Penny Nichols and the Mystery of the Lost Key

by Joan Clark

  CHAPTER XVII The Man in the Boat

  Penny and Rosanna approached the mine entrance cautiously, fearing thatsomeone in the vicinity might observe their movements. However, the placeseemed deserted.

  "The rowboat is gone," Penny commented as she pulled aside a clump ofbushes to survey the spot where it had been hidden.

  "Why, it is! Perhaps the ghost has come and left."

  "I certainly hope not. That would ruin everything. Anyway, we'll wait andsee. It's early yet."

  After investigating the shore line thoroughly, they found an excellenthiding place in a dense thicket not far from the entrance to the mine.Then they settled themselves to wait.

  "What time is it?" Rosanna yawned.

  "Only a little after nine. We'll have a long siege of it."

  The night was cold and damp. Although both girls had worn sweaters theysoon grew uncomfortable and huddled close together for warmth. Rosannatried not to show her nervousness but even the screech of an owl startledher. She was aware of every sound and any unusual movement caused her togrow tense.

  "You'll be a wreck long before midnight," Penny declared. "We're armedand there's nothing to fear."

  Rosanna made a supreme effort to relax but it was not until several hourshad elapsed that she began to grow accustomed to her surroundings. Penny,on the other hand, found it difficult to remain awake.

  At first she riveted her attention upon the lake but as there was noevidence of a boat, soon lost interest. For a time she watched thetwinkling lights at Raven Ridge but one by one they disappeared until theold mansion on the hill was cloaked in darkness.

  "Now that the household has gone to bed our ghost should be starting inon his night's work," she remarked hopefully to Rosanna.

  Another half hour dragged by. Still no one came. Even Rosanna found itincreasingly difficult to fight off drowsiness.

  "I don't believe the ghost is coming tonight," she declared.

  "It begins to look that way. But perhaps it's still too early. Surely itcan't be any more than midnight."

  "It seems later than that," Rosanna sighed. "My back is nearly broken."

  A few minutes later, from far over the hills, the girls heard the faintchiming of a town clock. They counted twelve strokes.

  Minutes passed and still there was no sign of any visitor. At length,Penny arose to stretch her cramped limbs.

  "I thought I heard something just then!" Rosanna whispered tensely.

  Penny stood listening.

  "You're right. I can hear oars dipping in and out of the water. It mustbe a boat coming this way."

  Peering out through the bushes, the girls surveyed the lake. It was toodark to distinguish objects but they distinctly could hear the rhythmicalsplash made by the moving oars.

  "See anything?" Penny demanded.

  "Not yet--oh, yes, now I do. It is a boat, Penny."

  "And it's heading right for this spot! Let's creep a little closer to theopening of the tunnel."

  Stealthily they changed positions but remained well hidden by a screen ofbushes.

  The boat by this time had drawn into the tiny cove. However, the nightwas so dark that neither of the girls was able to distinguish thefeatures of the man who crouched in the stern.

  He beached the boat and carefully drew it up into the bushes. Next helighted a lantern, but his back was toward the girls and they did not seehis face.

  "Who can it be?" Rosanna whispered.

  Penny gripped her companion's hand as a warning to remain silent.

  The man with the lantern looked quickly about and then moved swiftly intothe mouth of the tunnel.

  "We must follow him," Penny urged.

  They waited a minute, then noiselessly stole from their hiding place. Asthey peered into the dark mine tunnel they could see a moving light farahead.

  Fearing that they might lose sight of the man, the girls hastened theirsteps. They did not walk as quietly as they imagined, for soon the manahead paused.

  With one accord Penny and Rosanna froze against the tunnel wall.

  As the man turned to look back, the light from the lantern shone fullupon his face.

  It was Caleb Eckert.

  Rosanna and Penny remained flat against the wall scarcely daring tobreathe. Would they be seen?

  Apparently satisfied that no one was behind him in the tunnel, Calebturned and walked slowly on.

  "That was a narrow escape," Penny whispered. "He nearly saw us."

  Rosanna was a trifle shaken. She had not expected to see Caleb Eckert.

  "I suspected it several days ago but I wasn't absolutely certain," Pennytold her.

  "But what purpose can he have in playing such pranks?" Rosanna asked inbewilderment. "Caleb seemed rather nice even if he was gruff andoutspoken. I never dreamed he'd resort to anything like this."

  "Don't take it so hard," Penny advised. "He may have a reason for what heis doing."

  The light had disappeared. The girls hurriedly moved on, fearing thatthey might lose sight of the old man entirely. With nothing to guide themit was difficult to find their way.

  "It's lucky we explored in the daytime or we'd have trouble following,"Rosanna declared. "The ground is so rough."

  Even as she spoke she stubbed her toe on a rock and would have fallen hadnot Penny caught her by the arm.

  They came presently to the first flight of stairs and were relieved toglimpse the lantern far above them. Taking care to keep out of range ofthe beam, they followed through the narrower passage to the second flightof steps.

  By this time the girls were positive that Caleb intended to enter thehouse by means of the secret panel. At the risk of detection they drew alittle closer.

  Caleb paused at the head of the stairs to listen for a moment. Then heblew out his lantern.

  Sensing that the old man would unlock the panel, Penny stole forward. Shewas just in time to see a section of the wall drop down. Caleb passedthrough the opening and with a click the panel closed behind him.

  "Now what shall we do?" Rosanna demanded. "We're locked in here the sameas we were before."

  "I think I saw the place where he pressed the wall," Penny whispered. "Iwas watching closely."

  For several minutes she groped about in the dark. At last her fingerstouched a small knob.

  "I believe I've found it," she proclaimed triumphantly.

  As she was on the verge of turning the knob, she stayed her hand. WithCaleb in the organ room he would be certain to see the panel open. Therewas danger too that he might return at any instant to find them crouchingat the head of the stairs.

  "Shouldn't we turn back?" Rosanna whispered nervously.

  "Let's wait until he begins to play the organ."

  They listened expectantly. Minutes passed but not a strain of music didthey hear.

  "That's queer," Penny murmured. "I'm sure Caleb is the one who has beendisturbing the household with his ghost music. Why doesn't he play ashe's always done before?"

  They both knew that the wall was not soundproof. For that matter theycould hear old Caleb walking about in the room.

  "He must be up to new tricks tonight," Penny whispered.

  "He'll be coming back here any minute. Let's get away before he catchesus."

  Penny was reluctant to leave, for it struck her that Caleb Eckert hadcome to the Winters' house for a different purpose than that of his usualnightly visit. She was curious to learn what it was.

  "Listen!" she warned, as they heard a strange noise from within.

  "It sounded like a door closing," Rosanna declared.

  "That's exactly what I think it was. Caleb must have gone out of theroom. We'll be safe in entering now."

  To make certain she listened for a few minutes but there was no sound ofmovement from within. Convinced that the coast was clear, she gropedabout for the knob which opened the panel.

  It turned in her hand. She heard a sharp metallic click, and almostbefore she was pre
pared for it, the panel swung open. It closed againbefore either of the girls could recover from their surprise.

  However, Penny turned the knob a second time and as the section of wallswung back, both girls stepped through into the room.

  As they had expected, it was deserted.

  "Where do you suppose he went?" Rosanna murmured.

  They tiptoed to the outside door and softly opened it. The hall was dark.At first they could distinguish nothing. Then Penny noticed that the dooropening upon the second floor corridor was ajar.

  "He went downstairs," she whispered. "Let's find out what he's up to."

  The stairs creaked alarmingly as they crept down to the second floor. Onthe landing they hesitated an instant and were relieved to hear nounusual sound.

  They peered into the long corridor and saw that it was empty. Caleb wasnowhere to be seen.

  "Perhaps he brought another bat for Mrs. Leeds' room," Rosanna suggested,glancing toward the chamber which the woman shared with her daughter.

  The door, however, was tightly closed. The one at the other end of thehall which opened into Max Laponi's room was slightly ajar. Rosanna andPenny failed to notice.

  Somewhere on the lower floor a board creaked. The two girls movednoiselessly to the stairway and looked down over the banister.

  Even Penny was unprepared for the sight which greeted her eyes. CalebEckert was working at the dials of the living room safe!