MMA slender moon hung in the night sky as Libby Norstad gazed down from the hotel. In the river below, her father's steamboat lay next to the landing. Dark now except for a lantern near the gangplank, the Christina seemed to be asleep.
MMThen as Libby's eyes grew used to the darkness, a shadow separated from a building off to the right. A second shadow followed, and a third. Without making a sound, three men crept toward the river.
MMAt a warehouse near the Christina they stopped. As silently as they came, the men crept around the building and disappeared.
MMA few minutes later the three men returned. This time they slipped into the deep shadows next to the warehouse. All during that March day in 1857 it had rained, and a large puddle lay between the tall building and the steamboat.
MMTrying to catch even one small movement, Libby peered into the night. Soon clouds blotted out what little moon there was, making it even more difficult to see.
MMJust then Libby heard voices from the sitting room next door. Her father was there, and her aunt. Libby strained to hear.
MM"She's twelve now. She needs a change in her life." That was Pa, and Libby knew he was talking about her. But the rest of his words faded away.
MMWithout making a sound, Libby slipped over to another window. There she was closer to the wall between her bedroom and the sitting room.
MM"Somehow that girl always manages to attract trouble!" That was Auntie Vi speaking.
MMLibby pressed her ear against the wall. At the same time she stared down at the warehouse. Not one movement gave away the three men.
MMThen from somewhere in the night a dog barked. In the next instant the men leaped from the shadows. Breaking into a run, they headed straight for the large puddle between them and the Christina. Long boards lay across the puddle, but the men sloshed through the water with bare feet.

MIn the same moment a boy raced across the Christina's deck. When he reached the oil lantern, he blew out the flame. Sudden darkness hid the men.
MMLibby raised the window and leaned forward, straining to see. What had happened to the men? She felt sure they were trying to board her father's boat.
MMAs Libby wondered if she should warn him, the quiet night seemed to explode. Around the hotel the streets came alive. Instead of one dog barking, there were several.
MMSoon Libby heard dogs enter the street just below her window. Eight or ten men ran close behind with lanterns held high. In their light Libby saw leaping dogs. Yipping with excitement, they strained at their leashes. Bloodhounds!
MMThe dogs sniffed along the side of the warehouse, then followed the trail to the large puddle of water. At first the lead dog sniffed his way onto the boards. Seeming to find no scent, he went back to the edge of the puddle. This time he sniffed his way around it.
MMOn the far side, the bloodhound barked again. As the other dogs joined him, their barking set up howls from dogs all over town.
MMNose to the ground, the lead dog sniffed his way toward the Christina. At the edge of the riverbank he stopped. Looking up at the tall, heavy man who held his leash, the dog barked.
MM"Hey there!" the large man shouted. "You on the Christina!"
MMAs the man held up his lantern, Libby saw that something had changed. The long plank from boat to shore was no longer in place.
MMWhen no one appeared, the man shouted again. "Hey there! I know you're on board! C'mon out!"
MMAround him, the dogs set up an even greater racket. Then a lantern moved slowly across the forward deck. When the person with the lantern held it up, Libby recognized the boy she had seen only minutes before.