Fortunately for the girls, the breakfast brought to them was quite fair and there was plenty of it. They ate sparingly, resolved to save what was left until later in the day.
"He may not bring us anything more," said Dora. "Perhaps I did wrong to shut the door on his nose."
"You did just right, Dora," answered her cousin, promptly. "I think he and Baxter are horrid!"
"But they have us in their power, and have some men to aid them, too!"
"I wonder who those men can be?"
"I do not know, but they are very rough. I suppose they would do almost anything for money. They smell strongly of liquor."
Slowly the time went by. They tried to look out of the stateroom window, but Dan Baxter had placed a bit of canvas outside in such a position that they could see nothing.
"They do not want us to find out where they are taking us," said
Dora, and her surmise was correct.
Night was coming on once more when they felt a sudden jar of the houseboat, followed by several other jars. Then they heard a scraping and a scratching.
"We have struck the bottom and are scraping along some trees and bushes," said Nellie. "Where can we be?"