Behind the Green Door

  CHAPTER 5 _OVER THE BARBED WIRE_

  Mrs. Downey laughed at Penny's remark, not taking it very seriously.

  "I wish someone could uncover damaging evidence against Harvey Maxwell,"she declared. "But I fear he's far too clever a man to be caught inanything dishonest. Sometime when you're in the mood to hear a tale ofwoe, I'll tell you how he is running things at Pine Top."

  "I'd like to learn everything I can about him," responded Penny eagerly.

  Mrs. Downey led the girl across the field to the road where the bob-sledand team of horses had been hitched. Jake, the handy man, appeared amoment later, loaded down with skis and luggage. Maxine Miller, Francine,and a well-dressed business man soon arrived and were helped into thesled.

  "This is unique taxi service to say the least," declared Francine, nonetoo well pleased. "It must take ages to get up the mountain."

  "Not very long," replied Mrs. Downey cheerfully.

  Jake drove, with the hotel woman and her guests sitting on the floor ofthe sled, covered by warm blankets.

  "Is it always so cold here?" shivered Miss Miller.

  "Always at this time of year," returned Mrs. Downey. "You'll not mind itin a day or two. And the skiing is wonderful. We had six more inches ofsnow last night."

  Penny thoroughly enjoyed the novel experience of gliding swiftly over thehard-packed snow. The bobsled presently passed a large rustic building atthe base of the mountain which Mrs. Downey pointed out as the Fergushotel.

  "I suppose all the rich people stay there," commented Miss Miller. "Doyou know if they have a guest named David Balantine?"

  "The producer? Yes, I believe he is staying at the Fergus hotel."

  At the next bend Jake stopped the horses so that the girls might obtain aview of the valley.

  "Over to the right is the village of Pine Top," indicated Mrs. Downey."Just beyond the Fergus hotel is the site of an old silver mine,abandoned many years ago. And when we reach the next curve you'll be ableto look north and see into Canada."

  A short ride on up the mountain brought the party to the Downey Lodge, asmall but comfortable log building amid the pines. On the summit of aslope not far away they could see the figure of a skier, poised for aswift, downward flight.

  Mrs. Downey assigned the guests to their rooms, tactfully establishingPenny and Francine at opposite ends of a long hall.

  "Luncheon will be served at one o'clock," she told them. "If you feelequal to it you'll have time for a bit of skiing."

  "I believe I'll walk down to the village and send a wire to Dad," saidPenny. "Then this afternoon I'll try my luck on the slopes."

  "Just follow the road and you'll not get lost," instructed Mrs. Downey.

  Penny unpacked her suitcase, and then set forth at a brisk walk for thevillage. She found the telegraph station without difficulty anddispatched a message to her father, telling him of Harvey Maxwell'spresence in Pine Top.

  The town itself, consisting of half a dozen stores and twice as manyhouses, was soon explored. Before starting back up the mountain Pennythought she would buy a morning newspaper. But as she made inquiry at adrug store, the owner shook his head.

  "We don't carry them here. The only papers we get come in by plane.They're all sold out long before this."

  "Oh, I see," said Penny in disappointment, "well, next time I'll try tocome earlier."

  "I beg your pardon," ventured a voice directly behind her. "Allow me tooffer you my paper."

  Penny turned around to see that Ralph Fergus had entered the drugstore intime to hear her remark. With a most engaging smile, he extended his ownnewspaper.

  "Oh, I don't like to take your paper," she protested, wishing to acceptno favor however small from the man.

  "Please do," he urged, thrusting it into her hand. "I have finished withit."

  "Thank you," said Penny.

  She took the paper and started to leave the store. Mr. Fergus fell intostep with her, following her outside.

  "Going back up the mountain?" he inquired casually.

  "Yes, I was."

  "I'll walk along if you don't mind having company."

  "Not at all."

  Penny studied Ralph Fergus curiously, fairly certain he had a specialreason for wishing to walk with her. For a time they trudged along insilence, the snow creaking beneath their boots.

  "Staying at the Downey Lodge?" Fergus inquired after awhile.

  "Yes, I am."

  "Like it there?"

  "Well, I only arrived on the morning plane."

  "Yes, I noticed you aboard," he nodded. "Mrs. Downey is a very finewoman, a very fine woman, but her lodge isn't modern. You noticed that, Isuppose?"

  "I'm not especially critical," smiled Penny. "It seemed to suit myneeds."

  "You'll be more critical after you have stayed there a few days," hewarned. "The service is very poor. Even this little matter of getting amorning newspaper. Now our hotel sees that every guest has one shovedunder his door before breakfast."

  "That would be very nice, I'm sure," remarked Penny dryly. "You're themanager of the hotel, aren't you?"

  Ralph Fergus gave her a quick, appraising glance. "Right you are," hesaid jovially. "Naturally I think we have the finest hotel at Pine Topand I wish you would try it. I'll be glad to make you a special rate."

  "You're very kind." It was a struggle for Penny to keep her voice casual."I may drop around sometime and look the hotel over."

  "Do that," he urged. "Here is my card. Just ask for me and I'll show youabout."

  Penny took the card and dropped it into her pocket. A few minutes lateras they passed the Fergus hotel, her companion parted company with her.

  "He thought I was an ordinary guest at Mrs. Downey's," Penny toldherself. "Otherwise, he never would have dared to make such an open bidfor my patronage."

  Upon returning to the lodge she told Mrs. Downey of her meeting withRalph Fergus.

  "It doesn't surprise me one bit," the woman replied angrily. "Fergus hasbeen using every method he can think of to get my guests away from me. Hehas runners out all the time, talking up his hotel and talking minedown."

  Penny sat on the edge of the kitchen table, watching Mrs. Downey stir agreat kettle of steaming soup.

  "While I was coming here on the plane I heard Fergus and Maxwell speakingabout you."

  "You did, Penny? What did they have to say? Nothing good, I'll warrant."

  "I couldn't understand what they meant at the time, but now I think I do.They said that nothing stood in their way except your place. Maxwelldeclared he would soon take care of you, and that he was on his way toPine Top to show Fergus how such affairs were handled."

  Mrs. Downey kept on stirring with the big spoon. "So the screws are to betwisted a bit harder?" she asked grimly.

  "Why do they want your place?" Penny inquired.

  "Because I take a few of their guests away from them. If my lodge closedup they could raise prices sky high, and they would do it, too!"

  "They offered me a special rate, whatever that means."

  "Fergus has been cutting his room rents lately for the sole purpose ofgetting my customers away from me. He makes up for it by charging threeand even four dollars a meal. The guests don't learn that until afterthey have moved in."

  "And there's nothing you can do about it?"

  Mrs. Downey shook her head. "I've been fighting with my back to the wallthis past season. I don't see how I possibly can make it another year.That is why I wanted you and your father to visit here before I gave upthe place."

  "Dad might have helped you," Penny said regretfully. "I'm sorry he wasn'table to come."

  At one o'clock Mrs. Downey served a plain but substantial meal tofourteen guests who tramped in out of the snow. They called loudly forsecond and third helpings which were cheerfully given.

  After luncheon Penny sat for a time about the crackling log fire and thenshe went to her room and changed int
o her skiing clothes.

  "The nursery slopes are at the rear of the lodge," Mrs. Downey told heras she went out through the kitchen. "But you're much too experienced forthem."

  "I haven't been on skis for nearly two years."

  "It will come back to you quickly."

  "I thought I might taxi down and look over the Fergus hotel."

  "The trail is well marked. Just be careful as you get about half waydown. There is a sharp turn and if you miss it you may find yourselfwrapped around an evergreen."

  Penny went outside, and buckling on her skis, glided to the top of a longslope which fell rather sharply through lanes of pine trees to the widevalley below. As she was studying the course, reflecting that the crustedsnow would be very fast, Francine came out of the lodge and stoodwatching her.

  "What's the matter, Penny?" she called. "Can't you get up your nerve?"

  Penny dug in her poles and pushed off. Crouching low, skis runningparallel, she tore down the track. Pine trees crowded past on either sidein a greenish blur. The wind whistled in her ears. She jabbed her polesinto the snow to check her speed.

  After the first steep stretch, the course flattened out slightly. From acautious left traverse, a lifted stem turn gave her time to concentrateher full attention on the route ahead. She swerved to avoid a boulderwhich would have broken her ski had she crashed into it, and rode out aseries of long, undulating hollows.

  Gathering speed again, Penny made her decisions with lightning rapidity.There was no time to think. Confronted with a choice of turns, she chosethe right hand trail, slashing through in a beautiful christiana. Toolate, she realized her error.

  Directly ahead loomed a barbed wire fence. There was no opportunity toturn aside. Penny knew that she must jump or take a disastrous fall.

  Swinging her poles forward, she let them drop in the snow close to herski tips. Crouching low she sprang upward with all her strength. Thesticks gave her leverage so that she could lift her skis clear of thesnow. Momentum carried her forward over the fence.

  Penny felt the jar of the runners as they slapped on the snow. Then shelost her balance and tumbled head over heels.

  Untangling herself, she sat up and gazed back at the barbed wire fence.

  "I wish all my friends at Riverview could have seen that jump!" shethought proudly. "It was a beauty even if I did land wrong side up."

  A large painted sign which had been fastened to the fence, drew herattention. It read: "Skiers Keep Out."

  "I wonder if that means me?" remarked Penny aloud.

  "Yes, it means you!" said an angry voice behind her.

  Penny rolled over in the snow, waving her skis in the air. She drew inher breath sharply. An old man with a dark beard had stepped from theshadow of the pine trees, a gun grasped in his gnarled hands!