Saboteurs on the River Page 5

  CHAPTER 5 _HELD ON SUSPICION_

  Penny gazed at the _Riverview Star's_ front page headline whichproclaimed:

  "BURT OTTMAN ARRESTED AS SUSPECT IN BRIDGE DYNAMITING."

  The opening paragraph of the news story, was even more dismaying. Itbegan:

  "Acting upon information provided by Miss Penelope Parker, police todayarrested Burt Ottman, owner of the Ottman Boat Dock, charging him withparticipation in the Friday night dynamiting of Thompson's bridge."

  Penny hastily scanned the remainder of the story and then protested: "ButI never even mentioned your brother's name to police, Miss Ottman! Why, Icertainly didn't think that he had any connection with the dynamiting."

  "You certainly didn't think, period," Sara replied, though in a lesssevere tone. "You told police that the motorboat used in the dynamitingwas one of our boats."

  "Well, it looked like it to me. Perhaps I was mistaken."

  "You weren't mistaken. The boat definitely was one of ours. It was stolenfrom here about a month ago."

  Penny drew a deep breath. "Then in that case, I don't see why suspicionshould fall upon your brother."

  "Didn't you tell police that a young man corresponding to his descriptionwas handling the boat?"

  "Indeed I didn't."

  "Then it must have been the watchman who provided the description," Saracorrected. "At any rate, police identified the boat as ours, and arrestedBurt. They have him at the station now."

  "It never occurred to me that anyone would suspect your brother," Pennysaid soberly. "Why, everyone along the river knows him well. It should beeasy for him to prove his innocence."

  "True, it should be," Sara replied bitterly. "The arrest angered Burt,and he made matters worse by refusing to answer questions the policeasked him."

  "Oh, that was a mistake."

  "Yes, but Burt has a great deal of pride. The police never should havearrested him."

  "I certainly agree with you," declared Penny, for she could not envisionyoung Ottman as a saboteur. "Can't your brother prove where he was lastnight at the time of the explosion?"

  "That's just it." Sara looked troubled as she reached to take thenewspaper. "He refuses to offer any alibi."

  "But you must know yourself where your brother spent his time."

  "I wish I did. He left here about seven o'clock and didn't return homeuntil early this morning--just a half hour before the police came toarrest him."

  "Oh!"

  "All the same, Burt had no connection with the dynamiting," Sara saidquickly. "He frequently stays out late at night. I've never questionedhim, for it was none of my affair."

  Penny scarcely knew what to reply. "I can understand now why you'reprovoked at me," she said after a moment. "But I assure you I had nointention of involving your brother with the police. I certainly nevergave them his description."

  Sara smiled and in a charming gesture extended her hand.

  "I'm sorry I talked as I did to you," she apologized. "Forget it, willyou?"

  "Of course," Penny agreed generously. "And if there's anything I can doto help--"

  The float creaked and both girls turned to see Bill Evans coming towardthem.

  "Hi!" he greeted the girls impartially. "Miss Ottman, wonder if I can getyou to help me?"

  "I suppose you're having trouble with that motor of yours again," sighedSara. "Or should I say yet?"

  "I've lost it in the river," Bill confessed sheepishly. "Blamed thingcost me sixty dollars second-hand too!"

  "In the river!" gasped Penny. "What did you do, get peeved and toss itoverboard?"

  The saddened young man shook his head. "Guess I didn't have it fastenedon very well. Anyhow, just as I was leaving the dock, off she fell intoabout ten feet of water."

  "I hope you buoyed the spot," said Sara.

  "Yes, I marked it with a floating can. Some of the boys have been tryingto get 'er up for me, but no luck. If you can do it, I'll pay fivedollars."

  "Well, I'm pretty busy," Miss Ottman said in a harassed voice. "Burt'snot here and it keeps me jumping to run the launch and rent the canoes.But I'll see what I can do this afternoon."

  "Thanks," Bill replied gratefully, turning away. "Thanks a lot."

  When the young man was beyond hearing distance, Penny spoke again of BurtOttman's unfortunate arrest.

  "I'm sorry about everything, Miss Ottman," she said earnestly. "If youwish, I'll talk to the police and assure them that so far as I know, thesaboteur did not resemble your brother. It was too dark for me to reallysee him."

  "I'll feel very grateful if you will speak a good word for Burt," Sararesponded. She sank down on an overturned bucket and pressed a hand toher temple. "Oh, my head's splitting! Everything's been coming at me sofast. The police were here questioning me and they twisted my remarks allaround. I'll have to raise bail for Burt, but where the money is comingfrom I don't know."

  The last of Penny's resentment toward the girl faded away. From the jerkyway Sara spoke, she knew that her thoughts were darting from oneperplexing problem to another.

  "I don't know what I'm doing or saying today," Sara said miserably. "Ifyou can forgive me--"

  "Of course! I don't blame you a bit for speaking to me the way you did.May I borrow a sponge for a minute?"

  Sara smiled and nodded. Eager to make amends, she ran into the shed andreturned with the desired article.

  "There's still a little water in my boat," Penny explained. "Thought I'dsop it up."

  "Let me do it," Sara offered. Without waiting for permission she went tothe sailboat, and with a friendly nod at the astonished Louise, began tosponge out the cockpit.

  "I see you've collected one of Old Noah's souvenirs," she remarked amoment later, noticing the blue bottle which Penny had tossed into thebottom of the boat.

  "We found it floating in the water," Louise volunteered. "The message wassuch a queer one--an invitation to take refuge in the ark during theGreat Deluge. Someone's idea of a joke, I suppose."

  "It's no joke," Sara corrected. "Noah is a very real person. He actuallylives in an ark too--a weird looking boat he built himself."

  "You mean the old fellow actually believes there's going to be anothergreat flood?" Penny asked incredulously.

  "Oh, yes! Noah is so sure of it that he's collected a regular menagerieof animals to live with him on the ark. He keeps dropping bottles intothe water warning folks that the Great Deluge is coming. I fish outdozens of them here at the dock."

  "Where is the ark?" Penny inquired curiously.

  Sara squeezed the last drop of water from the sponge and pointeddiagonally upstream toward a gap in the trees.

  "That's where Bug Run empties into the river," she explained. "Noah hashis ark grounded not far from its mouth. The currents are such thatwhenever he dumps his bottles in the water most of them come this way."

  "Rather a nuisance I should think," commented Penny.

  "Noah's a pest!" Sara complained, straightening from her task. "I supposehe's harmless, but those bottles of his create a hazard for our boats.Burt has asked him several times not to throw them in the water. He justkeeps right on doing it."

  The sun now was directly overhead and Penny and Louise knew that theywere expected at their homes for luncheon. Thanking Sara for herservices, they sailed on to their own dock. As they hastened through thepark to a bus line, Penny remarked that it would be fun sometime to visitNoah and his ark.

  "Well, perhaps," Louise rejoined without a great deal of enthusiasm.

  The buses were off schedule and for a long while the girls waitedimpatiently at the street corner. Penny was gazing absently toward a cafenearby when a short, untidy man with shaggy gray hair, came out of thebuilding.

  "Why, isn't that Mr. Oaks, the bridge watchman?" she asked her chum.

  "It looks like him."

  From far up the street an approaching bus could be seen, but Penny hadlost all interest in boarding
it.

  "Louise, let's talk to Mr. Oaks," she urged, starting toward him.

  "But we'll miss our bus."

  "Who cares about that?" Penny took Louise firmly by an elbow, pulling heralong. "We may not have another chance to see Mr. Oaks. I want to ask himwhy he identified the saboteur as Sara Ottman's brother."