"I can't afford to miss the excitement," Penny grinned. "Hope you don't mind lending me some of your clothes."
"Of course not, and if you must stay up, you'll need a pair of shoes." Sally found a pair of sandals, which although too large, would serve. After Penny had put them on, she said: "Let's go to the pilot house, because I want you to tell Pop exactly what happened."
"Did you notify police?"
"Pop sent the message. It may take a little while, but police should be at the Harpers' almost anytime now."
"Those men saw me taken aboard this boat," Penny worried. "I'm afraid they'll get away before the police arrive."
The girls climbed to the pilot house where Captain Barker had just turned the wheel over to a helmsman. All members of the crew remained aboard, for with the Queen late on her run, there had been no opportunity as yet to put the men ashore.
"We may need all our hands tonight," Captain Barker predicted. "No telling what may develop. I have one of those feelings."
"Now Pop!" reproved Sally. "The last time you made a remark like that, we smashed a rudder. Remember?"
"Aye, I remember all too well," he rejoined grimly.
Urged by Sally, Penny related everything that had happened at the Harpers', and told of her endurance contest in the grass patch.
"We'll head back that direction and see what's doing," Captain Barker offered to satisfy her. "Maybe we'll catch sight of those rascals in their boats."
Although the Queen cruised slowly near the shoal area where Penny had encountered adventure, there was no sign of any small boat. The ferry crept dangerously close to the grass patch.
"Watch 'er like a cat!" Captain Barker warned the helmsman. "Cramp her! Cramp her!"
When the man did not react speedily enough, he seized the wheel and helped spin it hard down. The Queen responded readily, moving into deeper waters.
Satisfied that there were no small boats in the vicinity, Captain Barker, headed upstream toward the Harpers'. Across the water, lights were to be seen on both floors of the two-story river house, but so far as could be discerned, no boats were tied up at the pier or docks.
"The place isn't deserted, that's certain," Penny declared, peering into the wall of darkness. "How long should it take the police to get there?"
"If the radio message we sent was properly transmitted, they should be on their way now," the captain replied.
Sally, impatient for action, was all for taking a crew and descending upon the house and its occupants. Puffing thoughtfully at his pipe, her father considered the proposal, but shook his head.
"We have no authority to make a search," he pointed out. "Any such action would make us liable for court action. Just be patient and you'll see fireworks."
Knowing that to stand by near the Harpers' pier would warn the house occupants they were being watched, Captain Barker ordered the Queen to turn downriver toward the main freight and passenger docks.
An excursion boat, the Florence, passed them, her railings lined with women and children who had enjoyed an all-day outing and were returning home. The steamer tied up at the Ninth Street dock and began to disgorge passengers.
Then it happened. Penny saw a sudden flash of flame which seemed to come from the hold of the excursion ship. The next instant fire shot from the portholes and began to spread.
Captain Barker gave a hoarse shout which sent a chill down her spine.
"The Florence!" he exclaimed huskily. "Her oil tanks must have exploded! She'll go up like matchwood, and with all those women and children aboard!"
