Hoofbeats on the Turnpike Part 24

"Let 'em wonder where that came from!" the old lady chuckled gleefully.

"Let 'em wonder."

Wrapping her black coat about her, she quickly retreated into the woods.

CHAPTER 16 _A FRUITLESS SEARCH_

"We'll give Mrs. Lear a little start and then follow," Penny instructed.

"Undoubtedly she'll return to the brook to meet the Headless Horseman."

"Then you believe she's been behind the scheme from the first?" Louise asked, backing away from the cliff's crumbling edge. Below, on the grounds of Sleepy Hollow, men roved about with lighted lanterns.

Apparently no very vigorous effort was being made to pursue the mysterious rider into the woods.

"Who else?" Penny countered. "At least she's been a party to it."

"But she's not actually the rider. We know that."

"She certainly knows the ident.i.ty of the man," Penny said with conviction. "And we should too before the night's over. Come on!"

Fearful lest Mrs. Lear get too much of a start, the girls set off in pursuit. However, they had not gone far before they realized that the old lady was not returning to the brook. Instead she seemed to be heading for home.

"We didn't figure this so well after all!" Penny observed in deep disgust. "Now it's too late to go back to the brook, so we've lost our chance to learn who the fellow is."

"Maybe not," Louise said cheerfully. "Someone will have to bring Trinidad home."

They had now reached the main road with Mrs. Lear's cabin visible over the hill. Not once glancing over her shoulder, the old lady trod a muddy path to her own gate. Once inside the grounds, she peered up at the windows of the bedroom Penny and Louise had occupied. Satisfied that no light was burning, she quietly entered the house.

The two girls waited for awhile in the woods. They thought it wise to give the old lady ample time to go to bed and fall asleep.

"Come on, we've waited long enough," Penny said at last.

They crossed the road and stole to the front door. To their astonishment it was locked. The back door also was fastened from the inside.

"We'll have to try a window," Penny proposed.

The windows also were locked or so stuck by dampness that they could not be budged.

"If this isn't a pretty mess!" Penny exclaimed impatiently. "Mrs. Lear never used to lock anything. She must have started doing it since the deed to her property disappeared."

"What are we going to do? Sleep in the barn?"

"That might not be such a bad idea. Then if Trinidad ever comes home we'd be able to see who rode him!"

"You'll have to get another idea!" Louise retorted. "That old barn has rats and mice. I wouldn't sleep there for a million dollars."

Penny circled the house, searching for a way out of the difficulty. She could find no ladder. A rose trellis rising along the front wall suggested that if they could use it to reach the second story, they might creep along the porch roof to their own room. There at least, the window had been left unlocked.

"It looks flimsy," Penny said, testing the structure. "I'll try it first."

Gingerly she climbed the trellis, trying to avoid the thorns of a withered rose plant. She reached the porch roof and skillfully rolled onto it. From there she motioned for her chum to follow.

Louise was heavier than Penny and less adept at climbing. The rose bush tore at her clothing and wounded her arms. Just as she was reaching for Penny's outstretched hand one of the cross pieces gave way. Startled, Louise let out a scream of terror.

"Now you've done it!" Penny muttered, pulling her by brute force onto the porch. "Mrs. Lear's deaf if she didn't hear that!"

Tiptoeing with frantic haste across the porch roof, they tested the window of their bedroom. It raised easily. But as they scrambled over the sill, the girls were dismayed to hear Mrs. Lear's door open farther down the hall.

"She heard us!" Louise whispered tensely. "Now what'll we do?"

"Into bed and cover up!" Penny ordered.

Not even taking time to remove their shoes, they made a dive for the big four-poster bed. Scarcely had they pulled the coverlet up to their ears than they heard Mrs. Lear just outside the door.

"Are you all right?" she called anxiously. "I thought I heard a scream."

The girls did not answer. They closed their eyes and pretended to be asleep. Mrs. Lear opened the door and peeped inside. Not entirely satisfied she crossed the room and stood for a moment at the open window.

Closing it half way, she then tiptoed out the door.

"Was that a close call!" Penny whispered, sitting up in bed. "Lucky for us she didn't notice anything wrong."

Waiting a few minutes longer, the girls slid from beneath the covers and quickly undressed.

"At least we learned one important thing tonight," Penny observed, quietly lowering a shoe to the floor. "Mrs. Lear is behind this Headless Horseman escapade. But who is the fellow?"

"Silas Malcom perhaps. Only he's a bit too old for pranks."

Penny did not reply. Moving to the window, she gazed thoughtfully toward the barn.

"Someone may bring Trinidad back," she commented. "By watching--"

"Not for me," Louise cut in. She rolled back into bed. "I'm going to get myself a little shut-eye before dawn."

Penny drew a chair up to the window. The room was cold. Her chair was straight-backed and hard. Minutes dragged by and still Trinidad did not put in an appearance.

"The horse may not come back tonight," Penny thought, covering a yawn.

"Guess I'll jump into bed. I can hear just as well from there."

She snuggled in beside Louise and enjoyed the warmth of the covers. A delightful drowsiness took possession of her. Though she struggled to stay awake, her eyelids became heavier and heavier.

Presently Penny slept. She slept soundly. When she awakened, the first rays of morning light were seeping in through the window. But it was not the sun that had aroused her from slumber. As she stirred drowsily, she became aware of an unusual sound. At first she could not place it. Then she realized that someone was pounding on the downstairs screen door.

Penny nudged Louise. When that did not arouse her, she gave her a vigorous shake.

"What now?" Louise mumbled crossly.