"A fight!" cried Mrs. Stanhope. "Is it possible that you have been fighting?" "We had a brush with a couple of rascals in Penwick," said Dick. "We tried to catch them, but they got away from us. That is all there is to it. I'd rather not talk about it," he went on, seeing that Mrs. Laning also wanted to ask questions. "Well, you must really be more careful in the future," said Mrs. Stanhope. "I suppose they wanted to rob you." "They didn't get the chance to rob us," put in Tom, and then the Rovers managed to change the subject. The Stanhopes and the Lanings did not dream that Dan Baxter and Lew Flapp had caused the trouble. Perhaps, in the light of later events, it would have been better had they been told the truth. Dick gave orders that the _Dora_ should be moved down the river early the next day, and before the majority of the party were up, Pleasant Hills was left behind. "I sincerely trust we have seen the last of Baxter and Flapp," said Sam. "So do I, Sam," answered Dick. "I'd like to meet them and punch their heads good for them," came from Tom. After that a week slipped by with very little out of the ordinary happening. Day after day the houseboat moved down the river, stopping at one place or another, according to the desires of those on board. The weather continued fine, and the boys and girls enjoyed themselves immensely in a hundred different ways. All had brought along bathing suits and took a dip every day. They also fished, and tramped through the woods at certain points along the stream. One night they went ashore in a field and camped out, with a big roaring fire to keep them company. "This is the way it was when the cadets went into camp," said Dick. "I can tell you, we had lots of sport." "It must have been very nice, Dick," answered Dora. "Sometimes I wish I was a boy and could go to Putnam Hall." "Not much! I'd rather have you a girl!" declared Dick, and in the dark he gave her hand a tight squeeze. During those days Dick noticed that Captain Starr acted more peculiar than ever. At times he would talk pleasantly enough, but generally he was so close-mouthed that one could scarcely get a word out of him. "I believe he is just a wee bit off in his upper story," said the oldest Rover. "But I don't imagine it is enough to count." "If he had any ambition in him he wouldn't be satisfied to run a houseboat," said Tom. "It's about the laziest job I know of." The Monday after this talk found the _Dora_ down the Ohio as far as Louisville. To avoid the falls in the stream, the houseboat had been taken through the canal, and during the middle of the afternoon was taken down the stream a distance of perhaps eighteen miles, to Skemport,--so named after Samuel Skem, a dealer in Kentucky thoroughbreds.