Saboteurs on the River Part 10

"Our stay here," Louise echoed hollowly.

Penny gave her a little pinch and said to Old Noah, "We appreciate your hospitality and will be happy to remain until the rain slackens. But where are your living quarters?"

"On the third floor. First, before I conduct you there, I will throw out a few bottles. Although the fatal hour is near at hand, a number of persons may yet read my message and seek refuge in time to be saved."

While the girls watched with deep interest, Old Noah moved to the porthole. Opening it, he tossed into the muddy waters a half dozen corked bottles which he selected from a basket beneath the window.

"Now," he bade, turning again to Penny and Louise, "follow me and I will show you my humble quarters."

By this time the girls scarcely knew what to expect, but the third floor of the ark proved rather a pleasant surprise. Old Noah had fitted it out with compartments, a tiny kitchen, living quarters, and a bedroom. The main room had a rug on the floor, there were several homemade chairs and a radio. Evidently, the master of the ark was musically inclined, for a shelf contained an accordion, a banjo and a mouth organ.

"Just sit down and make yourselves comfortable, daughters," Old Noah invited, waving them toward chairs. "I'll stir up a bite to eat."

Entering the tiny kitchen, he poked about among the shelves. Watching rather anxiously, the girls next saw him open one of the portholes to test his fishing lines. Finding one taut, he pulled in a large catfish which he immediately began to dress.

"He intends to cook that for us," Louise whispered. "I'll not even taste it! Oh, let's get away from here!"

Penny wandered to the window. The sky had grown much lighter, and trees which had been blotted out by the heavy rain, now were visible.

"The storm is almost over," she said encouragingly. "Let's step outside and see how things look."

Noah, occupied with his culinary affairs, did not glance up as the girls quietly slipped away. Descending the steps to the main deck, they huddled close against a wall to keep dry. Rain still fell, but even as they watched it slackened.

"Let's say goodbye to Noah and streak for home," Louise suggested, eager to be off.

Before Penny could reply, both girls were startled to see a stranger emerge from among the bushes along the sh.o.r.e. He wore a raincoat, a broad-brimmed hat which dripped water, and a bright badge gleamed on his chest.

"I'm Sheriff Anderson," he announced, coming close to the ark. "Is Dan Grebe aboard?"

"Do you mean Old Noah?" Penny asked doubtfully.

"Most folks call him that. An old man who's lost his b.u.t.tons, but harmless. He's been maintaining a public nuisance here with his ark."

As the sheriff started to come aboard, Old Noah himself stepped out on deck.

"So here you be again!" he shouted angrily, grasping the narrow railing of the gangplank. "Didn't I warn you not to trespa.s.s on the property of the Lord?"

"Noah, we've been patient with you," the sheriff replied wearily. "The last time I was here, you promised to clean up this dump and move your ark down stream. Now you're going with me to talk to the judge."

"Stand back! Stand back!" Old Noah shouted as the officer started across the gangplank. "Beware, or I'll call the wrath of the Lord down on your head!"

The sheriff laughed and came on. With surprising strength and agility, Old Noah jerked the gangplank loose from the ark and hurled it into the water. Sheriff Anderson made a desperate lunge for an overhanging tree branch. Failing to seize it, he fell with a loud splash into the muddy river.

CHAPTER 8 _THE GREEN PARROT_

Old Noah slapped his thigh and cackled with glee as he watched Sheriff Anderson splash about in the muddy water.

"That'll teach you!" he shouted jubilantly. "You meddlin' son of evil!

Next time maybe you will know enough to mind your own business and leave my ark alone!"

Penny and Louise stood ready to toss the sheriff a rope, but he did not need it. Clinging to the floating gangplank, the man awkwardly propelled himself to sh.o.r.e. As he tried to climb up the steep bank, his boots slipped and he fell flat on his face in the mud. Old Noah went off into another fit of laughter which fairly shook the ark at its mooring.

"Laugh, you old coot!" the sheriff muttered, picking himself up. "I've been mighty patient with you, but there's a limit. Tomorrow I'm coming back here with a detail of deputies. I'll run you and your ark out o'

here if it's the last thing I do!"

"Be off with you!" ordered Noah arrogantly. "Before _my_ patience is gone!"

"Okay, Noah, you win this round," the sheriff muttered furiously. "I'm going, but I'll be back. And if this ark isn't cleaned up or out o' here, we'll put you away!"

A sorry figure with his clothing wet and muddy, the official stomped angrily off into the woods.

"I'm afraid you antagonized the wrong man that time, Noah," Penny remarked as the footsteps died away. "What will you do when he returns?"

"That time will never come," Old Noah replied, undisturbed. "Before the Lord will allow the ark to be taken from me, he will smite my enemies with lightning from the Heavens."

Penny and Louise had their own opinion of what would happen to the ark and its animals, but wisely said nothing to further disturb the old fellow. By this time the rain had entirely ceased and a ray of sunshine straggled through the ragged clouds.

"Well, guess this isn't to be the Great Flood after all," Penny remarked, studying the sky. "We're most grateful for the shelter of your ark, Noah.

Now if we can just reach sh.o.r.e, we'll be on our way."

"Aren't you staying for dinner?" the old man asked in disappointment.

"I'm fryin' up a nice catfish."

"I'm afraid we can't remain today," Penny answered. "Another time perhaps." Using a long, hooked pole, Old Noah retrieved the drifting gangplank and refastened it to the ark.

"Farewell, my daughters," he said regretfully as he bade them goodbye.

"You and your friends always will be welcome to take refuge in my ark.

The Great Flood is coming soon, but you are among the chosen."

Feeling decidedly exhilarated by their meeting with such a strange character, Louise and Penny followed the twisting stream to the main river channel. Water was rising rapidly along the banks and at many places, bushes and tree branches dipped low in the swirling eddies.

"You know, if these spring rains keep up, Noah may get his big flood after all," Penny remarked. "Poor old fellow! He certainly sealed the fate of his ark when he pushed Sheriff Anderson into Bug Run."

Turning homeward toward the Thompson Bridge, the girls soon approached the river bank where police had searched for the escaped saboteur.

Curious to see the locality by daylight, they detoured slightly in order to pa.s.s it.

"This is the place," Penny said, indicating ground which had been trampled by many feet. "At the rate the river rises, the sh.o.r.e here will be under by tomorrow."

"I suppose police learned everything they could last night."

"Yes, they went over the area rather thoroughly," Penny nodded. "I know they took photographs and made measurements of the saboteur's footprints.

Lucky they did, because the water has washed them all away."

"You still can see where the automobile was parked," Louise declared, pointing to tire tracks in the soft earth. "Were any real clues found, Penny?"