Ghost Beyond the Gate Page 2

  CHAPTER 2 _AT THE LISTENING POST_

  Penny's courage did not long forsake her. She had suggested to Louisethat they return to the stripped car, but she knew that would not solvetheir problem. Staring up the dark road, she remarked that they must beclose to the summit of the hill.

  "Then why not keep on?" urged Louise. "We set out to find the listeningpost, so let's do it!"

  They trudged on up the winding road. At intervals, in an attempt torestore circulation to numbed feet, they ran a few steps. Snow fellsteadily, whipping and stinging their faces.

  Gasping, half-winded, they kept doggedly on. Finally they struggled intoa clearing at the top of the hill. Penny wiped her eyes and gazed downthrough a gap in the white-coated evergreens. A quarter of the way downthe slope on the other side appeared a glowing dot of light.

  "I'm afraid it's only a cabin," she said dubiously. "It can't be theairplane listening post."

  "Let's go there anyway," advised Louise. "We can warm ourselves and askhow to get back to civilization."

  They pushed on, still following the road. Downhill walking was mucheasier and at intervals they were encouraged by a glimpse of the light.

  Then, rounding a bend of the road, the girls came to an artistic, newlyconstructed iron fence, banked heavily with snow. The fence led to a highgate, and behind the gate loomed a dark, sprawling house with doublechimneys.

  "The place is deserted!" Louise observed in disappointment. "What becameof the light we've been following?"

  "It must be farther on. This house looks as if it had been closed for thewinter."

  Penny went to the gate and rattled a heavy chain which held it in place.Peering through the palings, she could see an unshoveled driveway whichcurved gracefully to a pillared porch. The spacious grounds were dottedwith evergreens and shrubs, so layered with snow that they resembledscraggly ghosts.

  "Wonder who owns this place?" speculated Louise.

  "Don't know," Penny answered, turning away. "In fact, I don't recall everhaving seen it before."

  Her words carried special significance to Louise.

  "If you've never seen this house before, then we're on a strange road!Penny, we never will find the listening post!"

  "I'm beginning to suspect it myself," Penny admitted grimly. "But we mustkeep plodding on. That light can't be far ahead."

  Turning their backs upon the gloomy estate, they again braved thepenetrating wind. Soon Louise lost her footing and fell. She remained ina dispirited little heap until Penny pulled her off the ice.

  "Let's keep going, Lou," she urged. "It won't be long now."

  Louise allowed Penny to pull her along. They rounded a curve in the road,and there, miraculously, the lighted cabin rose before them.

  "At last!" exulted Louise. "The Promised Land!"

  Staggering up a shoveled path, they pounded on the cabin door. An oldman, who held a kerosene lamp, responded promptly.

  "Come in, come in!" he invited heartily. "Why, you look half frozen."

  "Looks aren't deceitful either," Penny laughed shakily.

  As the girls went into the warm room a little whirlpool of wind and snowdanced ahead of them. Quickly the old man closed the door. He made placesfor Penny and Louise at the stove and tossed in a heavy stick of wood.

  "Bad night to be out," he commented cheerfully.

  Penny agreed that it was. "We're lost," she volunteered, stripping offher wet mittens. "At least we can't find the airplane listening post."

  "Why, it's just a piece farther on," the old man replied. "The tower'sright hard to see in this storm."

  While they thawed out, the girls explained that they had been forced toabandon their car at the Riverview Yacht Club. The old man, whose namewas Henry Hammill, listened with deep sympathy to their tale of woe.

  "I'll hitch up my horses and take you to Riverview in the sled," heoffered. "That is, unless you'd rather stop at the listening tower."

  "It would save you a long trip," Penny returned politely. "If SaltSommers is on duty, I'm sure he'll take us to our homes."

  In the end it was decided that Old Henry should drive the girls as far asthe post. Then, if arrangements could not be made with the photographer,he would keep on to Riverview.

  Warm at last, Penny and Louise declared that they were ready to start.Old Henry brought the sled to the door and the team soon was racing downthe icy road. Above the jingle of bells arose occasional squeals oflaughter, for the young passengers enjoyed every minute of the unexpectedride.

  Presently Old Henry pulled up at the side of the road.

  "There's the tower," he said, pointing to a two-story wooden observatoryrising above the evergreens. "I'll wait until you find out if yourfriend's here."

  The girls thanked the old man for his kindly help and scrambled from thesled. They were sure their troubles were over, for they could see SaltSommers seated at a table in the lighted tower.

  A flight of steps led to a narrow catwalk which ran around three sides ofthe glass-enclosed house. Before Penny and Louise could hammer on thedoor Salt opened it.

  "Well, see what the storm blew in!" the young man exclaimed. "I didn'texpect you girls to pop in on a night like this."

  "Salt, how soon will you be driving to Riverview?" Penny askedbreathlessly.

  "About twenty minutes. As soon as my relief shows up."

  "May we ride with you?"

  "Why, sure."

  Penny called down from the catwalk to tell Old Henry he need not wait.With a friendly wave of his hand, the cabin owner drove away. The girlsthen followed Salt into the drafty tower room.

  Curiously they gazed at their surroundings. In the center of the roomstood a small coal stove. Above it a tacked sign admonished: "Keep thisfire going!" There was a table, two chairs and a telephone. Also a roundclock which indicated seven-forty.

  Before Penny and Louise could explain why they had come, Salt held up awarning finger.

  "Listen!" he exclaimed. "Wasn't that a plane?"

  He ran out on the catwalk, letting in an icy blast of wind. In a momenthe came back, grinning sheepishly.

  "A passenger airplane is due through here about this time. Sometimes Ilisten for it so hard I imagine the sound of the engine."

  "The job must get tiresome at times," Penny ventured, making herselfcomfortable by the glowing stove.

  "Oh, it does, but I'm glad to serve my trick. What brings you girls hereon such a wild night?"

  The story was quickly told. Nevertheless, by the time Penny hadtelephoned to Mrs. Weems, it was after eight o'clock. Footsteps poundedon the stairway. An elderly man, his hat and overcoat encrusted withsnow, swept into the room.

  "My relief," said Salt, presenting Nate Adams to the girls. "I'm free toshove off now."

  "Hope you can start your car," commented the newcomer. "It's mighty cold,and the temperature is still dropping."

  Salt's battered coupe was parked not far from the tower. Snow blanketedthe windshield. He wiped it away and after several attempts started theengine.

  "Think I'd better stop at the first garage and have more alcohol put inthe radiator. No use in taking a chance."

  Salt followed the same road over which the girls had trudged an hourearlier. In passing the estate not far from Old Henry's cabin, Pennypeered with renewed interest at the big house. In the blinding snow stormshe could not be sure, but she thought a light gleamed from an upstairswindow.

  "Salt," she inquired, "who lives in that place?"

  "Can't tell you," he replied, without turning his head.

  "Does anyone live there now?"

  "Haven't seen anyone since I took over as observer at the tower. NateAdams tells me the estate has a private air field. No planes have takenoff or landed while I've been on duty."

  "I thought I saw a light just now in an upstairs window."

  "Probably a reflection from the car headlights," Salt answeredcarelessly.

&nb
sp; The car passed Old Henry's cabin and crept on until it came to acrossroad. Several buildings were clustered on either side of the mainhighway.

  "Guess I'll stop at Mattie's garage," Salt said.

  As he pulled up on a gravel runway, a masculine looking woman came to thedoor of the car. She was in her mid-thirties and wore a man's coat muchtoo large for her. The girls guessed, and correctly, that she was MattieWilliams, owner of the garage and filling station.

  "How many will you have?" she asked Salt, briskly clearing the windshieldof snow.

  The photographer replied that he did not require gasoline, but wanted atleast a quart of alcohol.

  "Drive into the garage," the woman instructed, opening a pair of doubledoors. "I'll have Sam take care of it."

  As the car rolled into the building, Mattie shouted loudly to astoop-shouldered man who was busy in the rear office: "Hey, Sam! Lookafter this customer, will you?"

  Sam Burkholder slouched over to the car and began to unscrew the radiatorcap. Penny and Louise assumed that the man must be Mattie's husband, buta remark to that effect was corrected by Salt.

  "Sam is Mattie's partner," he explained in an undertone. "It's hard totell which one of them is boss of the place."

  Losing interest in the pair, Penny and Louise climbed out of the coupe.They had noticed a cafe next door and thought they might go there for acup of hot coffee.

  "Go ahead," Salt encouraged. "I'll stay here until this job is finished,and join you."

  As the girls let themselves out the garage door, a truck pulled up infront of the cafe. They would have given it no more than a casual glancehad not the driver alighted. He was a short, ruddy-faced man with amissing front tooth which made his facial expression rather grotesque.Without glancing at the girls, he entered the restaurant.

  "That man!" exclaimed Louise. "Haven't we seen him somewhere?"

  "We have indeed," agreed Penny grimly. "He's the same driver who refusedus a ride. Let's march in there and give him a piece of our minds!"