CHAPTER 12 _THE PROFESSOR'S HELPER_
Climbing the hill, Penny and Louise sought their parked car. The day hadbeen an interesting one, replete with surprises, and yet another surprisewas in store.
As they were ready to drive away, a man came slowly down the road, cutacross the Leonard yard and vanished down a path which led toward BlueHole Lake.
"See that fellow!" Penny exclaimed.
"Why, yes," agreed Louise, surprised by her chum's tense manner. "Whatabout him?"
"I'm sure he's Webb!"
"Webb?"
"The man who was pushed off the _Snark_ and who stole Ben's watch!"
"What would he be doing here?"
"That's exactly what I want to learn! I'd like to get Ben's watch backfor him!" Quickly Penny pushed open the car door and jumped out.
"What are you going to do, Penny?" Louise asked anxiously.
"Follow that man and learn for certain who he is!"
"But it's late," Louise protested. "Besides, he looks like an unpleasantsort of individual."
Penny paid no heed, but started off in pursuit of the stranger. He hadalready disappeared among the trees and was well on his way toward thelake. Not wishing to be deserted, Louise quickly followed her chum.
"He's going to the professor's shack!" Penny observed a moment later.
"Perhaps he is another prospective buyer of the secret ray machine,"Louise speculated. "Business seems to be rushing today."
Penny was not convinced. "I'm sure it is Webb," she declared. "If we canforce him to admit his identity, we may get Ben's watch back."
Not wishing to attract attention, the girls paused behind a large rock onthe hillside. From there they could watch the man without being seen.
He walked directly to the shack and tapped on the door. In a moment itwas opened by the professor, who looked anything but pleased to see thenew arrival. Closing the door behind him as if fearful that Mr. Johnsonwould hear, he stepped out of doors.
The girls were too far away to overhear the conversation, but they sawthe two men talk earnestly together for a moment. Then the man theybelieved to be Webb, walked on down the hill toward the lake's edge.Professor Bettenridge reentered the shack.
"Now what?" inquired Louise, straightening up from a cramped positionbehind the rock.
"Let's follow Webb. I have a hunch he may be the assistant ProfessorBettenridge told Mr. Johnson about."
"But the man wasn't expected here until tomorrow."
"Which may or may not have been true, Lou. There's more to this deal thanmeets the eye. Let's see what we can learn."
Already the man had disappeared from view, so the girls walked swiftlyafter him. Reaching the lake's edge, they saw him striding along thesandy beach. Apparently he had no suspicion that he was being trailed,for he did not glance backward.
Presently the girls noticed another shack which had been erected in aclump of trees a few yards back from the beach. It was much smaller thanthe other little house, a mere box-like structure with a flat, low roof.
Walking directly toward it, the man unfastened a padlock and went inside.He closed the door behind him.
"Now what is he doing in there?" Penny fretted, as minutes elapsed andthe man remained inside the building. "Listen!"
Both girls could hear a peculiar grinding sound as if from machineryturning inside the shack. The building was windowless, so it wasimpossible to see what was going on.
"This is maddening!" Penny muttered with increasing impatience. "Iwonder--?" She broke off, and gazed thoughtfully at the flat roof of theshack.
"Lou, how is that building lighted?" she demanded.
"From here it looks as if there might be double panels of glass in theroof--a make-shift skylight."
"Lou, if we could get up there, we might be able to see what is goingon!"
"And get caught too!"
"Not if we're careful. We can climb that tree which brushes against it,and perhaps see from there."
"What if we should be caught?"
"We'll decide that part when the time comes," Penny chuckled. "Thisshould be fun."
Circling the shack, they climbed into the low-hanging boughs of a giant,scraggly maple tree. Inch by inch lest they make a sound which wouldbetray them, they climbed out on the heavy branches.
"Penny, we're taking an awful chance," her chum murmured nervously. "Ifthat man should look up--"
"He won't," Penny whispered confidently. "He's too busy with whateverhe's doing."
Lying flat on the branch, she could look directly through the glass. Inthe room below she saw at least four large, oval-shaped mines withoutdetonators, made of steel.
Evidently the man had finished whatever work had brought him to theshack, for he laid aside a tool, and then went out the door, carefullylocking it behind him again.
"We were too late," Penny whispered in disgust after the man was a safedistance down the beach. "I wish I knew why he came here! One thing iscertain, he's mixed up with Professor Bettenridge on this secret rayinvention."
"Do you still believe the man is the one who was pushed off the _Snark_?"
"Yes, I do, and that part we can learn!" Realizing that much valuabletime was being wasted, Penny slid down from the tree, snagging a stockingin the process. She helped Louise to reach the ground.
"What's the plan now?" her chum asked.
"Webb evidently is returning either to Professor Bettenridge's shack orto town. Let's overtake him and I'll ask a few questions. After helpingfish him out of the river, I certainly have the right."
The man walked directly toward the shack which contained the secret rayapparatus, but when he drew close, paused and whistled twice as if insignal. No response came from within the cabin. Seemingly the manexpected none, for he turned and selected a trail which led toward theroad.
At that moment, the shack door opened. Professor Bettenridge, his wife,and Mr. Johnson came out together, chatting pleasantly. Without payingthe slightest heed to Webb, they walked toward the farmhouse.
"What do you make of all that?" Louise asked in perplexity.
"I'm not sure," Penny admitted. "But I have a suspicion the professordoesn't want Mr. Johnson to know Webb is here today. He might insist on atest of the secret ray machine."
"Why all the mystery? Professor Bettenridge certainly can't expect tosell the invention unless he can give a successful demonstration."
"I suspect that may be the point, Lou. Things aren't properly set for asuccessful test today. Tomorrow night may be a different story."
"But if the machine is as good as the professor claims, it should explodemines as well one time as another."
"It should," Penny agreed, "but whether or not it does, is a horse of adifferent color. My guess is that the professor is a fraud, and that Webbhelps him in his scheme."
The man believed to be Webb walked so rapidly that the girls realizedthey would lose sight of him unless they hastened on. Cutting across afield, they were able to get ahead of him.
"Yes, it's Webb," Penny whispered as they waited for the man to approach."I'm certain."
Not until he was quite close did the man see the girls. Momentarilystartled at recognizing Penny, he ignored her, and would have passedwithout a word.
"Webb!" she exclaimed. "Don't you remember me?"
The man halted, gazing at her with ice-cold, unfriendly eyes.
"Webb ain't my name," he said gruffly. "I never saw you before."
"You may not remember. I helped pull you out of the river after you hadfallen from the deck of the _Snark_."
"Are you coo-coo?" the man demanded. "I don't know what you're talkingabout."
"I think you do," Penny said, losing patience. "You stayed with BenBartell at his shack by the river. For saving your life, you repaid himby stealing his watch!"
"Say, young lady, better be careful what you're sayin'!" the man snapped."No one can accuse me of being a
thief!"
"I want Ben's watch."
The man started on down the road, but Louise and Penny stood theirground, blocking his way.
"I want the watch!" Penny repeated firmly. "If you won't give it up, I'llreport you to the police."
"Oh, you will, eh?" The man whirled toward her, his face convulsed withanger. "You'll get no watch from me, but here's something to teach you tomind your own business!"
With a cruel laugh, he pushed her so hard that she sprawled backwardsinto the ditch.