Guilt of the Brass Thieves

  CHAPTER 14 _TRAPPED_

  Jack had little to say about the theft as he and Penny returned to theGandiss home. However, after lunch he offered to go to his father'sfactory to learn the identity of the employee who had lost the badgeaboard the _River Queen_.

  "Want to come along?" he invited.

  Ordinarily, Penny would have welcomed the opportunity, but rememberingthat Sally had wished to see her, she regretfully turned down theinvitation.

  "I'll ride across the river if you don't mind," she said. "I have anerrand in town."

  By this time Penny was familiar with the daily route of the _River Queen_and knew where it would dock to pick up and unload passengers. Sally, shefelt certain, would be aboard, expecting her.

  They crossed the river in the motorboat, making an appointment to meetagain at four o'clock. After Jack had gone, Penny set off for the _RiverQueen's_ dock where a sizable group of passengers awaited the ferry.

  Soon the _Queen_ steamed in, her bell signaling a landing. Passengerscrowded the railing, eager to be the first off. A crewman stood at thewheel, and Sally was nowhere to be seen.

  As the boat brushed the dock, sailors leaped off to make fast to the dockposts. Captain Barker, annoyed because the passengers were pushing,bellowed impatient orders to his men: "All right, start that gangplankforward! Lively! Are you going to sleep over it all day?"

  Then, seeing Penny, he raised his hand in friendly greeting.

  "Is Sally aboard?" she called to him.

  "No, she went up the shore a ways--didn't say where," the captainreplied, waving his hand upriver. "Ought to be back here any minute."

  Sally, however, did not appear, and the _Queen_ pulled away without her.Penny loitered on the dock for twenty minutes. The sun was hot and withnothing to do, time lay heavy upon her. It lacked a half hour before the_River Queen_ would return, and fully two hours before she was due tomeet Jack. For lack of occupation, she walked upriver along the docks.

  Buildings were few and far between. There were several fish houses, aboat rental place and the half-deserted amusement park. The beach beyondmade easy walking, so Penny kept on. With quickening interest she sawthat she was approaching a two-story building which appeared to stand onstilts over the water. Close by was a large, smoothly cemented area withoverhead lights.

  "That's the Harper place!" Penny recognized it. "With the dance areaadjoining."

  She moved on along the beach. Drawing closer to the building, she passeda clump of bushes fringing the sand. The leaves stirred slightly thoughthere was no breeze. Penny failed to notice the movement.

  But as she passed the bushes, a hand reached out and grasped her ankle.

  Startled, Penny uttered a nervous cry.

  "Be quiet, you goon!" a familiar voice bade.

  It was Sally Barker crouched amid the foliage. Quickly she pulled Pennywith her behind the bushes.

  "Sally, what are you doing here?" Penny demanded.

  "Watching that house. I saw you a long way down the beach."

  "Anything doing?"

  "A boat is coming in now. That's why I didn't want you to be seen."

  A rowboat with an outboard, rapidly approached the Harper pier. Alreadyit was making a wide sweep preparatory to a landing.

  "Why, it's that fellow, Joe the Sweeper!" Penny exclaimed, peering outfrom the hiding place. "Who is steering the boat?"

  "Claude Harper," Sally revealed. "Ma Harper's husband."

  "Wonder what Joe would be doing here?"

  "That's what I'd like to know myself," Sally returned grimly. "Joe isn'tas stupid as he's given credit for being. He's crafty and mean, and beingmixed up with the Harpers is no recommendation."

  While the girls watched, the boat landed. The two men tied up the craft,and removing a burlap sack which apparently was filled with somethingheavy, carried it into the two-story house.

  "I wish we knew what they brought here," Penny said. "Why not try to findout?"

  "How?"

  "Couldn't we sneak up to the house and peek in one of the windows?"

  "We might be caught."

  "True, but we'll learn nothing more here."

  Debating a moment, the girls emerged from their hiding place. To reachthe house they were compelled to cross an open stretch of beach. However,no one was to be seen outside the dwelling and their arrival appeared toattract no notice of anyone inside.

  "How about that window at the east side?" Penny suggested.

  The one she pointed out was half screened by bushes and at a level whichwould permit them to peer inside.

  "Okay," agreed Sally, "but I'd hate to be caught at this business. TheHarpers hate me and they would be mighty unpleasant if they came upon ussnooping."

  "What a harsh word!" chuckled Penny. "All this comes under the heading ofinvestigation! The only difference is that Mr. Gandiss' detectives arepaid and we aren't."

  "If I could get the brass lantern back that would be pay enough for me,"Sally returned.

  Creeping to the window, the girls cautiously peeped into the house. Thepanes were so dirty it was hard to see inside. But they were able todistinguish three persons sitting at a living room table. Papers werespread out before them, and they were adding figures. There was no signof the sack which had been carried into the house.

  "Who are they?" Penny asked her companion.

  "Joe the Sweeper, Ma Harper and her husband. Another woman is coming intothe room now. But she's only a stupid houseworker Ma hires by the week."

  Sally moved backwards, intending to give Penny her place at the window.Inadvertently, she stepped on a stick which broke in two with a snap.Though the sound was not loud, it apparently was heard by those insidethe house.

  For immediately Claude Harper shoved back his chair and started towardthe window.

  "What was that?" the girls heard him mutter. "I thought I heard someoneoutside."

  "Quick! Crouch down or he'll see us!" Penny warned, pulling Sally to theground.

  Claude Harper, a sallow-faced man in dirty leather jacket, appeared atthe window. To the alarm of the girls, he thrust up the sash. In plainview, should he peer down over the ledge, they held their breath.

  The man, however, gazed toward the boat docks. "I don't see anyone," hereported to his companions. "I was sure I heard something--" he brokeoff, ending sharply: "And I did too!"

  "What is it, Claude?" his wife called.

  "Anyone been here this afternoon?" he demanded.

  "Nary a soul until you came."

  "Take a look at those shoetracks in the sand!"

  Hearing the words, Penny and Sally gazed behind them. From the bush onthe beach to the wall where they crouched, led a telltale trail.

  "I'll go outside and look around!" Harper said to his wife. He slammeddown the window.

  "We're sunk!" Sally moaned. "We can't run across the beach without beingseen, and we're certain to be caught here."

  Keeping close to the wall, treading in firm earth which left no visibleshoemarks, the girls crept around the building corner. The slamming of adoor warned them that Claude Harper already was on their trail.

  "Someone's been here by the window!" they heard him shout.

  Frantically, the girls looked about for a place to hide. There was noshrubbery nearby, only the waterfront. Penny's desperate gaze fastenedupon the rowboat tied up at the pier nearby. In the bottom lay an oldcanvas sail.

  "Quick! The boat!" she whispered to Sally.

  "We'll be caught there sure!"

  "It's even more certain if we stay here. Come on, it's our only chance."

  Choosing the lesser of two evils, they tiptoed across the pier. Thoughmany of the boards were rotten and loose, their shoes fortunately made nosound.

  Scrambling down into the boat, the girls jerked the canvas sail overthem. Barely had they hidden themselves, than their hearts sank, for theyheard heavy footsteps approaching on the pier.

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