Hoofbeats on the Turnpike Part 25

"Wake up! Someone's downstairs pounding on the screen door."

"Let 'em pound." Louise rolled away from her chum's grasp and tried to go back to sleep.

The thumping noise was repeated, louder and more insistent. Penny was sure she heard the rumble of many voices. Thoroughly puzzled, she swung out of bed and reached for a robe.

"Open up!" called a man's voice from below.

Penny ran to the window. The porch roof half obstructed her view, but in the yard she could see at least half a dozen men. Others were at the door, hammering to be let in.

By this time the thumpings had thoroughly awakened Louise. She too deserted the bed and went to the window.

"Something's wrong!" she exclaimed. "Just see that mob of men! I'll warrant they're here to make trouble for Mrs. Lear--perhaps because of what happened last night!"

CHAPTER 17 _ACCUSATIONS_

Penny and Louise scrambled into their clothes. As they pulled on their shoes, they heard Mrs. Lear going down the hall. Fearful lest she encounter trouble, they hastened to overtake her before she reached the front door.

"Do you think it's safe to let those men in?" Penny ventured dubiously.

"Why shouldn't I open the door?" Mrs. Lear demanded. "I've nothing to hide."

She gazed sharply at Penny, who suddenly was at a loss for words.

Mrs. Lear swung wide the door to face the group of men on the porch. Joe Quigley was there and so was Silas Malcom. Seeing friends, Penny and Louise felt rea.s.sured.

"Well?" demanded Mrs. Lear, though not in an unfriendly tone. "What's the meaning of waking a body up in the middle o' the night?"

"Word just came in by radio," Joe Quigley spoke up. "There's been a big rain over Goshen way."

"I could have told you that last night," Mrs. Lear replied, undisturbed.

"Knew it when I seen them big clouds bilin' up."

"You oughter get out o' here right away," added Silas Malcom. "That dam at Huntley Lake ain't safe no more, and when all that water comes down from Goshen it ain't too likely she'll hold."

"Are the people of Delta leaving for the hills?" Mrs. Lear asked coldly.

"Some are," Quigley a.s.sured her. "We're urging everyone who can to take the morning train. A few stubborn ones like yourself refuse to budge."

"Oh, so I'm stubborn! I suppose you're leaving, Joe Quigley?"

"That's different. I have a job to do and I can't desert my post at the depot."

"And the Burmasters? Are they leaving?"

"We're on our way up to the estate now to warn them."

"I'll make you a bargain," Mrs. Lear agreed, a hard glint in her eye. "If Mrs. Burmaster goes, then I'll go too. But so long as she stays in this valley I'm not stirrin' one inch!"

"You're both as stubborn as one of Silas' mules!" Joe Quigley said impatiently. "Don't you realize that your life is in danger?"

"When you've lived as long as I have, young man, life ain't so precious as some other things."

"If you won't listen to reason yourself, what about these girls?" Quigley turned toward Penny and Louise.

Mrs. Lear's face became troubled. "They'll have to go at once," she decided. "What time's that train out o' Delta?"

"Eleven-forty," Joe Quigley replied. "Or they can catch it at Witch Falls at eleven. Getting on at that station they might find seats."

"We'll pack our things right away," Louise promised, starting for the stairs.

Penny followed reluctantly. Though she realized that it would be foolhardy to remain, she did not want to leave Red Valley. Particularly she disliked to desert old Mrs. Lear.

"If Mrs. Lear is determined to stay here, what can we do about it?"

Louise argued reasonably. "You know our folks wouldn't want us to remain."

The girls quickly gathered their belongings together and went downstairs again. To their surprise Mrs. Lear had put on her coat and was preparing to accompany the men to Sleepy Hollow.

"I ain't leavin' fer good," she announced, observing Penny's astonished gaze. "Leastwise, not unless the Burmasters do. I'm going there now to see what they've got to say."

"Come along if you like," one of the men invited the girls. "Maybe you can help persuade them to leave the valley."

Penny and Louise doubted that they would be of any a.s.sistance whatsoever.

However, it was several hours before train time, so they were very glad indeed to ride in one of the cars to Sleepy Hollow estate. At the crossroad Joe Quigley turned back to Delta for he was scheduled to go on duty at the railroad station. The others kept on until they reached the estate.

Silas Malcom rapped sharply on the front door. In a moment a light went on in an upstairs room. A few minutes later a window opened and Mr.

Burmaster, clad in pajamas, peered down.

"What's wanted?" he demanded angrily.

"There's been a big rain above us," he was told. "Everyone's being advised to get out while there's time."

Mr. Burmaster was silent a moment. Then he said: "Wait a minute until I dress. We'll talk about it."

Ten minutes elapsed before the estate owner opened the front door and bade the group enter. He led the party into a luxuriously furnished living room.

"Now what is all this?" Mr. Burmaster asked. "We had one disturbance here last night and it seems to me that's about enough."

Silas Malcom explained the situation, speaking quietly but with force.

"And who says that the dam won't hold?" Mr. Burmaster interrupted.

"Well, it's the opinion of them that's been workin' on it for the past two weeks. If we'd had money and enough help--"

"So that's why you rooted me out of bed!"