't you like an outing of that sort, just for a change?"
"Don't know but what I would. But we couldn't take the girls along very well."
"No, we could leave them with their friends at the plantation."
On the following day it began to rain, and all had to keep to the cabin of the houseboat. At first, the rain came down lightly, but towards noon it poured in torrents. Out on the river the weather grew so thick that they could not see a hundred feet in any direction.
"Better run for the shore and tie up," said Dick to Captain Starr. "We don't want to run the risk of a collision, especially when our time's our own."