The Mystery on the Mississippi

we swim?”
    Bob, startled, turned around and snarled, “Try it! I have a gun for emergencies, and don’t think I won’t use it.”
    Trixie, horrified, looked out to the broad river. It was strangely, suddenly, bare of any water traffic. No boats? Far in the background, she saw white water churning, white water that quickly revealed two Coast Guard patrol boats bearing down on them. Smiles broke out on the faces of the Bob-Whites as Trixie pointed out the boats rapidly closing in.
    Bob had taken his hand from the throttle to turn into a shaded cove. Then, alerted by the sudden silence of the Bob-Whites, he looked around. What he saw galvanized him into furious action. Snarling like a wildcat, he backed up, spun the Comet around, and headed for open water. His runabout, geared for speed, responded immediately. Quick as he was, though, he couldn’t overcome the moments he had lost in reversing. The V of the approaching boats narrowed, plunging Bob’s boat into the only channel he could follow—the one that led toward the nearest city dock.
    “Don’t try any funny business!” one of the Coast Guard seamen shouted. “Put in ahead, where you see that warehouse!”
    Bob, one hand on the throttle, tried to reach below him, where the barrel of a rifle glinted in the afternoon sun. Trixie, seeing his gesture, shouted out, “He has a gun. He’ll use it!”
    The guardsman in the boat nearest the Comet drew his gun, leveled it at Bob’s cold, white face, and said, “One move toward that gun, buddy, and you’ll never handle another one. Keep going!”
    Like most other cornered culprits, Bob lost his resistance quickly. He sagged like a balloon with the air released, kept his hand on the lever, and steered the Comet obediently into the dock. At the guardsman’s command, Jim and Brian threw a line around the timberhead and made the cruiser fast. The guardsmen then commandeered Bob’^ rifle.
    “All right, give me a ticket!” Bob said sullenly. “I suppose that’s what you have in mind.”
    “It was what we had in mind when we first spotted you back there on the river,” the officer said. “A ticket on almost all the counts you could have against you, beginning with no registration number on your boat and ending with reckless steering and endangering lives. It’s a little more now, my friend. You did a good job of resisting back there, so we’ll just go and talk it over at headquarters. Come along, now.”
    The Bob-Whites watched Bob, cursing under his breath, being led off. They were obviously relieved to see him go.
    “Now we’ll see what you kids have to say,” one of the seamen said. “How are you hooked up with him?” He nodded toward Bob’s back.
    A small group of wharf hangers-on had collected, watching. Before any Bob-White could reply, two men stepped out of the crowd. One of them flashed a badge, spoke quietly to the Coast Guard men, and said in a loud voice, “We’ll take over now. We have some questions to ask.”
    The seamen saluted and left.
    “Now, who’ll speak for the group?” one of the men asked.
    Jim started to answer, but Trixie put her hand out to protest. “I think it depends on who is asking the questions.”
    “I think they’re federal agents, Trix,” Dan said quickly. “What do you suppose they want?”
    “We haven’t done anything,” Trixie said quickly. The other Bob-Whites echoed, “Not a thing!”
    “We were stranded in Cairo,” Trixie began, “and Bob—he’s the owner of the Comet —offered us a ride back to St. Louis. You see, we live in New York...
    “That’s enough for now. We’ll find out all the details later. I’d like to see your purse, young lady. May I please have it?”
    Trixie looked wildly at Dan. “Do you know they’re from the government? Are you sure it isn’t another of Lontard’s tricks?”
    The man who asked to see her purse took his identification from his pocket and opened the folder to show it to the Bob-Whites.
    Silently Trixie handed over her purse. The man took the papers from it, quickly glanced at them, then nodded to the other man. “I guess you’ll all have something to talk about at headquarters. You will please come with us.”

    It was a sadly dejected group that waited numbly for Mr. Wheeler and Mr. Brandio to appear at the federal building, where they were being held.
    After lengthy explanations of their identities, they had finally been allowed to make a phone call. When Mr. Wheeler heard Jim’s voice, Jim