Although the Queen cruised slowly near the shoal area where Penny had encountered adventure, there was no sign of any small boat. The ferry crept dangerously close to the grass patch.
“Watch ’er like a cat!” Captain Barker warned the helmsman. “Cramp her! Cramp her!”
When the man did not react speedily enough, he seized the wheel and helped spin it hard down. The Queen responded readily, moving into deeper waters.
Satisfied that there were no small boats in the vicinity, Captain Barker, headed upstream toward the Harpers’. Across the water, lights were to be seen on both floors of the two-story river house, but so far as could be discerned, no boats were tied up at the pier or docks.
“The place isn’t deserted, that’s certain,” Penny declared, peering into the wall of darkness. “How long should it take the police to get there?”
“If the radio message we sent was properly transmitted, they should be on their way now,” the captain replied.
Sally, impatient for action, was all for taking a crew and descending upon the house and its occupants. Puffing thoughtfully at his pipe, her father considered the proposal, but shook his head.
“We have no authority to make a search,” he pointed out. “Any such action would make us liable for court action. Just be patient and you’ll see fireworks.”
Knowing that to stand by near the Harpers’ pier would warn the house occupants they were being watched, Captain Barker ordered the Queen to turn downriver toward the main freight and passenger docks.
An excursion boat, the Florence, passed them, her railings lined with women and children who had enjoyed an all-day outing and were returning home. The steamer tied up at the Ninth Street dock and began to disgorge passengers.