Signal in the Dark Read online

  CHAPTER 20 _A CROOK EXPOSED_

  Eager to carry out Salt Sommers' bidding, Penny ran up the hill in searchof a telephone. She considered using the one at the house where Professorand Mrs. Bettenridge roomed, but decided against it, fearing that theconversation might be overheard or reported to them by the farm woman.

  Hastening on, she saw a light farther down the road, and recalled havingnoticed a house there. Five minutes later, completely winded, she poundedon the door. A man in shirtsleeves, the evening newspaper in his hand,answered her knock.

  "Please, may I use your telephone?" Penny gasped.

  "Why, sure," he agreed, stepping aside for her to enter. "Anythingwrong?"

  Penny knew better than to mention what was happening at the lake. "I wantto telephone my father in Riverview," she explained.

  "The phone is in the other room," the man said, switching on a light.

  Placing the call, Penny waited impatiently for it to be put through. Shewas uncertain whether her father would be at home. If she failed to reachhim, then the only other thing was to notify the sheriff.

  "Here is your party. Go ahead, please," came the long distance operator'svoice. The next moment Penny heard her father's clear tones at the otherend of the line.

  "Dad, I'm at Blue Hole Lake with Salt," she explained hurriedly. "Can youdrive here right away?"

  "I suppose so," he answered, knowing from her voice that somethingserious was wrong. "What's up?"

  "We've learned plenty about Professor Bettenridge, Dad. Unless somethingis done quickly, he may sell his fake machine to Mr. Johnson."

  "But what can _I_ do about it?" the publisher asked.

  "Can you get hold of the Major and bring him with you?" Penny pleaded."Professor Bettenridge may be the man he's after!"

  "Maybe I can reach him!" Mr. Parker agreed. "If I have luck I'll be outthere within twenty or thirty minutes. I'll come as fast as I can."

  Before hanging up the receiver, Penny gave her father detailedinstructions for reaching the lake and told him where to park. Leaving adollar bill to pay for the call, she then hastened back to find Salt.

  The photographer was nowhere near the cabin and she was afraid to callhis name lest she be overheard by the Bettenridges.

  As she stood in the shadow of the building, she heard voices from thebeach. Someone with a lighted lantern was coming up the trail, and soonshe distinguished two figures--Professor Bettenridge and Webb.

  "That's the story you'll have to tell Johnson," she heard the professorsay. "Tell him that somehow you got the two mines mixed up as you wereloading them onto the boat and dumped one that was never meant toexplode."

  "But he saw us load the mine."

  "It was dark and he may not be sure. Anyway, the mine with Johnson'sinitials is still in the shack. We'll show it to him."

  "What bothers me is how did the mistake happen?" Webb muttered. "I knowthe mine I loaded on the boat had Johnson's initials. It should have goneoff."

  "Someone is onto our game, and tampered with the mines. It may have beena trick of that newspaper pair."

  "In that case, we're in a dangerous spot. We ought to clear out while theclearing is good. If the authorities get onto what we're doing--"

  "They won't--at least not tonight," the professor said confidently. "Thesheriff is as dumb as they come, and is convinced I am a genius secondonly to Thomas Edison. We'll have to pull off a successful test tonightwith Johnson's mine, collect what we can, and clear out."

  "Okay," Webb agreed, "but this is my last job. The game is too dangerous.I served one stretch in the pen and I don't look forward to another."

  "If we can explode Johnson's mine tonight, we'll collect the money and beaway from here as soon as we cash the check. Can you pull off the jobwithout any blunder?"

  "Sure I can unless someone tampers with the mine! This time I'll makesure they don't!"

  "Okay," the professor agreed. "Now I want you to talk to Johnson. Put upa good story, and get him to look at the mine that has his initials onit. If he refuses, we're licked, but it's worth a final try."

  "I'd like to find the guy who broke into the shack!" Webb muttered.

  "We may have time for that later. Just now our most important job is toconvince Johnson we have something to sell."

  The two men now were very close. Penny flattened herself against thebuilding wall, fearful of being seen. The light from their lanternilluminated her for an instant, but the men were so absorbed in theirdiscussion, they failed to see her. Going on up the hillside path, theyvanished into the farmhouse.

  What had become of Salt, Penny did not know. Thinking he might have gonedown to the lake, she walked rapidly in that direction. As she approachedthe shack where the mines were stored, she heard a low whistle.

  "Is that you, Salt?" she called softly.

  He came from behind a clump of bushes to join her. Quickly they comparednotes. Salt had overheard no conversation, but he had watched ProfessorBettenridge and Webb as they reexamined the mines in the shack.

  "They're onto our game, and it won't work twice," he said. "We've got todelay the test, but how?"

  "Maybe we could cut the boat loose!"

  "A capital idea!" Salt approved, chuckling. "Penny, you really have abrain!"

  As they scurried over the stones to the water's edge, Penny suddenlystopped short.

  "Listen!" she commanded.

  "I didn't hear anything," Salt said.

  "An automobile stopped by the roadside. I'm sure of it. Maybe it's myfather!"

  "He couldn't have reached here so soon."

  "You don't know Dad," Penny chuckled. "He drives like the wind. Itcertainly sounded like the engine of our car."

  "Let's have a look before we cut the boat loose," Salt said, slipping aknife back into his pocket.

  "I'll go," Penny offered. "You wait here."

  Before Salt could stop her, she darted away into the darkness. Crawlingunder a barbed wire fence, she took a short cut to the road. Even beforeshe saw the car, she heard a voice which she recognized as her father's.

  "Dad!" she called softly.

  He was with another man whom Penny hoped was Major Bryan. As the two cametoward the fence, she saw that it was indeed the Army officer.

  "Dad, how did you get here so quickly?" she greeted him. "Salt and Ididn't expect you for at least another twenty minutes."

  "I was lucky enough to get hold of Major Bryan right away," Mr. Parkeranswered, climbing over the fence. "Now I hope you haven't brought us ona wild chase, Penny. What's up?"

  "Come with me and I'll show you," she offered. "That's easier thanexplaining everything."

  Major Bryan, a well-built man of early middle age, asked Penny severalquestions about Professor Bettenridge as the three walked hurriedlytoward the lake.

  "From your description, he seems to be the man I'm after," he declaredgrimly. "If he's the same person, his real name is Claude Arkwright andhe's wanted for impersonating an officer and on various other charges. Hepulled a big job in New York three months ago, then vanished."

  Salt was waiting at the lake. "What's our move?" he asked, after relatingeverything that had occurred that night. "Shall we cut the boat loose?"

  "First, let me examine those mines," the major requested. "Can we getinto the shack?"

  "I can pick the lock, but it takes time," Salt offered.

  "We'll break it," the major decided. "Those men may return here at anyminute, so there's no time to lose."

  The door was forced open and Penny was placed on guard to watch thehillside for Webb or anyone in the professor's party.

  There was no light in the shack, but both Mr. Parker and the major hadbrought flashlights. Salt pointed out the mine which had been doctored byWebb. Carefully, the Army officer examined it.

  "I can't tell much by looking at it for the work has been cleverlyconcealed," he admitted. "But from what you've told me, I am quit
ecertain how the mine is made to explode."

  "How is it done?" Salt demanded.

  "After the hole is made, a chemical--probably sodium--is inserted. Thenanother substance which melts slowly in water is used to seal up theopening."

  "Then that explains why Webb delayed so long in giving the signal afterthe mine had been dropped into the water!" Penny exclaimed from thedoorway. "He was waiting for the substance to melt!"

  "Exactly," agreed the major. "If my theory is correct, only the action ofwater is required to explode this mine. The professor's machine, ofcourse, has nothing whatsoever to do with it."

  "Why don't we explode the mine now?" Penny suddenly proposed. "That wouldput an end to the professor's little scheme."

  "It might also prevent us from arresting him," the major said. He debateda moment. Then he exclaimed: "It's worth trying! We'll load the mine onthe boat and dump 'er in the lake!"

  The men would not permit Penny to help with the dangerous work. Carefullythey transported the mine to the boat. Salt was about to start the motor,but the major stopped him.

  "No, we don't want the sound of the engine to give us away," he said."We'll row out into the lake."

  Penny was eager to accompany the men, but they would not hear of it. Toher disappointment, she was compelled to remain on the beach.

  Sitting down on the sand, she nervously watched until the boat faded intothe black of the night. Presently, she heard a splash which told her thatthe mine had been lowered overboard. Anxiously, she waited for the boatto return.

  "Why don't they come?" she thought, straining to hear the sound of oars."If the explosion should go off while they're still out there--"

  Then she heard the boat coming and breathed in relief. Soon the craftgrated on sand, and the three men leaped out.

  "Perhaps my theory is wrong," the major commented, as they all huddledtogether, waiting. "The mine should have gone off by this time."

  Several minutes elapsed and still nothing happened. And then, as thegroup became convinced their plan had failed, there came a terrificexplosion which sent flame and water high above the lake's surface.