CHAPTER 18 _FLOOD WATERS_
Rain splattered steadily against the car windows as the noon passengertrain pulled from the Witch Falls station. Penny and Louise watched theplump drops join into fat rivulets which raced one another to the sill.Since saying goodbye to Mrs. Lear, Silas Malcom, and their other valleyfriends, they had not done much talking. They felt too discouraged.
"I wish we'd decided to catch the train at Delta," Penny remarked,settling herself for the long ride home. "Then we could have said goodbyeto Joe Quigley. We'll be passing through the station soon."
Louise nodded morosely.
"Things certainly ended in one grand mess," she commented. "Mrs. Lear gotthe deed to her property back, but the feud will be worse than ever now.Furthermore, we never did solve the Headless Horseman mystery--not thatit matters."
Reaching for a discarded newspaper which lay on the coach seat, Pennyshot her chum a quick, knowing look.
"Just what does that mean?" Louise demanded alertly.
Penny pretended not to understand.
"You gave me one of those wise-owl looks!" Louise accused. "Just as ifyou _had_ solved the mystery."
"I assure you I haven't, and never will now that we're leaving thevalley."
"But you do have an idea who was back of the scheme?"
"Mrs. Lear, of course. We saw that much with our own eyes."
"But we didn't learn who actually rode the horse. Or did you?"
"Not exactly."
"You do know then!"
"No," Penny denied soberly. "I noticed something about the rider thatmade me think--but then I'd better not say it."
"Please go on."
"No, I have no proof. It would only be a guess."
"I think you're mean to keep me in the dark," Louise pouted.
"Maybe I'll tell you my theory later," Penny replied, opening thenewspaper. "Just now, I'm not in the mood."
Both girls had been strangely depressed by their last few hours in thevalley. Mrs. Lear had refused to come with them or to seek refuge in thehills. Gleeful at her victory over Mrs. Burmaster, she had seemedinsensible to danger.
"Look at this headline," Penny said, indicating the black type of thenewspaper. "FLOOD MENACES RED VALLEY!"
Quickly the girls scanned the story. The account mentioned no facts newto them. It merely repeated that residents of the valley were alarmed byheavy up-state rains which had raised Lake Huntley to a dangerous heightbehind the dam.
"Wonder if Salt got any good pictures when he was here yesterday?" Pennymused. "Probably not. This is the sort of news story that doesn't amountto much unless the big calamity falls."
"You don't think the dam actually will give way?" Louise asked anxiously.
"How should I know? Even the experts can't agree."
"At any rate we're leaving here, and I'm glad. Somehow, I've had anuneasy feeling ever since last night."
Penny nodded and glanced from the car window again. Rain kept splashingfiercely against the thick pane, half obscuring the distant hills. Alongthe right of way, muddy water ran in deep torrents, washing fence andhedgerow.
As the train snailed along toward Delta, there was increasing evidence offlood damage. A row of shacks near the railroad tracks was halfsubmerged. Along the creek beds, giant trees bowed their branches to theswirling water. Many landmarks were completely blotted out.
"We're coming into Delta now," Penny presently observed. "Perhaps if wewatch sharp we'll see Joe Quigley and can say goodbye."
The train stopped with a jerk while still some distance from the station.Then it pulled to a siding and there it waited. After ten minutes Pennysauntered through the train, thinking that if she could find an opendoor, she might get out and walk to the depot. Stopping a porter who waspassing through the car, she asked him the cause of the delay.
"We'se waitin' fo' ordehs," the colored man answered. "Anyhow, dat's whatde cap'n says."
"The captain?"
"The conducteh o' dis heah train."
"Oh! And what does he say about the high water?"
"He says de track between heah and Hobostein's a foot undeh."
"Then that means the river must be coming up fast. Any danger we'll bestranded at Delta?"
"You betteh talk to de conductor," the porter said, jerking his headtoward a fat, bespectacled trainman who had just swung aboard the coach."Dat's Mr. Johnson."
Penny stopped the conductor to ask him what the chances were of gettingthrough the flooded area.
"Doesn't look so good," he rumbled. "The rails are under at Mile Posts792 and 825."
"Then we're tied up here?"
"No, we're going as far as we can," the conductor answered. "Thedispatcher's sending a work train on ahead to feel out the track. Butwe'll be lucky to make ten miles an hour."
Penny chatted with the conductor for a few minutes, then ambled back tothe coach where she had left Louise. The prospects were mostdiscouraging. At best it would be late afternoon before they could hopeto reach Riverview.
"I'm starving too," Louise said. "I suppose there's no diner on thistrain."
As a stop gap the girls hailed a passing vendor and bought candy bars.Having thus satisfied their hunger, they tried to read magazines.
Presently the car started with a jerk. However, instead of proceedingtoward the station it backed into the railroad yard.
"Now what?" Penny demanded impatiently. "Aren't we ever going to start?"
The porter hastened through the car, his manner noticeably nervous andtense. He paid no heed to a woman passenger who sought to detain him.
"Something's wrong!" Penny said with conviction.
"A wash-out, do you think?"
"Might be. Let's see what we can learn."
With a vague feeling of foreboding they could not have explained, thegirls arose and followed the porter. Something was amiss. They werecertain of it.
Losing sight of the colored man, they kept on until they reached the rearplatform. Penny started to open the screen door. Just then the trainwhistle sounded a shrill, unending blast.
Startled, Louise gripped her chum's hand, listening tensely.
In the car behind, they heard the conductor's husky voice. He wasshouting: "Run! Run, for your lives! Take to the hills!"
Penny was stunned for an instant. Then seizing Louise's arm, she pulledher out on the train platform. At first glance nothing appeared wrong.The tracks were well above the river level. Between the road bed and ahigh hill on the left, flood water was running like a mill race, but theditch was narrow and represented no immediate danger.
"Listen!" Penny cried.
From far away there came a deep, rumbling roar not unlike the sound ofdistant thunder.
Leaning far over the train platform railing, Penny gazed up the tracks.The sight which met her eyes left her momentarily paralyzed.
Down the valley charged a great wall of water, taking everything beforeit. Trees had been mowed down. Crushed houses were being carried alonglike children's blocks. Far up the track a switch engine was liftedbodily from the rails and hurled backwards.
Penny waited to see no more.
"The dam's given away!" she shouted. "Quick, Louise! Climb over therailing and run for your life!"
Hoofbeats on the Turnpike Page 18