Part 33 (2/2)

”Drive to the station,” Mr. Parker instructed Salt. ”There's an outside chance Webb went there.”

The depot was a drab little red building, deserted except for a sleepy-eyed station agent who told them there was no pa.s.senger train scheduled to leave Newhall before six o'clock the next morning.

”Any freight trains?” Mr. Parker inquired.

”A couple are overdue,” the agent said. ”No. 32 from the east, and No.

20, also westbound. No. 20's just coming into the block.”

Although it seemed unlikely Webb would take a freight train out of town, Mr. Parker, Salt and Penny, decided to wait for it to come in. They went outside, standing in the shadow of the station.

”No sign of anyone around,” Salt declared, looking carefully about. ”We may as well go back to the lake.”

”Let's wait,” Penny urged.

No. 20 rumbled into the station, stirring up a whirlwind of dust and cinders. A trainman with a lantern over his arm, came into the station to get his orders from the agent. He chatted a moment, then went out again, swinging aboard one of the cars. A moment later, the train began to move.

”Shall we go?” Mr. Parker said impatiently.

Penny b.u.t.toned her coat as she stepped beyond the protection of the building, for the night air was cold and penetrated her thin clothing.

Treading along behind her father and Salt to the car, she started to climb in, when her attention riveted upon a lone figure some distance from the railroad station. A man, who resembled Webb Nelson in build, had emerged from behind a tool shed, and stood close to the tracks watching the slowly moving freight.

Then he ran along beside the train and suddenly leaped into one of the empty box cars.

”Dad! Salt!” she exclaimed. ”I just saw someone leap into one of those cars! I'm sure it was Webb!”

”Where?” demanded her father. ”Which car?”

”The yellow one. Oh, he'll get away unless we can have him arrested at the next town!”

”He won't escape if I can stop him!” Salt muttered.

Racing across the platform, he waited for the car Penny had indicated.

Although the train was moving faster now, he leaped and swung himself to a sitting position in the open doorway.

”Look out! Look out!” Penny screamed in warning.

Behind Salt, the man who had taken refuge in the car, moved stealthily toward him, obviously intending to push him off the train. But the photographer knew what to expect and was prepared.

He whirled suddenly and scrambled to his feet. His attacker caught him slightly off balance, and they went down together, rolling over and over on the straw littered floor.

Worried for Salt, Penny and Mr. Parker ran along beside the train. The publisher tried to leap aboard to help the photographer, but lacking the younger man's athletic prowess, he could not make it. Already winded, he began to fall behind.

Penny kept on and managed to grasp the doorway of the car, but she instantly realized she could not swing herself through the opening. The train now was moving rapidly and gaining speed each moment.

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