Hoofbeats on the Turnpike

  CHAPTER 19 _TRAGEDY_

  Leaping over the platform railing, Penny held up her arms to assistLouise. Now awakened to danger, her chum scrambled wildly after her onlyto stop aghast as she beheld the gigantic wall of water rushing towardthem.

  "Jump the ditch and make for the hill!" Penny ordered tersely. "Bequick!"

  Passengers were pouring from the other cars, their terrified criesdrowned by the grinding roar of the onrushing torrent. The wall of watermoved with incredible speed. It tore into the railroad yard, shattering atool house and a coal dock. It roared on, sweeping a row of empty boxcars into its maw.

  Spurred by the sight, Penny and Louise tried to leap the ditch. They fellfar short and both plunged into the boiling water up to their arm pits.

  Penny's feet anchored solidly. With a gigantic shove, she helped Louiseto safety. By swimming with the current she then reached shore a fewyards farther down the railroad right of way.

  "Run!" she shouted to the bewildered, bedraggled Louise. "Up the hill!"

  Scrambling over the muddy edge of the ditch, she raced after her chum forhigher ground. Just then the wall of water swept into the siding. As thetrain was struck it seemed to shudder from the terrific impact, thenslowly settled on its side.

  "Horrible!" Louise shuddered. "Some of the passengers may have beentrapped in there!"

  "Most of them escaped," Penny gasped. "There goes the water tower!"

  A building borne by the flood, rammed into the ironwork of the bigdripping tower. It crumpled, falling with a great, shuddering splash.

  With the back-wash of the flood sloshing against their knees, the girlsraced for high ground. Reaching a point midway up the hill where otherpassengers had paused, they turned to glance below. Yellow, angry water,rising easily ten feet, flowed over the railroad right of way.

  With unbelievable speed the flood rolled on. In one angry gulp it reacheda long freight train farther down the track. The caboose and a string ofcoal cars were lifted and hurled. Strangely, the coal tender and enginewhich had been detached, remained on the rails.

  "Oh, look!" Louise gasped in horror. "The engineer's trapped in the cab!"

  The trainman, plainly visible, valiantly kept the engine whistle blowing.Higher and higher rose the water. Penny and Louise were certain thecourageous man must meet his doom. But the crest of the flood already hadswept on down the valley, and in a moment the waters about the engineremained at a standstill.

  So quickly had disaster struck that the girls could not immediatelycomprehend the extent of the tragedy. From their own train nearly all ofthe passengers had escaped. But the town of Delta had not fared so well.Apparently the flood had roared through the low section, taking allbefore it. Farther up the valley, directly below Huntley Lake where thegorge was narrow, damage to life and property might be even greater.

  "What chance could poor Mrs. Lear have had," Louise said brokenly. "Orthe Burmasters."

  "There's a possibility they took to the hills in time."

  "I doubt it," Louise said grimly. "The flood came so quickly."

  Already the yellow, muddy waters were carrying evidence of their work.Houses, many with men and women clinging desperately to rooftops, floatedpast. Other helpless victims clung to logs, orange crates and chickencoops. At terrific speed they sailed past the base of the hillside.Several shouted piteously for help.

  "We must do something to save those people!" Penny cried desperately.

  "What?" Louise asked.

  By this time the hillside was dotted with people who had savedthemselves. Several of the women were weeping hysterically. Another hadfainted. For the most part, everyone stared almost stupidly at theendless stream of debris which was swept down the valley. No one knew howto aid the agonized victims who clung to whatever their fingers couldclutch.

  On one rooftop, Penny counted six persons. The sight drove her to action.

  "If only we had a rope--" she cried, and broke off as her eyes roved upthe hillside.

  Two hundred yards away stood a farmhouse.

  "I'll see if I can get one there!" she cried, darting away.

  The hill was steep, the ground soft. Penny's wet clothing impeded her.She tripped over a stone and fell, but scrambling up, ran on. Finally,quite out of breath, she reached the farmhouse. A woman with two smallchildren clinging to her dress, met the girl in the yard.

  "Ain't it awful?" she murmured brokenly. "My husband's workin' down atthe Brandale Works. Did the flood strike there?"

  "It must have spread through all of Delta," Penny answered. "Thisdisaster's going to be frightful unless we can get help quickly. Do youhave a telephone?"

  "Yes, but it's dead. The wire runs into Delta."

  Penny had been afraid of that. She doubted that a single telephone polehad been left standing in the town. Nor was it likely that the othervalley cities had 'phone service.

  "Do you have a rope?" she asked. "A long one?"

  "In the barn. I'll get it."

  The woman came back in a moment, a coil of rope over her arm.

  "Send some of those poor folks up here," she urged as Penny started awaywith the rope. "I'll put on a wash boiler of coffee and take care of asmany as I can."

  Half sliding, Penny descended the steep hillside. During her absence twopersons had been rescued from the water by means of an improvised lassomade from torn strips of clothing. Others were drifting past, too faraway to be reached.

  A woman and a child floated past, clinging to a log. Penny stood ready,the rope coiled neatly at her feet. She took careful aim, knowing that ifshe missed she would have no second chance.

  Penny hurled the rope and it ran free, falling just ahead of the helplesspair. The half-drowned mother reached with one hand and seized it beforeit sank beneath the surface.

  "Hold on!" Penny shouted. "Don't let go!"

  Several men ran to help her. By working together, they were able to pullthe woman and her child to safety.

  Abandoning the rope to skilled hands, Penny rounded the hill to a pointproviding a clear view of the flooded railroad yard. The roundhouse, thecoal chutes and the signal tower were gone. But her heart leaped to seethat the station was still standing. Built on high ground it wassurrounded with water which did not appear to be deep.

  Penny turned to Louise who had followed her. Just then they both heardsomeone shout that the railroad bridge was being swept away. They saw themassive steel structure swing slowly from its stone foundation. One sideheld firm which immediately set up great swirling currents. Any personscarried that way would be faced with destruction in the whirling pools ofwater.

  "It's too late to warn the towns directly below Delta!" Penny gasped."But there still may be time to get a message through to Hobostein. Inany case, we must get help here!"

  "But how?" Louise asked hopelessly. "Any wires that were left standingmust have been torn away when the bridge went."

  Penny gazed again toward the Delta depot. Between it and the hillside rana fast-moving stretch of water, yet separated from the main body of theracing flood.

  "If only I could get over to the station, I might somehow send amessage!"

  "Don't be crazy!" Louise remonstrated. "You haven't a chance to crossthat stretch of water!"

  "I think I could. I'm a pretty fair swimmer."

  "But the current is so swift."

  "There's a certain amount of risk," Penny admitted soberly. "But we can'tstand here and wait. Someone must do something to bring help."

  "Don't do it, Penny!" Louise pleaded. "Please!"

  Penny hesitated, but only for an instant. She understood perfectly thatif she misjudged the strength of the current it would sweep herdown--perhaps carry her along into the main body of water. Once in thegrip of that angry torrent, no one could hope to battle against it.

  The risk, however, was one she felt she must take. Struggling free fromLouise's clinging hands, she kicked off her shoes a
nd tucked up herskirt. Then she plunged into the swirling water.