CHAPTER XXI

THE DISAPPEARANCE OF THE HOUSEBOAT

Never was a girl more light-hearted than was Dora when in the saddle on the Kentucky thoroughbred. And her cousin was scarcely less elated.

"Let us have a little race, Nellie," cried Dora. "It will be lots of fun."

"Oh, we don't want the horses to run away," answered Nellie.

"I don't think they will run away."

The race was started, and to give the girls a chance, Dick and Tom dropped to the rear. Soon a turn of the road hid the two girls from view.

"Wait a minute--there is something wrong with my saddle," said Tom, a moment later, and he came to a halt and slipped to the ground.

Dick would have preferred going on, but did not wish to leave his brother alone, so he also halted. A buckle had broken and it took some time to repair the damage, so Tom could continue his ride.

"The girls have disappeared," said Dick, on making the turn ahead in the road.

They came to a spot where the road divided into three forks and halted in perplexity.

"Well, this is a nuisance," declared Tom, after scratching his head. "I suppose they thought we were watching them."

"More than likely."

"Which road shall we take?"

"Bless me if I know."

"Well, we can't take all three."

They stared at the hoofprints in the road, but there were too many of them to make anything of the marks.

"Stumped!" remarked Tom, laconically.

"Let us wait a while. Perhaps, when the girls see we are not following, they will turn back."

1. How did the road split?
2. Who is at the split?
3. Do they know each other?
4. How?
5. Who is racing?
6. Whose idea was it?
7. What is Nellie afraid will happen?
8. Does that concern Dora?
9. Who has a problem at the start of the race?
10. What's wrong?
11. on what
12. Does it get fixed?
13. How long did that take?
14. Who had waited on him?
15. Where were their opponents when it was fixed?
16. Which road do they take?
17. What do they hope will happen?
18. How does Tom feel about losing the girls?
19. What does Dora like to do/
20. How does she know Nellie?
1. into three forks
2. Dick and Tom
3. yes
4. They're brothers.
5. Dick, Tom, Nellie, and Dora
6. Dora's
7. the horses will run away
8. no
9. Tom
10. A buckle broke
11. Tom's saddle
12. yes
13. some time
14. Dick
15. they disappeared
16. unknown
17. the girls will turn back
18. it's a nuisance
19. ride horses
20. they're cousins