"I move we make a swift run down the river for a distance of twenty or thirty miles," came from Tom. "We can go down on one side and come up the other, and keep the spyglass handy, so that nothing that can be seen escapes us."
The matter was discussed a few minutes and it was decided to follow Tom's suggestion. Additional coal had been taken on and soon the steam tug was flying down the river under a full head of steam, causing not a little spray to fly over the forward deck.
"Say, dot pow ist like a fountain," was Hans' comment, after he had received an unexpected ducking. "I shall sit py der pack deck after dis;" and he did.
So far Captain Starr had said but little during the pursuit, but now he began to show signs of interest.
"Let me lay my hands on the villains who tied me fast in that stable and I shall teach them a lesson they will not forget in a hurry," said he, bitterly. "They made a fool of me."
"That's what they did, captain," said Sam. "Still, they might have imposed upon anybody."
"I've been thinking of something. You'll remember about those two horse thieves?" went on the captain of the houseboat.
"To be sure."
"Couldn't it be possible that they got on the Dora too?"
"It's possible." Sam mused for a moment. "That sailboat story might have been a fake."