Saboteurs on the River Page 15

  CHAPTER 15 _A DRIFTING BARGE_

  Upon hearing the shrill notes of the air raid siren, the man whom Pennyand Louise followed, quickened his step. Hastening after him, the girlsturned a corner and came face to face with an air raid warden.

  "Take shelter!" he ordered sternly. "The closest one is across thestreet--the basement of the Congregational Church."

  Penny started to explain, but the warden had no time to listen. Wavingthe girls across the street, he watched to see that they actually enteredthe shelter.

  "I guess he thought we weren't very cooperative," Louise remarked as theyfollowed a throng of persons downstairs to the basement. "These blackouttests really are very important."

  "Of course," agreed Penny. "It's a pity though that our friend, thewaiter, couldn't have been sent into this same shelter. Now we'll losehim."

  For nearly twenty minutes the girls remained in the basement until theAll Clear sounded. As they returned to the street level, lights weregoing on again, one by one. Pedestrians began to pour out of theshelters, but the girls saw no one who resembled the waiter.

  "We've lost him," sighed Penny. "I guess we may as well go home."

  "Let's hurry," urged Louise who was glad to abandon the pursuit. "Motherwill be worried about me."

  At the Sidell home, Penny turned down an invitation to come in for a fewminutes. As she started on alone, she paused and called to her chum whowas on the porch: "Oh, Lou, how about a sail early tomorrow morning?"

  "Isn't the river too high?"

  "It was dropping fast this morning. The current's not so strong noweither. Let's get up bright and early."

  "How early?" Louise asked dubiously.

  "Oh, about seven o'clock."

  "That's practically the middle of the night," Louise complained.

  "I'll come by for you at a quarter to seven," Penny said, as if thematter were settled. "Wear warm clothes and don't you dare keep mewaiting."

  The next morning heavy mists shrouded Riverview's valleys and waterfront.Undaunted by the dismal prospect, Penny proceeded in darkness to theSidell home. There, huddling against the gate post, she whistled severaltimes, and finally tossed a pebble against the window of Louise's room. Amoment later the sash went up.

  "Oh, is it you, Penny?" her chum mumbled in a sleepy voice. "You surelydon't expect to go sailing on a morning like this!"

  "The fog will clear away just as soon as the sun gets up. Hurry and climbinto your clothes, lazy bones!"

  With a groan, Louise slammed down the window. Ten minutes later sheappeared, walking awkwardly because she wore two pair of slack suits andthree sweaters.

  "Think we'll freeze?" she inquired anxiously.

  "You won't," laughed Penny, giving her a thermos bottle to carry.

  By the time the girls reached the dock, the rising sun had begun toscatter the mist. Patches of fog still hung over portions of the riverhowever, and it was impossible to see the far shore.

  "Shouldn't we wait another hour?" Louise suggested as Penny leaped aboardthe dinghy.

  "Oh, by the time we get the sail up the river will be clear," sheresponded carelessly. "Toss me the life preserver cushions."

  While Penny put up the mainsail, Louise wiped the seats dry of dew. Herfingers stiff with cold, she cast off the mooring ropes, and the boatdrifted away from the dock.

  "Well, the river is all ours this morning," Penny remarked, watching thelimp sail. "That's the way I like it."

  "Where's the breeze?" demanded Louise suspiciously.

  "We'll get one in a minute. The headland is cutting it off."

  "You're a chronic optimist!" accused Louise. Wetting a finger, she heldit up. "I don't believe there is any breeze! We'll just drift down streamand then have to row back!"

  "We're getting a little now," said Penny as the sail became taut. "Holdyour fire, dear chum."

  The boat gradually picked up speed, but the breeze was so unsteady thatthe girls did not attempt to cross the river. Instead, they sailed inmidstream, proceeding toward the commercial docks. The mists did notentirely clear away and Penny began to shiver.

  "Don't you wish you had one of my sweaters?" asked Louise, grinning.

  Penny shook her head as she reached to pour herself a cup of steamingcoffee from the thermos bottle. Before she could drink it, a large, flatvessel loomed up through the mist ahead.

  "Now don't try to argue the right of way with that boat," Louise adviseduneasily.

  "Why, it's a barge!" Penny exclaimed, bringing the dinghy about. "I dobelieve it's adrift!"

  "What makes you think so?" Louise asked, staring at the dark hulk.

  Penny maneuvered the dinghy closer before she replied. "You can see it'sout of control. There's no tow boat anywhere near."

  "It does seem to be drifting," Louise acknowledged. "No one appears to beaboard either."

  Realizing that the large vessel would block off all the wind if sheapproached too close to it, Penny kept the dinghy away. The barge, almostcrosswise to the current, was floating slowly downstream.

  "How do you suppose it got loose?" Louise speculated.

  "Saboteurs may have cut the hawser."

  "The big mooring rope _has_ been severed!" Louise exclaimed a momentlater. "I can see the frayed end!"

  Penny came about again, tacking in closer to the drifting vessel.

  "That certainly looks like the barge Carl Oaks was hired to guard," shedeclared with a worried frown. "Can you read the numbers, Lou?"

  "519-9870."

  "Then it is his barge!"

  "He must have deserted his post again."

  "In any case that barge is a great hazard to other vessels," Pennydeclared, deeply troubled. "Not even a signal light on the bow or stern!"

  "Oughtn't we to notify the Coast Guards?"

  "We should, but while we're reaching a telephone, the barge may ramanother boat. Why not board her and put up signal lights first? In thisfog one can't see a vessel many yards ahead."

  "It doesn't look possible to climb aboard."

  "I think I can do it," Penny said, offering the tiller to her chum."Here, take the stick."

  "You know what happens when I try to steer," Louise replied, shrinkingback. "I'll be sure to upset. The wind always is tricky around a bigboat."

  "Then I'll take down the sail," Penny decided, moving forward to releasethe halyard.

  The billowing canvas came sliding down. Penny broke out the oars, andmaneuvered the dinghy until it grated against the hull of the barge.

  "Even a trained monkey couldn't get up there," Louise declared, staringat the high deck.

  Penny rowed around to the other side of the barge. Discovering a ropewhich did not give to her weight, she announced that she intended toclimb it.

  "You'll fall," Louise predicted.

  "Why, I'm the champion rope climber of Riverview High!" Penny chuckled,thrusting the oars into her chum's unwilling hands. "Just hold the dinghyhere until I get back."

  "Which shouldn't be long," Louise said gloomily. "I expect to hear yoursplash any minute now."

  Penny grasped the dangling rope. With far more ease than she hadanticipated, she climbed hand over hand to the deck of the barge. Oncethere she lost not a moment in lighting signal lamps at bow and stern.The task accomplished, she was moving amidships when she thought sheheard a slight sound from within the deck house. Pausing to listen, shecalled:

  "Is anyone here?"

  There was no answer, but distinctly she heard a scraping noise, as ifsomeone were pushing a chair against a wall.

  "Someone _is_ in there!" Penny thought.

  Darting across the deck, she tried the door of the cabin. It had beenfastened from the outside. Fumbling with the bolt, she finally was ableto push it back. The door swung outward.

  For a moment Penny could discern no one in the dark, little room. Thenshe saw a man lying on the floor. A gag covered his mouth and his handsand feet
were tied with cord.

  The prisoner was Carl Oaks.