Danger at the Drawbridge

  CHAPTER 16 _GATHERING CLUES_

  The girls could hear no movement behind them as they darted down thepath. They dared to hope that they had eluded the old gardener.

  Then as they came within sight of the river, Louise stumbled over a vine.Although she stifled an outcry the dull thud of her body against theground seemed actually to reverberate through the forest. A black crow onthe lower limb of an oak tree cawed in protest before he flew away.

  Penny pulled Louise to her feet and they went on as fast as they could,but they knew the sound had betrayed them. Now they could hear the man inpursuit, his heavy shoes pounding on the hard, dry path.

  "Run!" Penny commanded.

  They reached the river bank and looked about for the boat which wouldtake them across. As they had feared it was on the opposite shore.

  Penny gestured frantically, but the boy did not understand the need forhaste. He picked up his oars and rowed toward them at a very deliberatepace.

  "Oh, he'll never get here in time," Louise murmured fearfully. "Shall wehide?"

  "That's all we can do."

  They realized then that they had waited too long. Before they could dodgeinto the deeper thicket the gardener reached the clearing.

  "So it's you again!" he cried wrathfully, glaring at Penny.

  "Please, we didn't mean any harm. We can explain--"

  "This stick is explanation enough for me!" the man shouted, waving itabove his head. "You were trying to find out about the lily pool!"

  "We were only trying to get a pin which I dropped into the water," Louisesaid, backing a step away.

  "I don't believe you!" the man snapped. "You can't fool me! I know whyyou came here, and you'll pay for your folly! You'll never take thesecret away with you!"

  With a swift, animal-like spring which belied his age, the gardenerhurled himself toward the girls. He seized Penny's arm giving it a crueltwist.

  "You're coming along with me," he announced harshly.

  "Let me go!" Penny cried, trying to free herself.

  "You're going with me to the house. You've been altogether too prying.Now you'll take your punishment, both of you."

  The gardener might have managed Penny alone, but he was no match for twoathletic girls. As he tried to seize Louise, Penny twisted free.

  Quick as a flash, she grasped the man's felt hat, jamming it down on hishead over his eyes. While he was trying to pull it off, Louise alsowriggled from his grasp.

  The two girls ran to the water's edge. Their boat had drawn close toshore. Without waiting for it to beach they waded out over their shoetopsand climbed aboard.

  "Don't either of you ever come here again!" the gardener hurled afterthem. "If you do--"

  The rest of the threat was carried away by the wind. However, Penny couldnot resist waving her hand and calling back: "Bye, bye, old timer! We'llbe seeing you!"

  "What's the matter with that man anyhow?" asked the boy who rowed theboat. "Didn't he want you on the estate?"

  "On the contrary, he invited us to remain and we declined," grinnedPenny. "Just temperament, that's all. He can't make up his mind which wayhe would like to have it."

  Allowing the boy to puzzle over the remark, she busied herself pouringwater from her sodden shoes. The visit to the estate had not turned outat all as she had planned. She had failed to talk with Miss Kippenberg,and it was almost certain that from now on servants would keep a muchcloser watch for intruders.

  The only vital information she had gleaned resulted from overhearing theconversation between Sylvia Kippenberg and the gardener.

  "She talked with him as if they were well acquainted," mused Penny. "MissKippenberg must have thought he knew more about Grant Atherwald'sdisappearance than he would tell. And she seems to be afraid the Law willask too many questions. Otherwise, she wouldn't have suggested gettingrid of the alligator."

  One additional observation Penny had made, but she decided not to speakof it until she and Louise were alone.

  The boat reached shore and the two girls stepped out on the muddy bank.

  "Will you need me again?" inquired the boy.

  "I may," said Penny, "and I can't tell you exactly when. Where do youkeep your boat?"

  "Up the river just beyond that crooked maple tree. I hide it in thebushes and I keep the oars inside a hollow log close by. You won't haveany trouble finding it."

  Penny and Louise said goodbye to the lad and scrambled up the bank.

  "I'm sure I'll not be going back to _that_ place," the latter declaredemphatically. "I just wonder what would have happened if we hadn't brokenaway."

  "We might have been locked up in the stone tower," Penny laughed. "Thenanother one of my theories would have proven itself."

  "Oh, you and your theories! You can't make me believe that gardenerdidn't mean to harm us. He was a very sinister character."

  "Sinister is a strong word, Lou. But I'll agree he's not any ordinarygardener. Either he's been hired by the Kippenberg family for a veryspecial purpose or else he's gained their confidence and means to bendthem to his own ends."

  "His own ends! Why, Penny, what do you mean? Have you learned somethingyou haven't told me?"

  "Only this. I'm satisfied Old Peter is no gardener. He's wearing adisguise."

  "Well, what won't you think of next! You've been reading too manydetective stories, Penny Parker."

  "Have I? Then there's no need to tell you--"

  "Yes, there is," Louise cut in. "Your ideas are pretty imaginative, but Ilike to hear them anyway."

  "Considerate of you, old thing," Penny drawled in her best imitation ofan English accent. "You don't deserve to be told after that crack, butI'll do it anyhow. When I pulled the gardener's hat down over his eyes, Ifelt something slip!"

  "Maybe it was his skin peeling off."

  "He wore a wig," Penny said soberly. "That's why he looked so startledwhen I jerked the hat."

  "Did you actually see a wig?"

  "No, but he must have had one on his head. I felt it give, I tell you."

  "I wouldn't put anything past that fellow. But if he isn't a gardener,then who or what is he?"

  "I don't know, but I intend to do some intensive investigation."

  "Just how, may I ask?"

  Penny gazed speculatively toward the drawbridge, noting that the oldwatchman had been deserted by the group of reporters. He sat alone, legscrossed, his camp stool propped against the side of the gearhouse.

  "Let's talk with him, Lou. He might be able to tell us something aboutthe different employees of the estate."

  They walked over to where the old man sat, greeting him with their mostpleasant smiles.

  "Good morning," said Penny.

  The old man finished lighting his pipe before he deigned to notice them.

  "Good morning," repeated Penny.

  "Mornin'," said the watchman. He looked the two girls over appraisinglyand added: "Ain't you children a long ways off from your Ma's?"

  The remark both startled and offended Penny, but instantly she divinedthat the old fellow's memory was short and his eyesight poor. He hadfailed to recognize her in everyday clothes.

  "Oh, we're just out for a hike," she answered. "You see, we get tired ofall the ordinary places, so we thought we would walk by here."

  "We're interested in your bridge," added Louise. "We just love bridges."

  "This one ain't so good any more," the old man said disparagingly.

  "Doesn't it get lonely here?" ventured Louise. "Sitting here all daylong?"

  "It did at first, Miss. But I got used to it. Anyway, it beats leanin' ona shovel for the gov'ment. I got a little garden over yonder a ways. Youought to see my tomatoes. Them Ponderosas is as big as a plate."

  "Do you ever operate the bridge?" Louise inquired, for Penny had not toldher that the structure was still in use.

  "Oh, sure, Miss. That's what I'm here for. But it ain't safe for nothin
'heavier than a passenger car."

  "I'd love to see the bridge lowered." Louise stared curiously up at thetall cantilevers which pointed skyward. "When will you do it next time,Mr.--?"

  "Davis, if you please, Miss. Thorny Davis they calls me. My real name'sThorndyke."

  The old man pulled a large, silver watch from his pocket and consultedit.

  "In about ten minutes now, Mrs. Kippenberg will be comin' back from town.Then we'll make the old hinge bend down agin'."

  "Let's wait," said Louise.

  Penny nodded and then as Thorny did not seem to object, she peeped intothe gear house, the door of which stood half open. A maze of machinerymet her eye--an electric motor and several long hand-levers.

  Presently Thorny Davis listened intently. Penny thought he looked like anold fox who had picked up the distant baying of the pack.

  "That's _her_ car a-comin' now," he said. "I can tell by the sound of theengine. Well, I reckon I might as well let 'er down."

  Thorny arose and knocked the ashes from his corn-cob pipe. He opened thedoor of the gear house and stepped inside.

  "May I see how you do it?" asked Penny. "I always was interested inmachinery."

  "The women will be runnin' locomotives next," Thorny complainedwhimsically. "All right, come on in."

  The old watchman pulled a lever on the starting rheostat of the motorwhich responded with a sudden jar and then a low purr. It increased itsspeed as he pushed the lever all the way over.

  "Now the power's on. The next thing is to drop 'er."

  Thorny grasped one of the long hand-levers and gently eased it forward.There was a grind of gears engaging and the bridge slowly crept down outof the sky.

  Penny did not miss a single move. She noted just which levers thewatchman pulled and in what order. When the platform of the bridge was onan even keel she saw him cut off the motor and throw all the gear backinto its original position.

  "Think you could do 'er by yourself now?" Thorny asked.

  "Yes, I believe I could," Penny answered gravely.

  The old watchman smiled as he stepped to the deck of the bridge.

  "It ain't so easy as it looks," he told her. "Well, here comes the Missuznow and we're all ready for her. Last time she came along I was weedin'out my corn patch and was she mad?"

  As the black limousine rolled up to the drawbridge Penny turned her faceaway so that Mrs. Kippenberg would not recognize her. She need have hadno uneasiness, for the lady gazed neither to the right nor the left. Thecar crept forward at a snail's pace causing the steel structure to shiverand shake as if from an attack of ague.

  "Dear me, I think this bridge is positively dangerous," Louise declared."I shouldn't like to drive over it myself."

  As the old watchman again raised the cantilevers, Penny studied his everymove.

  "For a girl you're sure mighty interested in machinery," he remarked.

  "Oh, I may grow up to be a bridgeman some day," Penny said lightly. "Inotice you keep the gear house locked part of the time."

  "I have to do it or folks would tamper with the machinery."

  The old man snapped a padlock on the door.

  "Now I'm goin' to mosey down to my garden and do a little hoein'," heannounced. "You girls better run along."

  Thus dismissed, Louise started away, but Penny made no move to leave. Sheintended to ask a few questions.

  "Thorny, are you any relation to the Kippenberg's head gardener?" sheinquired with startling abruptness.

  "Am I any relation to that old walrus?" Thorny fairly shouted. "Am I anyrelation to _him_? Say, you tryin' to insult me?"

  "Not at all, but I saw the man this morning, and I fancied I noticed aresemblance. Perhaps you don't know the one I mean."

  "Sure, I know him all right." Thorny spat contemptuously. "New man. Heacts as know-it-all and bossy as if he owned the whole place."

  "Then you don't like him?"

  "There ain't no one that has anything to do with him. He's so good hecan't live like the rest of the servants. Where do you think I seen himthe other night?"

  "I haven't the slightest idea. Where?"

  "He was at the Colonial Hotel, eatin' in the main dining room!"

  "The Colonial is quite an expensive hotel at Corbin, isn't it?"

  "Best there is. They soak you two bucks just to park your feet under oneof their tables. Yep, if you ask me, Mrs. Kippenberg better ask thatgardener of hers a few questions!"

  Having delivered himself of this tirade, Thorny became calm again. Heshifted his weight and said pointedly: "Well, I got to tend my garden.You girls better run along. Mrs. Kippenberg don't want nobody hangin'around the bridge."

  The girls obligingly took leave of him and walked away. But when theywere some distance away, Penny glanced back over her shoulder. She sawThorny down on his hands and knees in front of the gear house. He wasslipping some object under the wide crack of the door.

  "The key to the padlock!" she chuckled. "So that was why he wanted us toleave first. We'll remember the hiding place, Lou, just in case we everdecide to use the drawbridge."