CHAPTER 15 _IN THE TOOL HOUSE_
Sara, her face white and tense, turned her head for a fraction of asecond and then, crouching lower, kept her eyes glued on the track. Sheknew what had happened, and she knew, too, that they never could hope tomake the Horseshoe Curve. Even a miracle of steering would not save themfrom going over the wall of ice at terrific speed.
The two passengers, frozen with fright, gripped the side ropes, and kepttheir heads down. It did not even occur to them that they could savethemselves by rolling off. For that matter, they did not realize that thebrake had broken.
Penny, in end position, could have jumped easily, A fall into the softsnow beside the track would be far less apt to cause serious injury thanan upset from the high wall of the curve. But it never occurred to her totry to save herself.
There was only one slim chance of preventing a bad accident, a costly onefor herself, and Penny took it. As the perpendicular wall of HorseshoeCurve loomed up ahead, she wrapped her arm about the side rope of thesled and hurled herself off. Her entire body was given a violent jerk. Asharp pain shot through her right arm, but she gritted her teeth and heldon.
Penny's trailing body, acting as a brake, slowed down the sled and keptit from upsetting as it swept into the curve. Sideways it climbed thewall of snow. It crept to the very edge, hovered there a breathlessmoment, then fell back to overturn at the flat side of the curve.
Untangling herself from a pile of arms and legs, Sara began to help herpassengers to their feet.
"Penny, are you hurt?" she asked anxiously. "That was a courageous thingto do! You saved us from a bad accident."
Spectators, thrilled by the display of heroism, came running to thescene. Penny, every muscle screaming with pain, rolled over in the snow.Gripping her wrenched arm, she tried to get to her feet and could not.
"Penny, you _are_ hurt!" cried Sara.
"It's my arm, more than anything else," Penny said, trying to keep herface from twisting. "I--I hope it's not broken."
Willing hands raised her to her feet and supported her. Penny wasrelieved to discover that she could lift her injured arm.
"It's only wrenched," she murmured. "Anyone else hurt, Sara?"
"You're the only casualty," Sara replied warmly. "But if you hadn't usedyourself as a brake we might all have been badly injured. You ought toget a hot bath as quickly as you can before your muscles begin tostiffen."
"They've begun already," replied Penny ruefully.
She took a step as if to start for the lodge, only to hesitate.
"I wonder what happened to the brake? I heard something give way."
Sara overturned the sled and took one glance. "A broken rod."
"I thought Jake checked over everything last night."
"That's what he _said_," returned Sara. "We'll ask him about it."
The workman, white-faced and frightened, came running down the hill.
"What happened?" he demanded. "Couldn't you slow down or was it too icy?"
"No brakes," Sara answered laconically. "I thought you tested them."
"I did. They were in good order last night."
"Take a look at this." Sara pointed to the broken rod.
Jake bent down to examine it. When he straightened he spoke no word, butthe expression of his face told the two girls that he did not holdhimself responsible for the mishap.
"There's something funny about this," he muttered. "I'll take the sled tothe shop and have a look at it."
"I'll go along with you," declared Sara.
"And so will I," added Penny quickly.
"You really should get a hot bath and go to bed," advised Sara. "If youdon't you may not be able to walk tomorrow."
"I'll go to bed in a little while," Penny answered significantly.
Followed by the two girls, Jake pulled the sled to the tool house behindthe lodge. Sara immediately closed and bolted the door from the inside sothat curious persons would not enter.
"Now let's really have a look at that brake rod," she said. "Noticeanything queer about it, Penny?"
"I did, and I'm thinking the same thing you are."
"See these shiny marks on the steel," Jake pointed out excitedly. "Therod had been sawed almost in two. Even a little strain on it would makeit break."
"You're certain it was in good condition last night?" Sara questioned.
"Positive," Jake responded grimly. "I checked over both sleds just beforesupper last night."
"Let's have a look at the other sled," proposed Penny.
An inspection of the brake equipment revealed nothing out of order.
"Whoever did the trick may have been afraid to damage both sleds for fearof drawing attention to his criminal work," declared Penny. "But it'sperfectly evident someone wanted us to take a bad spill."
"I can't guess who would try such a trick," said Sara in perplexity. "Didyou lock the tool house last night, Jake?"
"I always do."
"How about the windows?" inquired Penny.
"I don't rightly remember," Jake confessed. "I reckon they're stuckfast."
Penny went over and tested one of the windows. While it was not locked,she could not raise it with her injured arm. Sara tried without anybetter luck.
However, as the girls examined the one on the opposite side of the toolhouse, they discovered that it raised and lowered readily. Tiny pieces ofwood were chipped from the outside sill, showing where a blunt instrumenthad been inserted beneath the sash.
"This is where the person entered, all right," declared Penny.
"I can't understand who would wish to injure us," said Sara in a baffledvoice. "You're not known here at Pine Top, and I have no enemies to myknowledge."
"Mrs. Downey has them. There are persons who would like to see her out ofbusiness. And our bob-sledding parties were growing popular."
"They were taking a few guests away from the big hotel," Sara admittedslowly. "Still, it doesn't seem possible--"
She broke off as Penny reached down to pick up a small object which layon the floor beneath the window.
"What have you found?" she finished quickly.
Penny held out a large black button for her to see. A few strands ofcoarse dark thread still clung to the eyelets.
"It looks like a button from a man's overcoat!" exclaimed Sara. "Jake,does this belong to you?"
The workman glanced at it and shook his head.
"Not mine."
"It probably fell from the coat of the person who damaged our sled,"Penny declared thoughtfully. "Not much of a clue, perhaps, but at leastit's something to go on!"