Hoofbeats on the Turnpike

  CHAPTER 23 _TOLL LINE TO RIVERVIEW_

  Penny and Louise trudged slowly on toward the railroad tracks. They weretoo discouraged for much conversation, and avoided speaking of Mrs. Learor the Burmasters. Sleepy Hollow had been washed away, but no one couldtell them what had happened to the unfortunate ones caught in the valley.

  "It doesn't matter now," Penny said dispiritedly, "but I know whomasqueraded as the Headless Horseman. Joe Quigley."

  "The station agent!"

  "Yes, he told me about it last night. Of course Mrs. Lear let him use herhorse, and no doubt she encouraged him in the idea."

  "They did it to plague the Burmasters?"

  "Joe thought he could bring Mr. Burmaster around to his way of thinkingabout the Huntley Dam."

  "How stupid everyone was," Louise sighed. "If it hadn't been for Mrs.Burmaster's stubbornness, her husband might have given the money to savethe dam. Then this dreadful disaster would have been prevented."

  Penny nodded absently. Her gaze was fixed upon a stout man just ahead whowore climbing irons on his heavy shoes. She nudged Louise.

  "See that fellow?"

  "Why, yes. What about him?"

  "I'm sure he's a telephone lineman. Probably he's working on the line bythe railroad."

  "Probably," Louise agreed, without much interest.

  "Come on," Penny urged, quickening pace. "Let's talk to him."

  The girls overtook the workman and fell into step. Penny questioned himand readily learned that he was working close by at the washed-outrailroad bridge.

  "We're aiming to shoot a wire across the river," the man volunteered."It's going to be one tough little job."

  "Mind if we go along?" Penny asked eagerly.

  "It's okay with me," the telephone man consented. "Hard walking though."

  Flood waters had receded from the railroad right-of-way leaving a longstretch of twisted rails and slimey road-bed. They waded through the mud,soon coming to the break where the bridge had swung aside. Debris ofevery variety had piled high against the wrecked steel structure. Floodwater boiled through the gap at a furious rate.

  "I don't see how they'll ever get a cable across there," Penny commenteddubiously.

  "Coast Guardsmen are helping us," the lineman explained. "They'll shootit over with a Lyle gun--we hope."

  Penny and Louise wandered toward the gap in the roadbed. On both shores,linemen and cable splicers were hard at work. Coast Guardsmen already hadset up their equipment and all was in readiness to shoot a cable acrossthe river.

  "Okay, let 'er go!" rang out the terse order. "Stand clear!"

  A Coast Guardsman raised the Lyle gun. Making certain that the steel wirewould run free, he released the trigger. The weighted cable flashedthrough the air in a beautiful arch only to fall short of its goal.

  "Not enough allowance for the wind," the guardsman said in disgust."We'll need a heavier charge."

  The gun was reloaded, and again the wire spun from its spool. Again itfell short of the far shore by three feet. Undaunted by failure, the mentried once more. This time the aim was true, and the heavy powder chargecarried rod and cable to its mark.

  "They've done it!" Penny cried jubilantly. "Now it shouldn't be longbefore we get a wire connection with the outside world!"

  Immediately telephone company men seized the flexible cable, anchoring itsolidly. Heavy cables then were drawn across and made fast, permitting acourageous lineman in a bosun's chair to work high above the turbulentriver.

  "If that cable should break, he'd be lost!" Louise said with a shudder."It makes me jumpy to watch him."

  Fearlessly the man accomplished his task, suspending a temporaryemergency telephone line. Cable splicers promptly carried the ends of thenew cable to terminal boxes.

  So absorbed was Penny in watching the task that for a time she forgot herown urgent need of a message wire. But as she observed the men talkingover a test phone, the realization suddenly came to her that a throughwire had been established west from Red Valley.

  "Lou, they've done it!" she exclaimed. "The wire connection is made!"

  "It does look that way."

  "If only I could use that test set to get my news story through to Dad!"

  "Fat chance!"

  "I'd still be the first to send out the story!" Penny went on excitedly."It will do no harm to ask anyhow."

  Breaking away from Louise, she sought the lineman of her acquaintance.Eagerly she broached her request.

  "Not a chance to use that line, Sister," he answered impatiently. "Our'phones are for testing purposes only."

  "But this is a very great emergency--"

  "Sorry," the lineman brought her up short. "You'll have to put your callthrough the regular channels. Regulations."

  Baffled by the cold refusal, Penny turned away. Even though she knew thetelephone man had no authority to grant her request, she was none theless annoyed.

  "This is enough to drive one mad!" she complained to Louise. "It may behours before the downtown telephone office will offer toll service."

  "Well, it does no good to fret about it," her chum shrugged. "There'snothing you can do."

  "I'm not so sure about that," Penny muttered.

  Her attention had been drawn to a man in a gray business suit who wastalking earnestly to the fireman of the line gang.

  "That's Mr. Nordwall!" she announced.

  Again abandoning Louise, she pushed through the throng of spectators.Touching the man's arm to attract his attention, she said breathlessly:

  "Mr. Nordwall, do you remember me?"

  He gazed at her without recognition.

  "I'm Penny Parker. I want to get a message through to my father."

  "Oh, yes, now I remember!" the telephone company manager exclaimed."You're trying to send a call through to Riverview."

  "Is there any reason why I can't use the phone now--the test instrument?"

  "Such a procedure would be very irregular."

  "But it would save hours in getting my story through," Penny went onquickly. "Hundreds of persons are desperately in need of food andshelter. If the public can be aroused by newspaper publicity, funds willbe subscribed generously. Mr. Nordwall, you must let me send my story!"

  "This is a very great emergency," the manager agreed. "I'll see what canbe done."

  Penny waited, scarcely daring to hope. However, Mr. Nordwall kept hisword. To the delight of the girls, the call was put through. Within tenminutes Penny was summoned to the test box.

  "You have your connection with Riverview," she was told. "Go ahead."

  Penny raised the receiver to her ear. Her hand trembled she was sonervous and excited. She spoke tensely into the transmitter: "Hello, isthis the _Star_ office?"

  "Anthony Parker speaking," said the voice of her father.

  "Dad, this is Penny! I have the story for you!"

  She heard her father's voice at the other end of the line but it becameso weak she could not distinguish a word. Nor could he understand her.The connection had failed.