"Come back, you minx!" she cried, and caught Dora by the skirt.

"I won't come back! Let me be!" screamed the girl, and tore herself loose, ripping her garment at the same time. Then she started up the dock as swiftly as her trembling limbs would carry her.

But fate was against her, for as she gained the very head of the dock, Bill Goss appeared, followed by Baxter and Mumps.

"Hullo, who's this?" cried the sailor. "The gal, sure as you are born!"

"She is running away!" called out Mrs. Goss. "Stop her!"

"Here, this will never do," roared Dan Baxter. "Come here, Dora Stanhope!" and he made a clutch at her.

Soon the two boys were in pursuit, with the sailor close behind.

Fortunately for the evildoers the spot was practically deserted, so that Dora could summon no a.s.sistance, even though she began to call for help at the top of her lungs.

The girl had covered less than a half-block when Baxter ranged up alongside of her.

"This won't work!" he said roughly. "Come back," and he held her tight.

"Let me go!" she screamed. "Help! Help!"

"Close her mouth!" put in Mumps. "If this keeps on we'll have the police down on us in no time!"

Again his hand was placed over Dora's mouth, while Baxter caught her from behind. Then Goss came up.

"We'll have to carry her," said the former bully of Putnam Hall.

"Take her by the feet."

"Wot's the meanin' o' this?" cried a voice out of the darkness, and the crowd found themselves confronted by a dirty-looking tramp who had been sleeping behind a pile of empty hogsheads.

"Help me!" cried Dora. "Bring the police! Tell them I am Dora Stanhope of Cedarville, and that I--"

She could get no further, for Mumps cut her short.

"Dora Stanhope," repeated the tramp.

"If you forget this, my man," said Baxter, "here's half a dollar for you. This lady is my cousin who is crazy. She just escaped from an asylum."

"T'anks!" came from the tramp, and he pocketed the money in a hurry. Then he ran off in the darkness.

"He's going to tell the police anyway!" cried Goss. "You had better get away from here."

"You are right," responded Mumps. "Hurry up; I don't want to be arrested."

As quickly as it could be done they carried Dora aboard of the yacht and bundled her into the cabin.

"Now keep her there!" cried Baxter to Mrs. Goss. "After we are off you can explain how she got away."

"She hit me with a stick and knocked me down," said the woman glibly. "She shan't get away a second time."

Once again poor Dora found herself a prisoner on board of the _Flyaway_. Then the lines were cast off, the sails set, and they stood off in the darkness, down New York Bay and straight for the ocean beyond.

CHAPTER XX

A LONG CHASE BEGUN

As they journeyed down the Hudson the boys and Martin Harris scanned the river eagerly for some sign of the _Flyaway_.

"It's ten to one she put down a pretty good distance," remarked d.i.c.k. "They wouldn't bring Dora over here unless they were bound for New York or some other place as far or further."

"I believe you," said Tom. "But she may be delayed, and if what Harris says is true the _Searchlight_ ought to make better time than Baxter's craft."

Several miles were covered, when, Sam, who had just come up from the cabin, called attention to a farmer who was ferrying a load of hay across the river.

"If he's been at that sort of work all day he may know something of the _Flyaway_," he suggested.

"We'll hail him, anyway," said Tom. "It won't do any harm, providing we don't lose any time."

So the farmer was hailed and asked if he had seen anything of the craft.

"Waal now, I jest guess I did," he replied. "They war havin'

great times on board of her--a takin' care of that crazy gal."

"A crazy girl!" cried d.i.c.k. "Who said she was crazy?"

"One of the young men. He said she was his sister and had escaped from some asylum. She called to me to help her. But I don't want nuthin' to do with crazy gals. My wife's cousin was out of his head and he cut up high jinks around the house, a-threatenin' folks with a butcher knife."

"That girl was not crazy, though, as it happens," said d.i.c.k coldly. "That villain was carrying her away from home against her will. She was no relation to him."

"By gosh!" The farmer's face fell and he stared at the youth blankly. "You are certain of this?"

"Yes. We are after the crowd now. If we catch them we'll put them in prison, just as sure as you are the greatest greeny we ever met," continued d.i.c.k, and motioned to Harris to continue the journey.

The farmer wanted to "talk back," as the saying is, but could find no words. "Well, maybe I deserved it," he muttered to himself. "I was tuk in, no doubt on't." And he continued to ferry his hay load along.

"Well, we are on the right track, that's one satisfaction," said Tom. "That farmer couldn't have done much against a man and two big boys."

"He could have gone ash.o.r.e and got help," replied d.i.c.k. "But he was so green he took in all that was told to him for simple truth. How Dan Baxter must have laughed over the way his ruse worked!"

"Yes, and Mumps too," added Sam. "Say, we ought to punch their heads well for them when we catch them."

"Let us get our eggs before we cook them," said Tom. "By the way, I'm getting hungry."

"Ditto," came from Harris. "Will you boys see what you can offer? I don't like to leave the tiller, for I know just how to get the best speed out of the _Searchlight_."