The Rover Boys Series. Stratemeyer Edward

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ Table of Contents

      "Now we are in a pickle!" whispered Mumps. "That man may cause us a whole lot of trouble."

      "You let me do the talking," answered Dan Baxter. "Help Goss get her back to the cabin."

      "I won't go back!" screamed Dora. "Let me be!" And she ran for the rail.

      But Mumps caught hold of her and dragged her back. Then Bill Goss approached, followed by his wife.

      "You must go below, miss," said the sailor. "Come, Nancy, give us a lift."

      Poor Dora found herself at once surrounded and shoved back. She tried to call out again, but Mumps checked her with that ever-ready hand of his.

      "Be careful!" shouted Baxter, for the benefit of the man on the flatboat. "Treat her with care, poor girl!"

      "All right," grinned Mumps. "Come, down you go," he went on, to Dora, and literally forced her down the companionway.

      Once in the cabin she was left in Mrs. Goss' care. The door was locked, and Goss and Mumps went on deck to learn what Baxter was doing.

      "What does this mean?" asked the man in the flatboat. He was a farmer, who had just been taking a load of hay across the stream.

      "Oh, it's all right," answered Baxter carelessly. "That's my sister."

      "Your sister?"

      "Yes."

      "What's the row?"

      "No row at all — excepting that I am trying to get her back to the asylum."

      "Is she crazy?"

      "A little bit; but not near as bad as she used to be. She got out of the asylum in Brooklyn yesterday, and I've had my hands full trying to get her back. She imagines she is a sea captain and always runs off with my uncle's yacht."

      "I see. That's putty bad for your family."

      "Oh, yes; but we are getting used to it. Take care, we are going to swing around."

      Never suspecting that he had been regaled with a string of falsehoods, the farmer let go with his boathook, and yacht and flatboat speedily drifted apart.

      It was with a big sigh of relief that Dan Baxter saw the flatboat recede in the distance.

      "That was a narrow shave," he muttered. "If that fellow had insisted on talking to Dora there might have been a whole lot of trouble."

      In vain Dora waited for the man to come on board. He had said that he would do what he could for her. Surely he would not desert her!

      But as the time slipped by her heart failed her and she gave herself up to another crying spell. This caused Mumps and Goss to withdraw, and she was left alone again with Mrs. Goss.

      "Where are we now?" she asked at length.

      "We are approaching New York," was the answer.

      "And that man, what of him?"

      "Oh, he didn't come on board."

      It was night when the Flyaway came to a landing near the upper portion of the metropolis.

      The boys and Bill Goss went ashore, leaving Dora in Mrs. Goss' care.

      "Be careful and don't let her escape," cautioned Dan Baxter. "We won't be gone very long."

      Baxter had left for a telegraph office, expecting to receive a message from Josiah Crabtree.

      For half an hour Mrs. Goss sat in the cabin watching Dora, who was pacing the floor impatiently.

      "Make yourself comfortable, miss," said the woman. "It won't do you any good to get all worked up over the matter."

      "You do not understand my situation, Mrs. Goss," faltered Dora. "If you did understand I am sure you wouldn't keep me a prisoner in this fashion."

      "I am only obeying orders, miss. If I didn't my Bill would almost kill me."

      "Is he so harsh to you?"

      "He is now. But he didn't used to be — when he didn't drink."

      "Then he drinks now?"

      "Yes; twice over what is good for him."

      "Where have they gone?"

      "To a telegraph office."

      "Didn't they say they would be back soon?"

      "Yes."

      Dora said no more, but sank down on the couch. Then an idea came to her mind, and lying back she closed her eyes and pretended to go to sleep.

      The woman watched her closely for a while; then, satisfied that the girl had really dropped off, gave a long sigh of relief.

      "I guess I can get a little sleep myself," she muttered. "I think I deserve it."

      She locked the cabin door carefully and placed the key in her pocket.

      Then she stretched out in an easy chair with her feet on a low stool.

      Dora watched her out of the corner of her eyes as a cat watches a mouse.

      Was the woman really sleeping?

      Soon Mrs. Goss' breathing became loud and irregular.

      "She must be asleep," thought Dora, and stirred slightly.

      Mrs. Goss took no notice of this, and with her heart in her throat the girl slipped noiselessly from her resting place and stood up.

      Still the woman took no notice, and now Dora found herself confronted by a most difficult task.

      Without the key to the cabin door she could do nothing, and how to obtain the much coveted article was a problem.

      With trembling hands she sought the pocket of Mrs. Goss' dress only to find that the woman was sitting on the key!

      "Oh, dear, this is the worst yet!" she murmured.

      As she stood in the middle of the cabin in perplexity, her captor gave a long sigh and turned partly over in her chair.

      The pocket was now free and within easy reach, and with deft fingers Dora drew the key forth and tiptoed her way to the cabin door.

      She was so agitated that she could scarcely place the key in the keyhole.

      The lock had been used but seldom, and the action of the salt air had rusted it greatly.

      As the key turned there was a grating sound, which caused Mrs. Goss to awaken with a start.

      "What's the matter? Who is there?" she cried, and turned around to face the cabin door. "Come back here! СКАЧАТЬ