“You were certainly in hard luck,” said the police captain, who happened to be in charge.  “I’ll do what I can to round these rascals up.”  But nothing came of this, for both Baxter and Flapp left Penwick that very night.

When the Rover boys returned to the houseboat, it was long after midnight, but none on board had gone to bed.  The Stanhopes and Lanings had come back, bringing their friends with them, and all had been surprised to find the Rovers absent.  After remaining on the houseboat a couple of hours the friends had gone home again.

“Something is wrong; I can see it in your looks, Dick,” said Dora, as she came to him.

“Sam, where did you get that hurt on your head?” questioned Grace, in alarm.

“Oh, we had a little trouble, but it didn’t amount to much,” answered the youngest Rover as bravely as he could.

“Yes, but your head is in a dreadful condition.”

“And Tom has a cut over the left eye,” burst in Nellie.  “Oh, you have had a fight of some kind, and I know it!”

“A fight!” cried Mrs. Stanhope.  “Is it possible that you have been fighting?”

“We had a brush with a couple of rascals in Penwick,” said Dick.  “We tried to catch them, but they got away from us.  That is all there is to it.  I’d rather not talk about it,” he went on, seeing that Mrs. Laning also wanted to ask questions.

“Well, you must really be more careful in the future,” said Mrs. Stanhope.  “I suppose they wanted to rob you.”

“They didn’t get the chance to rob us,” put in Tom, and then the Rovers managed to change the subject.  The Stanhopes and the Lanings did not dream that Dan Baxter and Lew Flapp had caused the trouble.  Perhaps, in the light of later events, it would have been better had they been told the truth.

Dick gave orders that the Dora should be moved down the river early the next day, and before the majority of the party were up, Pleasant Hills was left behind.

“I sincerely trust we have seen the last of Baxter and Flapp,” said Sam.

“So do I, Sam,” answered Dick.

“I’d like to meet them and punch their heads good for them,” came from Tom.

After that a week slipped by with very little out of the ordinary happening.  Day after day the houseboat moved down the river, stopping at one place or another, according to the desires of those on board.  The weather continued fine, and the boys and girls enjoyed themselves immensely in a hundred different ways.  All had brought along bathing suits and took a dip every day.  They also fished, and tramped through the woods at certain points along the stream.  One night they went ashore in a field and camped out, with a big roaring fire to keep them company.

“This is the way it was when the cadets went into camp,” said Dick.  “I can tell you, we had lots of sport.”

“It must have been very nice, Dick,” answered Dora.  “Sometimes I wish I was a boy and could go to Putnam Hall.”