Part 9

The clerk, busy with several newcomers at the hotel, did not notice. Thinking that she saw her chance, Penny slipped from her chair, sidled toward the desk and picked up the key. Her heart pounded as she walked toward the elevator, but no one called to her. Her action had passed unobserved.

"Third floor," said Penny, and the elevator shot upward.

She located room 381 at the far end of the hall, and with a quick glance in both directions, unlocked the door and entered.

An open suitcase lay upon the luggage rack by the dresser. In systematic fashion Penny went through it, finding an assortment of interesting articles--a revolver, and two wigs, one of gray hair, the other black. There were no letters or papers, nothing to positively identify the owner of the luggage. But in the very bottom of the case Penny came upon a photograph. It was a picture of Sylvia Kippenberg.

Penny slipped the picture into the front of her dress, hastily replaced everything as she had found it, relocked the door, and returned to the lobby. As she went toward the desk intending to rid herself of the key, she stopped short.

Jerry Livingston stood there talking earnestly with the clerk.

"But I was told to come here," she heard him protest.

"There was a girl in the lobby a few minutes ago," the clerk replied. "She went off somewhere."

"No, here I am, Jerry!" Penny cried.

The reporter turned around and his face lighted up.

"Come outside, Jerry," Penny said before he could speak. "I have a great deal to tell you."

"And I have some news of my own," returned the reporter.

They left the hotel together. Once beyond hearing, Penny made a complete report of her afternoon adventure, and showed Jerry the picture of Sylvia Kippenberg which she had taken from room 381.

"Now for my story," said Jerry. "I've located a place not far from here where those two seamen buy supplies. The owner of the store told me they tie their boat up there nearly every night."

"Where is Salt now, Jerry?"

"He's keeping watch at the place. I came into town to telephone the _Star_ office. Your father said I was to stop here and take you in tow."

"You're not starting back to Riverview?" Penny asked in dismay.

"I don't want to, Penny. I have a feeling our big story is just about ready to break!"

"So have I, Jerry. Let's stay with it. I'll explain to Dad when we get home."

"Then let's be on our way," the reporter said crisply. "No telling what has developed while I've been in town."

In the press car, the couple took the river road which led east from the Kippenberg estate. As they bounced along, making all possible speed, Jerry told Penny how he and Salt had traced the two seamen. They had made inquiry all along the river, and quite by chance had encountered a fisherman who had given them a valuable tip.

"But so many rumors are false, Jerry," Penny said.

"This tip was straight. Salt and I found the white cruiser tied up at the dock not far from this store I was telling you about. We've been watching it for the past two hours, and Salt is still there."

"Why didn't you call the police?"

"Wouldn't have done any good. The men we're after haven't been there all day. The only person on board is a girl."

"A girl?"

"Well, maybe you would say a young woman. About twenty-two, I'd guess."

"Jerry, you must be watching the wrong boat."

Jerry shook his head as he drove the car into the bushes at the side of the road. "It's the right one, I'm sure of it. Well, we're here."

Penny was hard pressed to keep up as the reporter led her through the trees down to the winding Kobalt river. They found Salt in his hiding place, behind a large boulder.

"Anything happen since I left?" Jerry demanded.

Salt scarcely noticed Penny's presence save to give her a quick nod of welcome.

"You got back just in time," he replied to the question. "The girl went away a minute ago. Took a basket and started for the store."

"Then why are we waiting?" asked Jerry. "Come on, we'll take a look inside that boat."

"Someone ought to stay here and keep watch," Salt returned. "She may come back any minute."

"You're elected guard then. Penny and I will look the boat over and see what we can find. If the girl starts back, whistle."

Darting across the muddy shore, Penny and Jerry reached the dilapidated boat which had been tied up at the end of a sagging dock. They jumped aboard and after a hasty glance over the deck, dived down into the cabin.

The room was dirty and in great disorder. Boots lay on the floor, discarded garments were scattered about, and a musty odor prevailed.

"Nothing here," said Jerry.

"Let's look around carefully," insisted Penny. "We may find something."

Crossing the cabin she opened a closet door. Save for a pair of oilskins which hung from a nail, it was quite empty.

"Listen!" commanded Penny suddenly.

Jerry stood absolutely still, straining to hear. A long, low whistle reached his ears.

"The warning signal!" he exclaimed. "Come on, Penny, we're getting out of here."

CHAPTER 22 _TRAPPED IN THE CABIN_

Penny opened the door of the cabin only to close it quickly. She and Jerry both had heard men's voices very close to the boat.

"It's too late," she whispered. "Those men have come back."

"Not the girl?"

"No, they're alone. But we're in a trap. What shall we do?"

"We could make a dash for it. If we have to fight our way out, Salt will be there to help."

"Let's stick and see what happens, Jerry. We're after information. We must expect to take a chance in order to get it."

Jerry had been thinking more of Penny's safety than his own. But thus urged, he turned the key in the lock, bolting the door from the inside.

A low rumble of voices reached the couple as they stood with ears pressed against the panel. But they were unable to distinguish words. Then presently, one of the seamen moved close to the companionway.

"I'll get it, Jake," he called. "It's down in the cabin."

Jerry and Penny kept quiet as the man turned the door knob. He heaved angrily against the panel with his shoulder.

"Hey, Jake," he shouted, "what's the idea of locking the door?"

"I didn't lock it."

"Then Flora did." Muttering under his breath, the seaman tramped back up on deck.

Perhaps ten minutes elapsed before Penny and Jerry heard a feminine voice speaking.

"That must be Flora," whispered Penny. "What will happen when she tells them that she didn't lock the door?"

The voices above rose louder and louder until the two prisoners were able to distinguish some of the words. Jake berated the girl as stupid while his companion showered abuse upon her until she broke down and wept.

"I never had the key," they heard her wail. "I don't know what became of it. You always blame me for everything that goes wrong, and I'm good and sick of it. If I don't get better treatment I may tell a few things to the police. How would you like that?"

Jerry and Penny did not hear the response, but they recoiled as a loud crashing sound told them the girl had been given a cruel push into a solid object. Her cry of pain was drowned out by another noise, the sudden clatter of the motor boat engine.

Penny and Jerry gazed at each other with startled eyes.

"We're moving," she whispered.

Jerry started to fit the key into the door lock, only to have Penny arrest his hand.

"Let's stay and see it through," she urged. "This is our chance to learn the hide-out and perhaps solve the mystery of Atherwald's disappearance."

"All right," the reporter agreed. "But I wish you weren't in on this."

From the tiny window of the cabin, he and Penny observed various landmarks as the boat proceeded downstream. Perhaps half an hour elapsed before the cruiser came to the mouth of a narrow river which emptied into the Kobalt. From that point on progress became slow and often the boat was so close to shore that Penny could have reached out and touched overhanging bushes.

"I didn't know this stream was deep enough for a motor boat," Jerry whispered. "We must be heading for a hide-out deep in the swamp."

"I hope Salt has sense enough to call Dad and the police," Penny said with the first show of nervousness. "We're going to be a long way from help."

The boat crept on for perhaps a mile. Then it stopped, and Penny assumed they had reached their destination. Gazing out of the window again, she saw why they were halted. A great tree with finger-like branches had fallen across the river, blocking the way.

"Look, Jerry," she whispered. "We'll not be able to go any farther."

"Guess again," the reporter muttered.

Penny saw then that one of the men had left the boat and was walking along shore. He seemed not in the least disturbed by the great tree and for the first time it dawned upon her that it served a definite purpose.

"Lift 'er up, Gus," called the man at the wheel of the boat.

His companion disappeared into the bushes. Several minutes elapsed and then Penny heard a creaking sound as if ropes were moving on a pulley.

"The tree!" whispered Jerry, his eyes flashing. "It's lifting!"

Very slowly, an inch at a time, the great tree raised from the water, its huge roots serving as a hinge. When it was high enough, the motor boat passed beneath the dripping branches and waited on the other side.

Slowly, the tree was lowered into place once more.

"Clever, mighty clever," Jerry muttered. "Anyone searching for the hide-out would never think of looking beyond this fallen tree. To all purposes nature put it here."

"Nature probably did," Penny added. "But our dishonorable friends adapted it to their own use."

Through the window Penny saw the man called Gus reboard the boat.

Once more the cruiser went on up the narrow stream, making slow but steady progress. Long shadows had settled over the water. Soon it became dark.

Then a short distance ahead, Jerry and Penny observed a light. As the boat drifted up to a wharf, a man could be seen standing there with a glowing lantern. They were unable to see his face, and quickly dodged back from the cabin window to avoid being noticed.

"Everything all right, Aaron?" the man at the wheel asked, jumping ashore. He looped a coil of rope about one of the dock posts.

"Aaron!" whispered Penny, gripping Jerry's hand.

"It must be Aaron Dietz, Kippenberg's former business associate. So he's the ringleader in this business!"

They listened, trying to hear the man's reply to the question which had been asked.

"Yeah, everything's all right," he responded gruffly.

"You don't sound any too cheerful about it."

"Atherwald still won't talk. Keeps insisting he doesn't know where the gold is hidden. What bothers me, I am beginning to think we made a mistake. He may be telling the truth."

"Say, this is a fine time to be finding it out!"

"Oh, keep your shirt on, Gus. You and Jake will get your pay anyhow. And even if Atherwald doesn't know the hiding place we'll make Kippenberg come through."

"You'll have to find him first," the other retorted. "If you ask my opinion, you've made a mess of the whole affair."

"No one asked your opinion! We'll make Atherwald tell tonight or else--"

The man with the lantern started away from the dock but paused before he had taken many steps.

"Get those supplies up to the shack," he ordered. "Then I want to talk with you both."

"All right," was the reply, "but we have to get the cabin door open first. Flora locked it and lost the key."

"I didn't," the girl protested shrilly. "Don't you try to blame me."

Jerry and Penny knew that their situation now was a precarious one. If they were found in the cabin they would be taken prisoners and the exclusive story which they hoped to write never would be theirs.

"We've trapped ourselves in this cubby-hole," the reporter muttered. "All my doing, too."

"We can hide in the closet, Jerry. The men may not think to search there."

Noiselessly, they opened the door and slipped into the tiny room. The air was hot and stuffy, the space too narrow for comfort.

Jerry and Penny did not have long to wait before there came a loud crash against the cabin door. The two seamen were trying to break through the flimsy panel.

"Bring a light, Flora," called one of the men.

Penny and Jerry flattened themselves against the closet wall, waiting.

A panel splintered on the outside cabin door, and a heavy tramping of feet told them that the men had entered the room.

"No one in here, Gus."

"It's just as we thought. Flora locked the door and lied out of it."

"I didn't! I didn't!" cried the girl. "Someone else must have done it while I was at the store. The door was unlocked when I went away."

"There's no one here now."

"I--I thought I heard voices while we were coming down the river."

"In this cabin?"

"Yes, just a low murmur."

"You imagined it," the man told her. "But I'll take a look in the closet to be sure."

He walked across the cabin toward the hiding place. Penny and Jerry braced themselves for the moment when the door would be flung open. They had trapped themselves and now faced almost certain capture.

CHAPTER 23 _AT THE HIDE-OUT_

Before the man could pull open the closet door, a booming voice called impatiently from shore:

"Say, are you coming? We have plenty of work ahead of us tonight."

Distracted from his purpose, the searcher turned aside without glancing into the closet. With his companion and the girl, he left the cabin.

Penny and Jerry waited at least five minutes. When all was silent above, they stole from their hiding place. From the window they assured themselves that the wharf was deserted.

"What do we do now, start after the police?" Penny questioned.

"Let's make certain Atherwald is here first. We can't afford to be wrong."

A path led through the timber. As they followed it, Jerry and Penny saw a moving lantern some distance ahead. They kept it in sight until the three men and Flora disappeared into a cabin.

Stealing on through the darkness, Penny and Jerry crept to the screen door. Peering in, they saw a barren room containing a table, a cook stove and double-deck bunks.

"Get supper on, Flora," one of the men ordered curtly.

"Am I to cook anything for the prisoner?" she asked in a whining voice.

"Not unless he decides to talk. I'll find out if he's changed his mind."

The man who had been called Aaron crossed the cabin to an adjoining room. He unlocked the door which had been fastened with a padlock, and went inside.

"Atherwald must be in there," whispered Penny.

With one accord, she and Jerry tiptoed across the sagging porch and posted themselves under a high window. Glancing up they saw it contained no glass, but had narrow iron bars in keeping with a prison chamber.

Jerry lifted Penny up so that she could peep into the room. By the light of the oil lantern she saw a haggard young man sitting on the bed. Despite a stubble of beard and unkempt hair, she instantly recognized him as the missing bridegroom. She made another observation, one which shocked her. The man's wrists were handcuffed.

"It's Grant Atherwald," she told Jerry as he lowered her to the ground. "They've treated him shamefully."

Jerry held up his hand as a signal for silence. In the room above the men were speaking and he wished to hear every word.

"Well, Atherwald, have you changed your mind? How about a little supper tonight?"

"How can I tell you something I don't know?" the bridegroom retorted wearily. "Kippenberg never confided any of his secrets to me."

"You know where his gold is hidden!"

"I don't think he ever had any!"

"Oh, yes, he did. When the government passed a law that it was illegal to keep gold, Kippenberg decided to defy it. He had over half his fortune converted into gold which he expected to re-convert into currency at a great profit to himself. His plans went amiss when government men listed him for investigation."

"You seem to know all about his private affairs," Grant Atherwald said sarcastically. "Strange that you haven't learned the hiding place of the gold--if there ever was any!"

"It will do you no good to pretend, Atherwald! Either you tell the hiding place, or we'll bring your bride here to keep you company!"

"You wouldn't dare touch her, you fiend!"

"No? Well, unless you decide to talk, she'll share your fate, and I promise you it won't be a pretty one. Now I'll leave you to think it over."

The door closed with a bang.

"We'll have to get the police here right away," Jerry advised Penny in a whisper. "No telling what those scoundrels may try to do to Atherwald. We haven't a moment to waste."

"It would take us hours to bring help here," reasoned Penny. "And if we try to use the motorboat the gang will be warned and flee while we're on our way down the river."

"That's so, but we have to do something. Any ideas?"

"Yes, I have one," Penny answered soberly. "It may sound pretty crazy. Still, I really believe it would work!"

Hurriedly, she outlined what she had in mind. Jerry listened incredulously, but as the girl explained and elaborated certain details of her plan, his doubts began to clear away.

"It's dangerous," he protested. "And if your hunch about the pool is wrong, we will be in a fix."

"Of course, but we'll have to take a chance in order to save Atherwald."

"If everything went exactly according to plan it might work!"

"Let's try it, Jerry. Lift me up so I can attract Atherwald's attention."

The reporter did as she requested. Penny tapped lightly on the iron bars with her signet ring. She saw Grant Atherwald start and turn his head. Penny repeated the signal.

The man arose from the bed and stumbled toward the window.

"Who is it?" he whispered hoarsely.

"A friend."

"Can you get me out of here?"

"We're going to try. You are handcuffed?"

"Yes, and my captor keeps the key in his pocket. The room outside is always guarded. Did you bring an implement to saw through the bars?"

"No, we have another scheme in mind. But you must do exactly as we tell you."

"Yes, yes!" the bridegroom whispered eagerly, his pale cheeks flooding with color.

"Listen closely," Penny instructed. "When your captor comes back tell him you have decided to talk."

"I know nothing about the cache of gold," the man protested.

"Tell your captor that the hiding place is on the Kippenberg estate."

"That would only involve Sylvia and Mrs. Kippenberg. I'll do nothing to get them into trouble."

"You'll have to obey instructions or no one can help you," Penny said severely. "Would you prefer that those cruel men carry out their threat? They'll spirit Sylvia away and try to force the truth from her."

"I'll do as you say."

"Then tell your captor that the gold is hidden in a specially constructed vault lying beneath the lily pool." Penny had resolved to act upon her hunch that there was a trapdoor on the bottom of the pool. Now as she issued instructions she wished that she might have found some way of examining the pool to see if she were right. However, she had to take a chance on there being a vault beneath the pool.

Atherwald protested mildly. "He would never believe such a fantastic story."

"It is not as fantastic as it sounds," replied Penny. "You must convince him that it is true."

"I will try."

"Make the men understand that to get the gold they must drain the pool and raise a trapdoor in the cement bottom. Ask to be taken with the men when they go there tonight and demand that you be given your freedom as soon as the gold is found."

"They will never let me go alive. An identification from me would send them all to prison for life."

"Do you know the men?"

"The ringleader is Aaron Dietz. At one time he was employed by Mr. Kippenberg."

"Just as I thought."

"The other two call themselves Gus and Jake. I don't know their last names. Then there is a girl who seems to be a sister to Gus."

"How did they get you here?"

"On the day of the wedding I was handed a note just as I reached the estate. It requested me to come at once to the garden. While I waited there, two ruffians sprang upon me from behind. Before I could cry out they dragged me to their boat at the river's edge. I was handcuffed, blindfolded and brought to this cabin."

The slamming of an outside door warned Penny that she was wasting precious time in talk.

"You understand your instructions?" she whispered hurriedly.

"Yes."

"Then goodbye. With luck we'll have you free in a few hours."

"With luck is right," Jerry muttered as Penny slid to the ground.

Aaron Dietz stood on the front porch staring out into the night. Seeing him there, Penny and Jerry circled widely before attempting to return to the river. Satisfied that they had not been observed, they boarded the boat and descended to the cabin.

For possibly an hour they sat in the dark, waiting anxiously.

"Looks as if my little plan didn't work," Penny remarked. "I might have known it would be too simple."

Jerry had risen to his feet. He went to the window and listened.

"Hear anything?" Penny whispered hopefully.

"Sounds like someone coming down the path. We ought to get into our cubby-hole."

They tiptoed to the closet and closed the door.

Within a few minutes they heard a confusion of voices and the shuffle of feet as men boarded the cruiser. Penny wondered if the group included Grant Atherwald and was greatly relieved when she heard him speak.

"I don't see why you think I would double-cross you," he said distinctly. "I am considering my own welfare. You promised that if the gold is found you'll give me my freedom."

"Sure, you'll get it. But if you're lying about the hiding place--"

The words were drowned out by the roar of the motor boat engine. Penny and Jerry felt the floor beneath them quiver and then gently roll. The cruiser was under way.

"We're heading for the Kippenberg estate!" Penny whispered. "Oh, everything is starting out beautifully!"

"I only hope it ends the same way," said Jerry morosely. "I only hope it does."

CHAPTER 24 _SECRET OF THE LILY POOL_

The moon rode high in the heavens as the cabin cruiser let go its anchor in a cove off the Kippenberg estate. Penny who had been dozing for the past hour in her self-imposed prison started up in alarm as Jerry nudged her in the ribs.

"Wake up," he whispered. "We're here."

"At the estate?"

"I think so."

On the deck above their heads they could hear the men talking together.

"You'll come along with us, Atherwald," Aaron Dietz said. "Flora, you stay here and guard the boat. If you see anyone watching or acting suspiciously, blow the whistle two short blasts."

"I don't want to stay here alone," the girl whimpered. "I'm afraid."

"You'll do as I say," the man ordered harshly. "Get started, Gus. It's two o'clock now. We won't have many hours before daylight."

In making her plans Penny had not once considered that the men might leave a guard on the cruiser. With the girl posted as a lookout they were still prisoners in the cabin.

"We have to get out of here now or never," she whispered. "What shall we do about Flora?"

"We'll rush her and take a chance on the whistle."

They slipped out of their hiding place and crawled noiselessly up the steep stairway. Pausing there, they watched the shadowy figure of the girl in the bow of the boat. She was quite alone, for her companions had disappeared into the woods.

"Now!" commanded Jerry in a whisper.

With a quick rush he and Penny were across the deck. They approached Flora from behind and were upon her before she could turn her head. Jerry grasped her arms while Penny clapped a hand over her mouth to prevent a scream. Although the girl fought fiercely, she was no match for two persons.

Stripping off her sash, Penny gave it to Jerry to use as a gag. They bound the girl's wrists and ankles, then carried her down into the cabin.

"I hate to leave her like that," said Penny as they went back on deck.