“Come on after him!” cried Sam, and away he and Fred went after Baxter, leaving the others to take charge of Flapp, and round up the horse thieves and Sculley.

But Dan Baxter knew what capture meant—­a long term of imprisonment in the future and, possibly, a good drubbing from the Rovers on the spot—­and he therefore redoubled his efforts to escape.

“Follow me at your peril!” he sang out, and then they heard him crashing through the bushes.  Gradually the sounds grew fainter and fainter.

“Where did he go to, Sam?”

“I can’t say,” said Sam.  “We’ll have to organize a regular party to run him down.”

It was an easy matter to make Lew Flapp a prisoner.  Once captured the former bully of the Hall blubbered like a baby.

“It was Dan Baxter led me into it,” he groaned.  “It was all his doings, not mine.”

When Loring, Gouch, and Sculley were confronted by the party the intoxicated evil-doers were in no condition to offer any resistance.  Roundly did they bewail their luck, but this availed them nothing, and without ceremony they were made prisoners, their hands being tied behind them with stout ropes.

“Are you hurt?” asked Dick, of the girls, anxiously.

“Not in the least, Dick,” answered Dora.  “But, oh! how thankful I am that you came as you did!”

“And I am thankful too,” came from Nellie.

“And we are thankful to be on hand,” said Tom.

And the others said the same.

Here let me bring to a close the story of “The Rover Boys on the River.”  The trip had been full of adventures, but it now looked as if all would end happily.

Without loss of time Dora and Nellie were taken care of and the houseboat was put into proper order for use by the Rovers and their friends.

“Dat galley am a mess to see,” said Aleck Pop.  “But I don’t care—­so long as dem young ladies am saved.”

As speedily as possible, messages were sent to the Lanings and to Mrs. Stanhope, carrying the news of the girls’ safety and the recovery of the missing houseboat.  After that Paul Livingstone saw to it that Pick Loring, Hamp Gouch, and their accomplice, Sculley, were turned over to the proper authorities.  For this the whole party received the reward of one thousand dollars, which was evenly divided between them.

“Dot’s der first money I receive playing detecter,” said Hans, when he got his portion.  “Maybe I vos been a regular bolice detecter ven I got old enough, hey?”

Lew Flapp was taken back to New York State, to stand trial for the robbery of Aaron Fairchild’s shop, but through the influence of his family and some rich friends he was let out on bail.  When the time for his trial arrived he was missing.

“He is going to be as bad as Dan Baxter some day,” said Sam.

“Perhaps; but he is more of a coward than Baxter,” answered Dick.

“Wonder where Baxter disappeared to?” came from Tom.