"You've had enough. Now get up and hustle round, if you want some breakfast. I'll go up and dress the little girl."
Mrs. Springer went upstairs, but came down again two steps at a time, in a state of high excitement.
"Joe," said she, quickly, "the little gal's gone!"
"What?"
"The little gal's gone! Run out and see if you can't catch her. If we lose her, we lose fifty dollars!"
"Are the boys all right?"
"Yes; the door is bolted. They couldn't get out."
This was true. Bob had taken the precaution to lock the door, after leaving the room. For this reason, it was half an hour later before Joe discovered that all his prisoners had escaped. Then, as might have been expected, there was a wild scene of recrimination, ending in a fight, in which Mrs. Springer did her part, for she was by no means a weak or delicate lady, but a woman without fear, who believed in the right of self-defense. The worthy pair instituted a search throughout the village, but failed to discover any trace of the lost children. The next morning, however, Joe Springer got up unusually early, for him, and strolled to the steamboat-landing. The boat was already out in the stream, when on the deck he discovered Maud and the two boys.
"Stop the boat!" screamed Joe, in excitement.
"What's the matter?" asked the man beside him.