CHAPTER 21 _OLD PETER'S DISAPPEARANCE_
"Whoa!" shouted Jake, pulling on the reins.
The horses brought the heavy sled to a halt at the side of the road.Sara, breathless from running so fast, hurried up.
"I'm worried about Grandfather," she gasped out.
"He isn't sick?" Penny asked quickly,
"No, but I haven't seen him since early this morning. He went to chopwood at Hatter's place up the mountain. He expected to be back in timefor lunch but he hasn't returned."
"He'll likely be along soon," said Jake.
"Oh, you don't know Grandfather," declared Sara, her forehead wrinklingwith anxiety. "He always does exactly as he says he will do. He neverwould have stayed away this long unless something had happened. He'sgetting on in years and I'm afraid--"
"Jake, couldn't we go up to Hatter's place, wherever it is?" Penny urged.
"Sure. It's not far from Mrs. Downey's."
"Let me ride with you," Sara requested. "I'm sorry to cause you anytrouble, but I have a feeling something is wrong."
"Jump in," invited Jake.
Sara climbed into the back of the sled, snuggling down in the blanketsbeside Penny.
"Grandfather may have hurt himself with the ax," she said uneasily. "Orhe could have suffered a stroke. The doctor says he has a touch ofheart-trouble, but he never will take care of himself."
"We'll probably find him safe and sound," Penny declared in a comfortingway.
Jake stirred the horses to greater activity. In a short while the sledpassed the Downey grounds and went on to the Hatter farm. Sara sprang outto unlock the wooden gate which barred entrance to a narrow, privateroad.
"I see Grandfather's sled!" she exclaimed.
Without waiting for Jake to drive through the gate, she ran on down theroad. Hearing her cry of alarm, the man urged his horses on.
Reaching the clearing, Penny and Jake saw Sara gazing about inbewilderment. Peter Jasko's team had been tied to a tree and the sled boxwas half filled with wood. An ax lay in the deep snow close by. But therewas no sign of the old man.
"Where is grandfather?" Sara asked in a dazed voice.
She called his name several times. Hearing no answer, she ran deeper intothe woods. Jake leaped from the sled and joined in the search. Pennycould not bear to sit helplessly by. Deciding that the emergency wasequal to an earthquake or a fire, she eased herself down from the sled.
Steadily falling snow had obliterated all tracks save those made by thenew arrivals. There was no clue to indicate whether Peter Jasko had leftthe scene of his own free will or had been the possible victim ofviolence.
Jake and Sara searched at the edge of the woods and returned to theclearing to report no success.
"Maybe your granddad went up to Hatter's place to get warm," the mansuggested.
"He never would have left his horses without blanketing them," answeredSara. "But let's go there and inquire. Someone may have seenGrandfather."
They drove the bob-sled on through the woods to an unpainted farm house.Claud Hatter himself opened the door, and in response to Sara's anxiousquestion, he told her that he had seen Peter Jasko drive into the placeearly that morning.
"You didn't see him go away?" Sara asked.
"No, but come to think of it, I noticed a car turn into the road. Musthave been about ten o'clock this morning."
"What sort of car?"
The man could give no additional information, for he had not paidparticular attention to the automobile. However, he pulled on his heavycoat and boots, offering to help organize a searching party.
Sara and Penny remained at the farm house, but as it became evident thatthe old man would not be found quickly, Jake returned and took the girlsdown the mountain to the Downey lodge.
"What could have happened to Grandfather?" Sara repeated over and over."I can't believe he became dazed and wandered away."
"I wish we knew who came in the car," said Penny. "That might explain alot."
"You--you think Grandfather met with violence?"
"I hope not," replied Penny earnestly. "But it seems very queer. Did yourgrandfather have enemies?"
"He antagonizes many folks without meaning to do so. However, I can'tthink of anyone at Pine Top who could be called an actual enemy."
By nightfall the searching party had grown in size. Nearly every maleresident of Pine Top joined in the hunt for Peter Jasko. Even the Fergushotel sent two employes to help comb the mountainside for the missing oldman.
Sara, nearly in a state of collapse, was put to bed by Mrs. Downey, whokept telling the girl over and over that she must not worry. In speakingwith Penny, the woman was far from optimistic. She expressed a doubt thatPeter Jasko ever would be found alive.
"He may have wandered off and fallen into a crevasse."
"I am inclined to think he may have been spirited away by whoever came upthe private road in that car," commented Penny.
"I can't imagine anyone bothering to kidnap Peter Jasko," returned Mrs.Downey. "He has no money."
"It does sound rather fantastic, I admit. Especially in broad daylight.You didn't notice any automobile on the main road this morning did you?"
"Only the Fergus hotel delivery truck. But I was busy. A dozen might havepassed without my noticing them."
At nine o'clock Jake came to the lodge with a discouraging report. Notrace of Peter Jasko had been found. The search would continue throughoutthe night.
"Which way are you going?" Penny inquired as the man started to leave thehouse again. "Up the mountain or down?"
"Down," he returned. "I'm joining a party at Jasko's own place. We aim tostart combing the woods on his farm next."
"May I ride with you?" she requested. "I want to go down to the Fergushotel."
"Penny, your ankle--" protested Mrs. Downey.
"I can get around on it," Penny said hurriedly. "See!" She hobbled acrossthe floor to prove her words. "And this is important. I want to seesomeone at the hotel."
"So late at night?"
"It really is important," Penny declared. "Please say I may go."
"Very well," agreed Mrs. Downey reluctantly.
Jake took Penny all the way to the hotel. "Shall I help you inside?" heasked.
"Oh, no," she declined hurriedly. "I'll make it fine from here."
After Jake had driven back up the road, Penny limped around to the backentrance of the hotel. She stood for several minutes staring up at thedark windows of the second floor.
"I believe Ralph Fergus and Harvey Maxwell know plenty about Jasko'sdisappearance," she thought. "But how to prove it?"
On the parking lot only a few steps away stood the Fergus hotel deliverytruck. Penny hobbled over to it, and opened the rear door. She swept thebeam of her flashlight over the floor.
At first glance the car appeared to be empty save for several cardboardboxes. Then she saw a heavy, fleece-lined glove lying on the floor halfhidden by the containers. She picked it up, examined it briefly andstuffed it into the pocket of her snowsuit.
"I remember Peter Jasko wore a glove very much like this!" she thought.
Softly closing the truck door, Penny went back to the rear of the hotel.The lower hall was deserted so she slipped inside, and followed thestairway to the second floor. She tried the door of Room 27 anddiscovered it was locked.
"I was afraid of this," Penny muttered.
Hesitating a moment she went on down the hall. Opening another door, theone which bore no number, she saw that she was to be blocked again in herinvestigation. The familiar guard sat at his usual post beside the doorof the Green Room.
Retreating without drawing attention to herself, Penny debated her nextaction. Unless she found a way to enter one of those two rooms ofmystery, her night would be wasted.
Moving softly down the hall, she paused to test the door to the right ofRoom 27. To her astonishment, it swung open when she turned the knob.
Theroom was dark and deserted.
Penny stepped inside, closing the door behind her. Her flashlight beamdisclosed only a dusty, bare bedroom, its sole furnishing a thicklypadded carpet.
Going to the window, Penny raised it and gazed at the wide ledge whichshe had noted from below. If she had perfect balance, if the window ofRoom 27 were unlocked, if her lame ankle did not let her down, she_might_ be able to span the distance! It would be dangerous and she mustrun the risk of being observed by persons on the grounds of the hotel.Penny gazed down at the frozen yard far below and shuddered.
"I've been pretty lucky in my falls so far," she thought. "But I have afeeling if I slip this time it will be my last."
Penny pulled herself through the window. As the full force of the windstruck her body, threatening to hurl her from her precarious perch, shenearly lost her courage. She clung to the sill for a moment, and thenwithout daring to look down, inched her way along the ledge.
Reaching the other window in safety, she tried to push it up. For adreadful instant, Penny was certain she could not. But it gave sosuddenly she nearly lost her balance. Holding desperately to the sill,she recovered, and raised the window.
Penny dropped lightly through the opening into the dark room. Pains wereshooting through her ankle, but so great was her excitement she scarcelywas aware of any discomfort.
She flashed her light about the room. As she had suspected, there weretwo teletype machines, neither of which was in operation. A chair hadbeen pulled up to a direct-keyboard machine similar to one Penny had seenin her father's newspaper office. Save for a wooden table the roomcontained nothing else.
Penny went over to the machines and focused her light upon the paper inthe rollers. It was blank.
"This is maddening!" she thought. "I take a big risk to get in here andwhat do I find--nothing!"
Footsteps could be heard coming down the hallway. Penny remainedperfectly still, expecting the person to pass on. Instead, the noiseceased altogether and a key grated in the door lock.
In panic, Penny glanced frantically about. She could not hope to get outthe window in time to escape detection. The only available hiding placewas a closet.
Switching off her light, Penny opened the door. Stepping inside, sheclosed it softly behind her.