"I guess she wanted you to help her," said Dick bitterly. Then he continued suddenly: "Have you anything to do just now?" "No; I was going up to Ithaca to look for a tow." "What will you charge to take us down to Cayuga?" The captain of the tug thought for a moment. "Three dollars. It ought to be worth that to find the young lady." "We'll go you," answered Dick promptly. "Swing in and we'll jump aboard." Captain Lambert did as requested, and in a moment more the three Rover boys were on board of the _Cedar Queen_, as the craft was named. The captain proved to be a nice man and became thoroughly interested in the story the lads had to tell. "I hope we spot the rascals," he said. "I'll certainly do all I can for you." The _Cedar Queen_ was a little craft and somewhat slow, and the boys fretted a good bit at the long time it took to reach Cayuga. When they ran into the harbor of the town at the foot of the lake they looked in vain for the _Falcon_. "We'll take a sail around," said Captain Lambert; and this they did, continuing the hunt until long after dark. "It's no use!" groaned Dick. "We've missed her." It took nearly all the money the boys could scrape up between them to pay off the captain of the tug, and when they had been landed at one of the docks they wondered what they had best do next. "We've got to stay here over night," said Dick. "We may as well telegraph to Captain Putnam for cash," and this they did, and put up at one of the hotels. The place was crowded, for there was a circus in the town and a public auction of real estate had also taken place that day. The boys could get only a small room, but over this they did not complain. Their one thought was of Dora and of the rascals who had carried her off. "We must get on the track somehow," said Dick. But how, was the question. He could not sleep and after the others had retired took a long walk, just to settle his nerves. Dick's walk brought him to the lot where the circus had held forth, and for some time he watched the men as they worked under the flaring gasoline torches, packing up what still remained on the grounds. The tent men had to labor like slaves in rolling up the huge stretches of canvas and in hoisting the long poles into the wagons, and he shook his head grimly as he turned away. "No circus life in mine," he mused, "at least, not that part of it." Dick had moved away from the grounds but a short distance when his attention was attracted to the strange movements of two rough-looking individuals who were hurrying off with a third man between them. "I don't want to go, I tell you," the middle man muttered; "I don't want more to drink." "That's all right, Mr. Castor," said one of the other men glibly. "Just have one more glass, that's a good fellow." "I won't take it, so there!" cried the man called Castor. "I know when I've had enough." "You've got to come along with us," put in the third man savagely. "You owe us some money."