CHAPTER 22 _A SEARCHING PARTY_
"Now we'll have no more nonsense," said the man who held the revolver."Stand over there against the tree."
Penny and Louise were so frightened that they trembled violently.
"You'll not be harmed if you do exactly as you're told," the waiterassured them.
"Why not let us go home?" Penny ventured, recovering her courage.
"Not tonight, my dear." The man smiled grimly. "Unfortunately, you havelearned too much regarding my affairs."
"Then what are you going to do with us?" Penny demanded.
Apparently, the waiter did not himself know. While he guarded the girls,he cast a quick glance toward the ark. Just then running footsteps wereheard in the woods, and someone whistled twice. The waiter answered thesignal. A moment later, Carl Oaks, quite winded, came into view.
"So you got 'em, eh?" he demanded with pleasure.
"The question is what to do with them."
"I don't want 'em at the shack," the old watchman complained. "When youngOttman comes around I may have my hands full with him."
"This ark should serve my purpose," the waiter muttered. "The old cootthat lives here has gone off somewhere. Oaks, get aboard and lookaround."
"There's no way to cross to it," the watchman said helplessly.
"Find the gangplank!" his companion ordered irritably. "It must be hiddensomewhere in the bushes."
Thus urged, Oaks searched along the river bank and soon came upon themissing plank. Fitting it into place, he quickly crossed to the ark. Adog started to bark, but the sound was choked off.
"Well?" called the waiter impatiently.
"No one here except the animals," Oaks reported, reappearing on deck."The only room that can be locked off is the cabin where the dope keepshis birds."
"That ought to do," decided the waiter. "We won't have to keep 'em herelong."
Penny and Louise were compelled to march across the gangplank, up thesteps to the bird room of the ark. The parrot, arousing from a doze,squawked a raucous welcome.
"Get in there and don't make any noise!" the waiter ordered. "If youshout for help or make any disturbance, you'll be bound and gagged. Andthat's not pleasant. Get me?"
"You seem to have got us," Penny retorted.
The door slammed and a bolt slid into place. Penny tiptoed at once to theporthole. It was much too small to permit an escape, but at least itprovided fresh air and a view of the shore.
"Well, well, well," cackled the parrot, tramping up and down on his wideperch. "Polly wants a slug o' rum."
"You'll get a slug, period, if you don't keep quiet," Penny said crossly."Give me a chance to think, will you?"
"Thinking won't get us out of this mess," murmured Louise, sitting downwith her back to a wall. "It must be after nine o'clock now. If Bill hadnotified our folks, they would be looking for us long before this."
In whispers the girls discussed their unfortunate situation. They werehopeful that eventually they would be released, but they could not expectfreedom until long after midnight.
"The Seventh Street Bridge will be blasted at one o'clock," Penny saidanxiously. "If it goes up, Riverview traffic will be paralyzed. Work atthe munition plant will stop cold."
"The saboteurs intend to blame Burt Ottman for the job too! Well, atleast we can tell police who the real plotters are."
"We can if we ever get out of here," Penny said, pacing the floor. "Oh,I'm as mad as a hornet!"
"Quiet down, and maybe we can hear something," Louise suggested calmly."I think those men are talking."
A murmur of voices could be heard from the third floor of the ark. Thepartitions were thin. By standing on one of the pigeon boxes, the girlsdiscovered they could understand nearly everything that was being said.
"Carl, you go back to the shack and keep an eye on Ottman," the waiterordered the watchman. "As soon as Breneham comes, send him here. We'llpull the job at one o'clock just as we planned."
"Okay, Jard," the other answered.
Getting down from the pigeon box, Penny watched Carl Oaks leave the ark.
"How about taking a chance and shouting for help?" Louise suggested in awhisper.
Penny shook her head. "Not now at least. I doubt anyone is within a mileof this place--that is, anyone friendly to us."
The girls were not to enjoy their porthole for long. Within a few minutesthe waiter tacked a strip of canvas over the opening. He then sat down ondeck directly beneath it, and the odor of his cigar drifted into theroom.
"That man must be Jard Wessler," Penny whispered to her chum. "Youremember Bill said he was hired to work for a fellow by the name ofWessler."
"I don't care who he is," muttered Louise. "All _I_ think about isgetting out of here."
The girls sat side by side, their backs to the wall. About them in boxesand cages, Noah's birds stirred restlessly. Polly, the parrot, kept upsuch a chatter that at length Penny covered the cage with a sack.
Time passed slowly. It seemed hours later that Penny and Louise heard thesound of a man's voice. The cry, though low, came from shore.
"Ark ahoy! Are you there, Wessler?"
"Come aboard," invited the one in command of the boat. "Oaks told youwhat happened?"
"Yeah, and I have more bad news." The newcomer had reached the ark andhis voice could be heard plainly by Louise and Penny. "A searching partyis out looking for those two girls. Heading this way too."
"In that case--"
The door of the bird room suddenly was thrust open and a flashbeamfocused upon the girls. They found themselves confronted by Jard Wesslerand a stranger. At least Penny's first thought was that she had neverseen him before. Then it came to her that he closely resembled the manwith whom Burt Ottman had dined at The Green Parrot.
Before either of the girls realized what was in store, they were seizedby the arms. Tape was plastered over their lips, and their limbs werebound.
"A precautionary measure," Wessler assured them. "You'll be releasedsoon."
Penny and Louise understood perfectly why they had been bound and gagged.Scarcely fifteen minutes elapsed before they heard the sound of men'svoices along shore. Soon thereafter someone hailed the ark. Penny's heartleaped for she recognized her father's voice.
"Hello, the ark!" he shouted.
Wessler responded, his voice casual and friendly.
"We're looking for two girls lost in the woods. Have you seen them?"
"Why, yes," Wessler answered. "A couple of girls went past here about anhour ago. They were on their way to the river."
"Then they must have started home," Mr. Parker replied, greatly relieved."By the way, you're not the one they call Noah, are you?"
"Just a friend of his."
"I see," responded Mr. Parker, apparently satisfied with the answer."Well, thanks. We've been worried about my daughter and her friend. It'sa relief to know they're on their way home."
In the dark bird room of the ark, Penny and Louise squirmed and twisted.Though they thumped their feet on the floor, the sound conveyed no hintof their plight to those on shore.
Mr. Parker called a cheery good night to Wessler. For a few minutes thegirls heard the sound of retreating footsteps in the underbrush. Then allwas still save for the restless stirring of the birds.