Saboteurs on the River Part 37

CHAPTER 25 _A BOW IN THE CLOUD_

In the radio room of the _Eloise III_, Mr. Parker, Jerry, and the three girls hovered at the elbow of Commodore Phillips who sat at the radio-telephone.

"I've done all I can," the Commodore said, putting aside the instrument.

"The Coast Guard station has acknowledged our message. Now we must wait."

The _Eloise_ which had picked up Mr. Parker's party, was heading at full steam toward the Seventh Street Bridge. Unmindful of the rain, the young people went out on deck. Huddling in the lee of the cabin, they anxiously watched and listened.

"It's one fifteen," said Mr. Parker, glancing at his watch. "Any minute now--"

A loud report sounded over the water.

"The bridge!" gasped Louise. "It's been dynamited!"

"No, no!" exclaimed the Commodore impatiently. "That was gunfire! The Coast Guard boat has gone into action!"

A moment later those aboard the _Eloise_ saw a flash of fire and heard another loud report.

"You may rest easy now," said the Commodore, relaxing. "With the Coast Guard on the job, that saboteur hasn't a chance. If he escapes with his life he'll be lucky."

Penny sagged weakly against the railing of the _Eloise_. Now that she knew the bridge would be saved, she felt completely exhausted from the long period of suspense.

"Wessler can't be the only one involved in this plot," she heard her father say. "There must be others."

"Oh, there are!" Penny cried, recovering her strength. "Carl Oaks is a member of the outfit! He's waiting at a shack not far from the ark. And Burt Ottman is held a prisoner there!"

"Burt!" Sara exclaimed in horror. "Oh, why didn't you tell me!"

"In the excitement it just pa.s.sed out of my mind," Penny confessed. "I forgot about everything except saving the bridge!"

Once more Commodore Phillips busied himself on the radio telephone, this time contacting Riverview police. Before he left his desk he learned that a squad had been dispatched to the shack in the woods. Likewise, a message soon came from the Coast Guard station, informing him that Jard Wessler had been captured.

"Oh, I can't wait to see Burt," Sara declared, anxiously pacing the deck.

"He may be seriously hurt."

To ease the girl's mind, Commodore Phillips put the entire party ash.o.r.e not far from the entrance to Bug Run. Hastening through the woods, Mr.

Parker and the young people reached the shack only a few minutes after the arrival of police.

"What became of Carl Oaks?" the newspaper owner asked a sergeant. "Did you get him?"

The policeman indicated a downcast figure who sat handcuffed inside the patrol car. Oaks, he explained, had been captured without a struggle.

"And Burt Ottman?" Mr. Parker inquired.

"They're taking him to the ambulance now."

Four men came out of the shack bearing the injured young man on a stretcher. Pale but conscious, he grinned as Sara tearfully bent over him.

"I'm okay, Sis," he mumbled. "Feelin' swell."

Sara was allowed to ride with her brother to the hospital. Remaining behind, Mr. Parker, Jerry and the girls, tried to learn from police officers if Burt had made any statement.

"Sure, he was able to spill the whole story," one of the men told them.

"Seems he set out to prove that he was innocent of any a.s.sociation with the saboteurs. Instead of cooperating with police, he went to work on his own. He investigated an organization known as the American Protective Society. That put him on the trail of a head waiter at The Green Parrot, a foreigner by the name of Jard Wessler."

"I understand now why Burt acted so queer about that billfold he lost along the river," Penny commented. "He didn't want me to know that he was meeting one of the saboteurs at the Parrot."

"How many were involved in the dynamiting plot?" Mr. Parker asked.

"Twelve or thirteen. According to Ottman, Jard Wessler is the brains of the group. By pretending to go along with them, the kid gathered a lot of evidence."

"But at first the saboteurs tried to throw the guilt on Burt," Penny protested.

"True," nodded the policeman. "They used a boat stolen from the Ottman dock, and they planted evidence to make it appear that Burt was the guilty one."

"Then why would they take up with him later?" Penny asked in perplexity.

"They never did. One of the saboteurs met him at The Green Parrot to try to learn how much the kid knew. Young Ottman was slugged over the head when he tried to get into a bas.e.m.e.nt room where the gang held their meetings."

"I guess that explains why we found Burt lying outside in the alley," Mr.

Parker remarked. "It's a pity he couldn't have told us what he was attempting to do."

"The kid did get a lot of evidence," resumed the officer. "With the information he's given us, we expect to mop up the entire gang."

"Louise and I found him a prisoner here at the shack," Penny remarked slowly. "I suppose in seeking evidence, he tangled with the saboteurs again."

"Yes, young Ottman was foolhardy. He was caught spying a second time and they slugged him. Lucky for him his injuries aren't likely to prove serious."

Mr. Parker and Jerry asked many more questions, knowing the story would rate important play in the _Riverview Star_. Turning Penny and Louise over to Mr. Sidell who belatedly joined the party, the two newspaper men rushed off to scoop rival papers.

"Dad didn't even take time to say he was glad we escaped from those saboteurs!" Penny complained to Louise. "Isn't that a newspaper man for you!"

Before another hour had elapsed, reporters and photographers from other papers swarmed the woods. Louise and Penny were quizzed regarding the capture of the three saboteurs. Determined that the _Star_ should print an exclusive story, they had very little to say.

Hours later, at home, Penny learned that police had lost no time in acting upon information provided by Burt Ottman. The entire group of men known to be a.s.sociated with Jard Wessler had been arrested at a Fourteenth Street club. A complete confession had been signed by Carl Oaks who claimed that he was not a member of the gang, but had been hired to do as instructed.

"Well, the _Star_ scooped every paper in town," Mr. Parker remarked, as he put aside the front page. "That's not important, however, compared to saving the Seventh Street Bridge."

"How about your daughter?" Penny asked, rumpling his hair. "Aren't you one speck glad about saving me?"

"I've been reserving a special lecture for you," he said, pretending to be stern. "Young ladies who go running about at night--"

"Never mind," laughed Penny, "If Lou and I hadn't done our prowling, I guess you wouldn't have any old Seventh Street Bridge!"

Actually Mr. Parker was very proud of his daughter and showed it in many ways. He would not allow Mrs. Weems to scold her for the night's escapade. Learning that she was worried about Old Noah, he promised to talk to Sheriff Anderson and do what he could for the old fellow. The next morning, he and Penny started off to see Noah, stopping enroute at the hospital.

"Oh, I'm so glad you came!" Sara Ottman greeted them at her brother's bedside. "Burt and I owe you so much. I've been very unpleasant--"