out.
“Who did that?” Jim demanded. “Put the lights back on again! Someone went by. Dan, was it you?”
“No, but somebody almost jumped over my head in the dark. I heard him hit the deck below. Get him!” The boys jumped down the steps and ran across the deck, the girls close after them. “I heard a splash!” Trixie called and ran to the rail. “Right over there!” she told Captain Martin, who had hurried out from the lounge.
“You say someone has jumped overboard?” he shouted.
“Yes, sir! If you look right out there, you can see his head bobbing!” Trixie peered into the dark water between ship and shore.
“I can see a dark spot. It isn’t anyone’s head. It’s a buoy. There’s deep water there.”
The searchlight found the spot where Trixie was pointing.
“It is someone swimming,” Trixie insisted. “That dark spot is moving. Can’t you see it?”
“I guess Captain Martin knows a buoy when he sees one, Trixie,” Mart said quickly. “He knows every inch of the channel. Whoever dumped things upside down in your room has to be still on board. Captain Martin will take care of it if you leave it to him.”
“Never mind, Trixie,” Captain Martin said soothingly. “I’ll probably need your help to get to the bottom of this. The maid will put your room to rights. When you’ve taken an inventory, let me know what is missing. I’ll go into it completely tomorrow, before you leave the boat at Cairo. As though I didn’t have enough trouble! A barge broke loose, and that’s why we’re running so close to shore. We have to pull in and tie it up. One more delay, and we won’t get to Cairo till next week! Everyone out on deck!” he told the hands. “We’ve a lot of work to do!”
The Bob-Whites were up at the first tinge of dawn and ready for breakfast with Captain Martin. “I’ve checked with every member of the crew,” he told them. “I can’t find a clue to who might have gone through your things. Did you miss anything?”
“No, but....”
“Yes, Trixie?”
“I honestly don’t think that anyone who belongs on this boat upset our room. Someone did jump into the water and swim to shore. We know that for sure.” The Bob-Whites agreed vigorously. “That guy practically knocked me on the head making for the stairs,” Dan said.
“It couldn’t have been anyone on board,” Captain Martin mused. “I know every single soul on board, and they’re all here. Not since I’ve been captain of the Catfish Princess has there been a stowaway on board. Where could a man hide?”
“I don’t know,” Trixie answered. “But a man did hide somewhere.”
Impressed with her earnestness, Captain Martin said quietly, “It was a buoy you pointed out to me in the water... that is, if we were looking at the same thing. I made every inquiry I could along the shore, over ship-to-shore phone, and again after we tied up to fasten that barge. No one saw anything of a swimmer. I’ll admit there weren’t many people around at that time of night—just two men fishing and a couple more hanging around the levee. None of them had been in the water. It surely puzzles me.”
Trixie looked around her to see if Mrs. Aguilera was within hearing distance. “Before we started singing, we met Mr. Aguilera carrying a tray out of their room, and I asked him if Mrs. Aguilera was tired and he had taken it to her, and—”
“Yes, I know, Trixie. Mrs. Aguilera thought you might remember that and mention it. She explained it to me. When she and her husband came aboard in the early morning to fill the emergency vacancy, they hadn’t had their breakfast. They took some coffee and rolls into their cabin, and they hadn’t had a chance to return the tray to the galley. So, you see, that clue’s out. However, you keep up your detective work, Trixie. The Belden-Wheeler Agency may still come up with the answer. In the meantime, I’ll turn in a report to the office in St. Louis. I’ve had thieves on board
“Who did that?” Jim demanded. “Put the lights back on again! Someone went by. Dan, was it you?”
“No, but somebody almost jumped over my head in the dark. I heard him hit the deck below. Get him!” The boys jumped down the steps and ran across the deck, the girls close after them. “I heard a splash!” Trixie called and ran to the rail. “Right over there!” she told Captain Martin, who had hurried out from the lounge.
“You say someone has jumped overboard?” he shouted.
“Yes, sir! If you look right out there, you can see his head bobbing!” Trixie peered into the dark water between ship and shore.
“I can see a dark spot. It isn’t anyone’s head. It’s a buoy. There’s deep water there.”
The searchlight found the spot where Trixie was pointing.
“It is someone swimming,” Trixie insisted. “That dark spot is moving. Can’t you see it?”
“I guess Captain Martin knows a buoy when he sees one, Trixie,” Mart said quickly. “He knows every inch of the channel. Whoever dumped things upside down in your room has to be still on board. Captain Martin will take care of it if you leave it to him.”
“Never mind, Trixie,” Captain Martin said soothingly. “I’ll probably need your help to get to the bottom of this. The maid will put your room to rights. When you’ve taken an inventory, let me know what is missing. I’ll go into it completely tomorrow, before you leave the boat at Cairo. As though I didn’t have enough trouble! A barge broke loose, and that’s why we’re running so close to shore. We have to pull in and tie it up. One more delay, and we won’t get to Cairo till next week! Everyone out on deck!” he told the hands. “We’ve a lot of work to do!”
The Bob-Whites were up at the first tinge of dawn and ready for breakfast with Captain Martin. “I’ve checked with every member of the crew,” he told them. “I can’t find a clue to who might have gone through your things. Did you miss anything?”
“No, but....”
“Yes, Trixie?”
“I honestly don’t think that anyone who belongs on this boat upset our room. Someone did jump into the water and swim to shore. We know that for sure.” The Bob-Whites agreed vigorously. “That guy practically knocked me on the head making for the stairs,” Dan said.
“It couldn’t have been anyone on board,” Captain Martin mused. “I know every single soul on board, and they’re all here. Not since I’ve been captain of the Catfish Princess has there been a stowaway on board. Where could a man hide?”
“I don’t know,” Trixie answered. “But a man did hide somewhere.”
Impressed with her earnestness, Captain Martin said quietly, “It was a buoy you pointed out to me in the water... that is, if we were looking at the same thing. I made every inquiry I could along the shore, over ship-to-shore phone, and again after we tied up to fasten that barge. No one saw anything of a swimmer. I’ll admit there weren’t many people around at that time of night—just two men fishing and a couple more hanging around the levee. None of them had been in the water. It surely puzzles me.”
Trixie looked around her to see if Mrs. Aguilera was within hearing distance. “Before we started singing, we met Mr. Aguilera carrying a tray out of their room, and I asked him if Mrs. Aguilera was tired and he had taken it to her, and—”
“Yes, I know, Trixie. Mrs. Aguilera thought you might remember that and mention it. She explained it to me. When she and her husband came aboard in the early morning to fill the emergency vacancy, they hadn’t had their breakfast. They took some coffee and rolls into their cabin, and they hadn’t had a chance to return the tray to the galley. So, you see, that clue’s out. However, you keep up your detective work, Trixie. The Belden-Wheeler Agency may still come up with the answer. In the meantime, I’ll turn in a report to the office in St. Louis. I’ve had thieves on board
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