CHAPTER VI
The Menacing Stranger
Terry and Prim had been racking their brains, feverishly trying toplan some way of escape from their prison. But late that afternoontheir hopes were dashed to the ground. Just as Sally returned to thehouse and before she could tell them of her discovery, Jim Heronordered his captives upstairs into a rear room under the roof. In onegnarled fist he held a key, a rusty antique fully eight inches long,which looked as if it had been meant for a dungeon.
Terry pleaded with the old man for she had a horror of being lockedup. She frantically promised him money; more money than Bud Hyslop wasgiving him if he would let them go, but Jim Heron shook his head.
“Nothin’ doin’, young lady! You can’t raise as much money as Bud haspromised; that I’m sure of. Anyhow I promised Bud Hyslop that I’d keepyou under lock and key, and I’m goin’ to do it. I’m a man of my word.What I promise, I stick to!”
Jim threw out his chest as he boasted of his honesty, then he addedsharply, “Look here, if you girls hadn’t wanted trouble, you shouldn’thave come all the way up here huntin’ for it. You should have stayedat home where girls belong.”
Then Terry threatened him with the law, when her friends found outwhat he had done to her, but Jim Heron only sneered and showed hisyellow fangs. “Into the room you go!” he snarled. “I’m not afeared ofthe law. In Fish Cove, _I’m_ the law! All the law there is!”
A glimpse of Sally’s excited face was the last thing that Terry andPrim saw before the oaken door closed on them and the key grated inthe lock. The next moment the sisters were facing each other withpuzzled and angry looks, for Sally’s voice came to them through theclosed door. She was saying to Jim Heron, “That’s fine! Now we’ve gotthem where we want them. You can have your night’s sleep now. Justleave it to me; I’ll see that they don’t escape.”
And Jim Heron growled in reply, “I’m going to keep the key under mypillow tonight. You keep watch, for if they do get loose, I’ll skinyou alive.”
“So that’s that!” stormed Terry. “Sally’s our jailer. And we thoughtwe could trust that girl!”
Prim was on the verge of tears, and Terry continued wrathfully,“Aren’t we a couple of saps to be taken in by that lying little cat!We listened to her sad story and swallowed it all. How she must havelaughed at us! Probably there wasn’t a word of truth in it. If you askme, I think she’s Jim Heron’s daughter.”
“I’ll say we’re dumb!” replied Prim. “What makes me feel sore is thatwe told her a lot of our plans, thinking she was our friend. Thisought to be a lesson to us, never to trust anybody again.”
But while Prim was raging, her sister suddenly burst out laughing. Itwas real laughter this time. There was nothing forced about it. Shepointed to the roughly plastered wall opposite the windows where hunga framed motto worked in brightly colored wool yarn. It read, “Home,Sweet Home.”
Even in her anger, Prim had to smile at that innocent text. “So thisis Home, Sweet Home!” she chuckled. “Can you tie that! Let’s see whatit is like.”
The room was extremely plain, bare and ugly. Against the wall underthe motto stood a broad, old-fashioned four-poster bed. There was asmall table with a lamp on it and in one corner stood a shabby washstand with a cracked mirror above it.
“We can thank our stars they gave us a lamp,” said Prim. “I’d bescared here in the dark. It’s a wonder they trusted us with a light.You’d think they would be afraid we would set fire to the house.”
“If the place were wood, I’d do that very thing,” declared Terryangrily. “Then they’d _have_ to unlock the door!”
“Terry Mapes! Aren’t you ashamed to talk like that? You know wellenough you’d never do such a thing. Anyway, you’ll never get a chance.This house is built of stone all through.”
“Worse luck! How are we ever going to get out? Are we to stay here forweeks and weeks until Bud Hyslop gets the ransom money out of BennettGraham? It would take a long time to make the old skinflint part withhis bankroll. In the meantime Syd and Allan may be injured, or evenkilled.”
“You shouldn’t say such things about Allan’s father. Bennett Grahamwill pay the money in a day or two. He just worships Allan. You knowthat. So there is nothing for us to do but wait and see what happens.We’re locked in this old prison, and here we will have to stay untileverything is over.” Prim dusted a chair and sat down as if she weresettled.
“Wait and see!” echoed Terry scornfully. “That kind of talk makes memad! And I’m blue as can be, when I think of being kept prisoner inthis terrible place.”
But Terry was not the kind of girl to stay depressed very long whenshe might think out a plan. “Now, Prim,” she exclaimed, “What’s to bedone? The door is locked, the windows are too narrow to climb through.What will we do now?”
“Let’s count our blessings,” said Prim. “Mother says there is always_something_ to be thankful for.”
“All right. Let’s begin.” Terry looked about the room. “Here’s a bigbed. That’s something. It’s hard as a rock, but who cares! Let’s seewhat is under these home-made quilts. No wonder they were called crazyquilts. It makes you crazy just to look at them.”
While she chattered, Terry examined the bed. It was clean andspotless, and the mattress was filled with fresh straw.
“Things might be much worse,” answered Prim. “Look what the mattressrests on. No wonder it’s hard, for there are no springs at all butjust a network of ropes stretched criss-cross. It’s a real antique.”
Terry exclaimed, “A rope! Just what a prisoner needs—in stories, thatis! We might tie somebody with it while we escape. Or we might make arope ladder and go out through the window. Rope is awfully useful instories.”
“But in real life it’s not so good,” answered her sister. “As we can’tsqueeze through these slits of windows, a rope ladder is no use. Let’sthink of something else, Terry. There must be a way out if we couldonly find it.”
“Who says so? You needn’t overdo the business of being cheerful on myaccount.” Terry gave a toss of her head.
“We have the lamp to be thankful for,” insisted Prim. “Maybe you canfind some old books in the closet, and we can read all evening andforget our worries.” But her teasing brought no smile from Terry, whoremained steeped in gloom. Prim turned on her sharply. “Snap out ofit, Terry Mapes! A girl like you ought to be able to think herself outof any kind of a scrape,” she cried. “If you are in the air and getinto a jam, you always think fast and find a way out. Many a time I’veseen you pull your plane out of a tailspin and make a perfect landing.And that is lots more dangerous than just being locked in this room.Now quit your nonsense and do some headwork.”
“All right,” answered Terry. “I’ll try, even if it does lookhopeless.” She went once more to examine the windows. It was no use.Escape was impossible that way. The door was solid as a rock. Then sheopened the door of the closet, which was dark and hung with oldclothes. As her eyes got used to the darkness, she gave a little cryof excitement.
“Look up there, Prim. See that little crack of light. There must be atrap-door to the roof. Quick, give me a chair to stand on. No, thetable is better. Quiet! Don’t let them hear us!”
Climbing on the table, which was dragged to the closet, Terry couldreach the square trap-door and loosen the rusty iron latch that heldit. She raised it a few inches and daylight streamed into the closetlike a ray of hope.
“There’s our way to freedom!” exclaimed Terry. Quietly she lowered thetrap-door and sprang to the floor. “Now let’s see about that rope,”she said. “First we’ll put the table back in its corner, in case JimHeron comes back.”
The girls threw the mattress to the floor and examined the network ofrope, which seemed good and strong. Quickly they removed it, leavingjust enough strands to hold the mattress, and Prim coiled it neatlyand hid it in the closet. There was nothing more to do until darknessfell. They sat close together discussing in whispers what they woulddo, once they were free. Wh
ere would they go first? What would theydo? They agreed that their best hope of escape was to get to the_Comet_.
Suddenly a scratching sound at the door attracted their attention,followed by the patter of retreating footsteps. A paper had beenshoved under the crack of the door and Terry snatched it up and readthe message in a childish handwriting:
“Bud came back with another man in another plane. Don’t worry. WhenJim is asleep tonight, I’ll try to get you out. Burn this letter.Sally.”
Terry sniffed disdainfully. “Nothing doing, you little cheat! We heardyou talking to Jim Heron, and we know you’re a traitor.”
But Prim asked anxiously, “Who could that other man be? He came in aplane. Could it be Allan or Syd?”
“No such luck! It’s another enemy. The mystery grows every minute, butwe’re going to win. We’ve _got_ to win!”
They were interrupted by Jim Heron, who passed some food through thedoor. He looked around suspiciously but said nothing, only grinned intriumph and showed his snaggle teeth as he left.
The girls were too nervous to eat much. Carefully they made a parcelof the remaining food for future use. If they escaped, they might needit badly.
After hours of suspense, darkness came at last and then Terrywhispered, “Let’s get out of here. I’ll choke if I stay anotherminute.”
As Terry dragged the table under the trap-door and raised it, hersister cried, “Oh do be careful!” but Terry answered, “Everything’s O.K. I’m on the roof already. Throw me the rope and I’ll help you up.”With a vigorous tug, she pulled Prim through the narrow door.
The girls breathed in the cool night air with relief. The fog hadlifted. Stars were shining overhead.
“So far, so good!” Terry whispered. “Now help me fasten the rope tothe chimney.”
Moving carefully on the steep roof, the girls made fast the rope, thenTerry let herself to the eaves and looked over. It was a long drop tosafety, for the rear of the house was built above a ravine, with onlya narrow ledge of rock for a foothold. Yet escape from the front wasimpossible. Joe Heron might come out of the door and seize them.
“Are you game to try it?” asked Terry.
“I’m scared already, but I’ll go through with it,” Prim replied.
“I’m scared too. But it’s the only way,” said Terry.
“You’re never scared when you’re flying,” answered Prim. “You do loopsand side-slips and all kinds of stunts, and you never seem to worry.”
“That’s different. In a plane I feel safe. I guess it’s because I’m aborn flyer. Come on, Prim, let’s go!”
“Wait, Terry. We must go down hand over hand. Let’s tie knots in therope for a hand hold.”
“Of course. Wasn’t I stupid to forget that!” Hastily the girls tiedbig knots at intervals, then let the rope down at the rear of thehouse. It seemed like a terrible distance to the ledge, and the ravinebelow it was dark and terrifying. Prim gasped:
“Oh, Terry. Let’s turn back. If you lose your grip, you’ll be killed.”
But for answer Terry swung off, over the eaves and began lettingherself down, hand over hand. Without the knots she would have beenlost and even as it was, the pain in her hands was terrible, but in aminute her feet touched the ground, and she gave a low whistle as asignal for Prim.
Terry waited for her sister with outstretched arms, and Prim almostfell the last ten feet, sinking limply into Terry’s arms.
“It was terrible,” she gasped. “I wouldn’t try that again for athousand dollars.”
“Brace up,” whispered Terry. “We’re all right now. But Gee, I thoughtI was a goner!”
“So did I— Hush. What was that noise?”
A window had been raised in the house. Terry and Prim hugged the wall,hardly daring to breathe. Footsteps were heard in the house andsomeone opened the front door.
“Now we’re in for it!” whispered Prim. “Let’s run. It’s Jim Heron.”
But Terry looked around the corner of the wall and said softly, “It’sthat girl, Sally Wyn. The little traitor! Keep still, she may not seeus. If she does, we’ll fight her off and run.”
The sisters remained motionless and quiet while Sally went to an oldshed and back, dragging something heavy. After she was out of sight,and the house was quiet, Terry pressed Prim’s hand, and said:
“Now is our chance. Come on.”
Tiptoeing along the hard ledge, the girls reached the front of thehouse. No one was in sight. They slipped along the path to the road,and Terry muttered, “Safe at last. We’re free!”
But at that moment a figure rose from the bushes beside them with astartled cry. It was Sally Wyn.
Terry flung herself upon the girl. “Little sneak!” she cried.
Holding one hand over Sally’s mouth to silence her, Terry dragged herto the road, and then she and Prim hurried away, with the girl betweenthem. When they were some distance from the house, they stoppedrunning and Terry took her prisoner by both arms, shaking herviolently. “Why did you double-cross us?” she demanded angrily. “Whydid you pretend to be friendly when you were helping Jim Heron? Youlittle traitor!”
“I’m not a traitor. I’m not against you. I was out getting a ladderfrom the shed, to help you down from the roof,” Sally cried.
“Don’t tell me any more lies. We heard you telling Jim Heron it was agood thing he locked us up. You promised to stand guard over us. Andbefore that you pretended to be our friend.”
“But Terry, I _am_ your friend! I had to say that to Jim, so he wouldgo to sleep tonight and leave me on guard. Can’t you see?”
Prim looked at the girl, who was now sobbing in distress, and saidgently, “I believe you, Sally. You are telling the truth.”
Terry voiced her disapproval at first, but finally owned up that shehad been mistaken. “I’m sorry, Sally,” she said. “Shake hands andforgive me. Now let’s get away from here.”
“I’ll take you to where the _Comet_ is hidden,” said Sally. “Come on.”
In the darkness she led them up the trail and at the summit shewhispered, “Not a sound!” and peered through the bushes. A smallcampfire glowed not far away, and beside it two men were sleeping.
While she watched, the stranger leaned forward to stir the campfireand as the blaze leaped up they saw a smartly dressed man of slightbuild whose black eyes glittered in the firelight. One of thosejet-black eyes had a cast, which gave him a crafty and dangerousaspect. His thin lips denoted a cruel and grasping character. Terryclutched her sister’s arm in dismay.
“It’s Arnold! Joe Arnold!” she gasped. “Dad’s worst enemy!”