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 Dick. "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 Dick. "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 Dick 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 Dick, 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 ashore and got help," replied Dick. "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!"