CHAPTER I 

ON THE HOUSEBOAT 

"Say, Tom, what's that big thing coming down the river?" 

"I'm sure I don't know, Sam. It's big enough to be a house." replied Tom Rover. 

"Maybe it is a house," came from Dick Rover, who was standing beside his brothers on the rear deck of the houseboat which was taking them down the Mississippi River. 

"A house?" broke in a distinctly German voice. "Did you mean to said dere vos a house floating der rifer town, Dick Rofer?" 

"Why not, Hansy, my boy?" replied fun-loving Tom Rover, before his big brother could answer. "Hasn't a house got a right to take a float if it wants to? Perhaps it's out for its health." 

"Ach, you vos choking, Tom!" cried Hans Mueller. "Of a house been der rifer on, dere peen somedings wrong mit him alretty." 

"It's a lumber raft, Hans," said Dick. "And a whopping big one, too," he added, as he took another look at the object that was approaching the houseboat. 

"Hope it doesn't give us such a close shave as that raft we met two days ago," said Sam anxiously. "I was almost certain they were going to run into us." 

"They have got no business to run so close to this houseboat," grumbled Tom. "They know well enough that we can't turn out of our course very well. I think some of those lumbermen are the toughest kind of citizens." 

"If they get too close, I'll shout a warning through the megaphone," went on Dick, after a brief pause. "It certainly does look as if they intended to crowd us," he continued anxiously. 
What was it they saw in the disatance
What did they think it was?
What were they on when they saw it?
And where was it?
Who was first to suggest what it might be?
Who was first to agree with him?
Did anyone doubt the were right?
Who disagreed?
What was Tom's relation to Dick?
Who was older?
What was Sam's mood?
Why ?
Who tried to calm his fears?
A lumber raft.
"It's a lumber raft, Hans," said Dick. 
A house
"Maybe it is a house," came from Dick Rover
A houseboat
"Maybe it is a house," came from Dick Rover, who was standing beside his brothers on the rear deck of the houseboat which was taking them down the Mississippi River. 
the Mississippi River.
the houseboat which was taking them down the Mississippi River. 

Tom Rover
"I'm sure I don't know, Sam. It's big enough to be a house." replied Tom Rove
Dick Rover
"Maybe it is a house," came from Dick Rover
Yes
"A house?" broke in a distinctly German voice. "Did you mean to said dere vos a house floating der rifer town, Dick Rofer?" 
Hansy
"Why not, Hansy, my boy?" replied fun-loving Tom Rover, 
His brother.
Maybe it is a house," came from Dick Rover, who was standing beside his brothers 
unknown
unknown
Anxious.
"Hope it doesn't give us such a close shave as that raft we met two days ago," said Sam anxiously. 
He feared they would run in to them.
"Hope it doesn't give us such a close shave as that raft we met two days ago," said Sam anxiously. "I was almost certain they were going to run into us." 
Dick
"If they get too close, I'll shout a warning through the megaphone," went on Dick