Hoofbeats on the Turnpike Read online

  CHAPTER 5 _SLEEPY HOLLOW ESTATE_

  "I'm afraid that young man was having fun at our expense," Penny remarkedafter horse and rider had gone. "How do you suppose he knew about myfather?"

  "Read it in a newspaper probably. You've both made the headlines oftenenough." Louise sighed wearily and shifted positions. "I certainly wishwe never had come here."

  "Well, I don't," Penny said with emphasis. She clucked to Bones and whenhe failed to move smartly along, gave him a quick jab with her heels. "IfJoe Quigley won't tell us about that galloping ghost, perhaps Mr. Malcomwill."

  "I'll settle for my missing horse," Louise responded.

  The girls jogged on down the road toward the Malcom cabin. Already thehills were casting long blue shadows over the valley floor. With nightfast approaching Penny began to wonder where they could seek lodging.

  "You don't catch me staying at the Malcom place," Louise said, readingher chum's thought. "It's too ramshackle."

  Drawing nearer the cabin, both girls were elated to see White Footgrazing contentedly in a stony field adjoining the Malcom barn yard. Atthe gate Penny alighted nimbly and threw it open so that Louise couldride through.

  The creaking of the rusty hinges brought Silas Malcom from thetumble-down house. He stared blankly for a moment and then recognizedPenny.

  "Well, bless my heart," he said. "If it ain't the young lady that helpedme at the newspaper office!"

  "And now it's your turn to help us," laughed Penny. "We've lost ourhorse."

  "I knowed somebody would be along for her purty soon," the old manchuckled. "She run into the barn yard 'bout ten minutes ago an' I turnedher out to graze. I'll git her for you."

  If Mr. Malcom was surprised to see Penny so far from Riverview he did notdisclose it. He asked no questions. Hobbling to the fence, he whistled ashrill blast. White Foot pricked up her ears and then came trotting overto nuzzle the old man's hand.

  "You certainly have that horse under control," said Penny admiringly. "Iguess it's all in the way you handle 'em."

  "It's also all in the way you handle a Flying Fortress or a stick ofdynamite," Louise cut in. "You may have my share of horses!"

  "White Foot didn't throw you off?" Mr. Malcom inquired.

  "Oh, no," Louise assured him, and explained how the horse had run away.

  Old Silas chuckled appreciatively. "White Foot always did have a habit o'sneakin' off like that. Raised her from a colt, but sold her to Williamsdown in Hobostein when I got short o' cash."

  Wrapping the reins about a hitching post, the old man allowed his gaze towander toward the valley. With a gesture that was hard to interpret, heindicated the long stretch of fertile pasture land, golden grain fieldsand orderly rows of young orchard trees.

  "See that!" he commanded.

  "It's a beautiful valley," Louise murmured politely.

  "It's mor'n that," corrected the old man. "You're lookin' at one o' therichest parcels o' land in this here state. Me and the old woman liveddown there fer goin' on twenty years. Then we was put out o' our cabin.Now that penny-pinchin' Burmaster owns every acre fer as you can see--notcountin' the village o' Delta an' three acres held fer spite by theWidder Lear."

  Old Silas took a chew of tobacco and pointed to a trim little log cabinvisible through a gap in the trees.

  "Stands out like a sore thumb, don't it? Burmaster's done everything hecan to git rid o' that place, but the Widder Lear jes' sits tight an'won't have no dealings with him. Says that if the old skinflint comesround her place again she's goin' to drive him off with a shotgun."

  Penny and Louise waited, hoping that the old man would tell more. After alittle silence, he resumed meditatively:

  "The Widder was the smartest o' the lot of us. From the first she saidBurmaster was out to gobble up all the best land for hisself. Nobodycould get her to sign no papers. That's why she's got her little placetoday and the rest of us is tryin' to make a livin' out o' these stonepatches."

  "Burmaster forced all of the valley folk off their land?" Penny inquired,perplexed. "How could he do that?"

  "Some of 'em sold out to him," Old Silas admitted. "But mostly the landwas owned by a rich feller in Boston. He never paid no attention to hisholdings 'cept to collect a bit o' rent now and then. But last spring heup and sold out to Burmaster, and we was all told to git off the land."

  Penny nodded thoughtfully. "I suppose that was entirely legal. If Mr.Burmaster bought and paid for the land one couldn't accuse him ofdishonest dealings."

  "I ain't accusin' nobody o' nothin'," Old Silas replied. "I'm jes'tellin' you how things are in this here valley. Ye came to find out aboutthat Headless Horseman, didn't ye?"

  "Well, yes, we did," Penny acknowledged.

  "Figured you would. You'll never win that reward Burmaster's offerin',but you could do a heap o' good in this here valley."

  "How?" asked Penny, even more puzzled.

  "You got a pa that runs a big city newspaper. When he prints an editorialpiece in that paper o' his, folks read it and pay attention."

  "I'm afraid I don't understand."

  "You will after you been here awhile," the old man chuckled. "Where yougals calculatin' to spend the night?"

  "I wish we knew."

  "Me and the ole woman'd be glad to take you in, only we ain't got no roomfitten for city-raised gals. The Widder Lear'll be glad to give you bedand fodder."

  The girls thanked Mr. Malcom, though secretly they were sure they wouldkeep on until they reached Delta. A suspicion was growing in Penny's mindthat she had not come to the valley of her own free will. Rather she hadbeen lured there by Old Silas' Headless Horseman tale. She had assumedthe old fellow to be a simple, trusting hillman, while in truth he meantto make use of her.

  "Calculate you're anxious-like to git down to the valley 'fore night setson," the old man resumed. "The turnpike's no fitten place for a gal afterdark."

  "You think we might meet the Headless Horseman?" Penny asked, smiling.

  Old Silas deliberately allowed the question to pass.

  "Jes' follow the turnpike," he instructed. "You'll come fust to theBurmaster place. Then on beyond is the Widder Lear's cabin. She'll treatyou right."

  Penny had intended to ask Old Silas if he still had a spinning wheel forsale. However, a glimpse of the darkening sky warned her there was notime to waste. She and Louise must hasten on unless they expected to beovertaken by night.

  "Goodbye," Penny said, vaulting into the saddle. "We'll probably see youagain before we leave the valley."

  "Calculate you will," agreed Old Silas. As he opened the gate for thegirls he smiled in a way they could not fathom.

  Once more on the curving turnpike, Penny and Louise discussed the oldman's strange words. Both were agreed that Silas had not been in theleast surprised to see them.

  "But why did he say I could do good in the valley?" Penny speculated."Evidently he thinks I'll influence my father to write something in the_Star_."

  "Against Burmaster perhaps," nodded Louise. "Everyone we've met seems todislike that man."

  The girls clattered over a little log bridge and rounded a bend. Gianttrees arched their limbs over the pike, creating a dark, cool tunnel.Penny and Louise urged their tired horses to a faster pace. Thoughneither would have admitted it, they had no desire to be on the turnpikeafter nightfall.

  "Listen!" Louise commanded suddenly. "What was that sound?"

  Penny drew rein to listen. Only a chirp of a cricket disturbed the eeriestillness.

  "Just for a minute I thought I heard hoofbeats," Louise saidapologetically. "Guess I must have imagined it."

  Emerging from the long avenue of trees, the girls were slightly dismayedto see how swiftly darkness had spread its cloak on the valley. Beyondthe next turn of the corkscrew road stood a giant tulip tree. Ridingbeneath it, Penny stared up at the gnarled limbs which were twisted infantastic shapes.

  "There was an
old tulip tree in the Legend of Sleepy Hollow," shemurmured in awe. "And it was close by that the Headless Horsemanappeared--"

  "Will you please hush?" Louise interrupted. "I'm jittery enough withoutany build-up from you!"

  Some distance ahead stretched a long, narrow bridge with a high woodenrailing. By straining their eyes the girls could see that it crossed amill pond and led in a graceful curve to a rambling manor house ofclapboard and stone.

  "Mr. Burmaster's estate!" Louise exclaimed.

  "And it looks exactly as I imagined it would!" Penny added in delight. "Aperfect setting for the Galloping Hessian!"

  "Too spooky if you ask me," said Louise with a shiver. "Why would anyonebuild an expensive home in such a lonely place?"

  The girls rode on. A group of oaks, heavily matted with wild grapevines,threw a deeper gloom over the road. For a short distance the dense growthof trees hid the estate from view.

  Suddenly the girls were startled to hear the sharp, ringing clop-clop ofsteel-shod hoofs. Unmistakably, the sound came from the direction of thelong, narrow bridge.

  "There! I knew I heard hoofbeats a moment ago!" Louise whisperednervously. "Maybe it _is_ the Headless Horseman!"

  "Be your age!" chided Penny. "We both know there's no such thing--"

  The words died on her lips. From somewhere in the darkness ahead came awoman's terrified scream. Frightened by the sound, Bones gave a startledsnort. With a jerk which nearly flung Penny from the saddle, he plungedon toward the bridge.