CHAPTER 23 FIRE!

Sick at heart, the two girls realized with the Harper house aflame, their last chance of proving the guilt of the brass thieves might be gone. As they stood at the railing of the Queen, gloomily watching the spreading, creeping line of fire, a motorboat chugged up.

“Ahoy!” shouted a familiar voice. “Can you take aboard three more survivors? They’re the very last we can find on the river.”

“It’s Jack!” Penny cried, recognizing his voice though unable to see his face in the dark. “After we get the passengers aboard, perhaps he’ll take us upriver to the Harpers!”

The girls ran to help with the new arrivals, but sailors already had lifted them from the boat and carried them aboard the Queen.

“This is my last load,” Jack called out. “Nearly everyone was saved. Coast Guard boats are patrolling now, and if there are other survivors, they’ll be taken ashore.”

“Jack!” Penny called down to him.

“That you, Penny?” he demanded in astonishment. “Why didn’t you come back to Shadow Island this afternoon? We’ve all been worried about you!”

“It’s a long story, and there’s no time to tell it now! Jack, will you take us to the Harpers’ in your motorboat?”

“Now?”

“Yes, the house is on fire.”

Helping the girls into the boat, Jack turned to gaze upstream. “That’s strange!” he exclaimed. “How could sparks from the Florence have carried so far?”

“The answer is, they didn’t,” Penny said grimly. “The house was set afire on purpose. Just get us to the pier as quickly as you can.”

Somewhere along the shore a big city clock struck the hour of midnight. The young people did not notice. As the boat raced over the water, bouncing as it struck each high wave, they discussed what had happened just prior to the outbreak of fire aboard the Florence.

“I know part of the stolen brass was dumped into the river by Sweeper Joe,” Penny revealed excitedly. “The remainder was locked in the basement of the Harper house the last I knew. And I’m satisfied the brass lantern taken from the Queen by Adam Glowershick is among the loot. All the thieves expect to skip town tonight. Probably they’re gone by this time.”

Beaching the boat some distance from the burning house, the three young people ran up the slope. Firemen had not yet reached the scene, and the few persons who had gathered, were watching the flames but making no effort to battle them.

“It’s a hopeless proposition,” Jack commented. “This far from the city, there’s no water pressure. The house will burn to the ground.”

“And all the evidence with it,” Penny added gloomily. “What miserable luck!”

No boats were tied up at the dock, nor was there any sign of the Harpers or their friends in the crowd. Obviously, the entire party had fled.

“Isn’t there some place where we can telephone the police?” Penny suggested impatiently. “If they act quickly, these men still may be caught. They can’t be very far away.”

“The nearest house is up the beach about an eighth of a mile,” Jack informed. “Maybe we can telephone from there.”

“You two go,” Sally said casually. “I want to stay here.”

At the moment, Jack and Penny, intent only upon their mission, thought nothing about the remark. Following the paved road which made walking easy, they hastened as fast as they could.

“Jack,” Penny said, puffing to keep pace with him. “There’s something I want to ask you.”

“Shoot!”

“Why have you felt so friendly toward that crook, Glowershick?”

Jack’s eyebrows jerked upward and he gave a snort of disgust. “Whatever gave you that crazy idea?”

“Well, he came to the island, and you borrowed money from me to give him—”

“So you recognized him that day?”

“Yes,” Penny answered quietly. “You tried to hide his identity, so I said nothing more. I kept thinking you would explain.”

“I’m prepared to pay you what I owe, Penny.”

“Oh, Jack, it’s not the money. Don’t you understand—”

“You think I’ve had a finger in lifting the brass lantern from the Queen,” Jack said stiffly.

“Gracious, no! But shouldn’t you explain?”

Jack was silent for a moment. Then he said, “Thanks, Penny, for having a little faith in me. I know I’ve been an awful sap.”

“Suppose you tell me all about it.”

“There’s nothing to tell. I went to the Harpers a number of times—attended their dances, and spent a lot of money. I got into debt to that fellow Glowershick and he pressed me for it.”

“There was nothing more to it?”

“Not a thing, except that I didn’t want my folks to hear about it. That’s why I pretended I didn’t know Glowershick. I was afraid you would tell them. Don’t you believe me?”

“Oh, I do, Jack. I’m so relieved. And the jitterbug girl at Harpers’—”

“Oh, her!” Jack said scornfully. “She was a stupid thing, and I don’t see how I stood her silly chatter. Most of the money I borrowed from Glowershick was spent on her. As I’ve said, I was a complete chump.”

Reaching a house some distance back from the river, they found the owner at home, and were given permission to telephone the police. Jack was promised by an inspector that all police cruisers would be ordered to watch for the escaped brass thieves. Railroad terminals, bus depots and all roads leading from the city would be guarded.

“Watch the riverfront too,” Jack urged. “The men may have gone by boat to Tate’s Beach, intending to catch a train from there.”

Satisfied they had done everything possible, Penny and Jack hastened back to the Harpers’. The sky was tinted pink and flames now shot from the roof of the house. A large crowd had gathered, and there was excited talk and gesturing.

“Something’s wrong!” Penny observed anxiously.

Pushing through the crowd, they sought vainly to find Sally.

A woman was talking excitedly, pointed toward the flaming building.

“I tell you, I saw a girl run in there only a few minutes ago!” she insisted. “And she didn’t come out! She must be in there now!”

The words shocked Penny and Jack as the same thought came to them. Could it be that reckless Sally had ventured into the basement of the house, hoping to recover the brass lantern or other evidence which would incriminate the thieves?

“She acted funny when we left her here,” Penny whispered in horror. “Oh, Jack! If she’s inside the building—”

Pushing through the crowd, she grasped the arm of the woman who was talking. “Who was the girl? What was she wearing?” she demanded tensely.

“A blue sweater,” the woman recalled. “Her hair was flying wild and her face was streaked with dirt as if she’d already been in the fire. I thought maybe she lived here.”

“It was Sally,” Penny murmured, her heart sinking to her shoe tops. “Why hasn’t someone brought her out?”

“No human being could get into that house now,” declared a man who stood close by. “The firemen aren’t here yet. Anyway, we ain’t sure there’s anyone inside.”

“I saw the girl run in, I tell you!” the woman insisted.

To debate over such a vital matter infuriated Penny and Jack. Sally was nowhere in the crowd and they were convinced she had entered the blazing building. Flames were blowing from some of the lower windows and smoke was dense. It was obvious that no man present was willing to risk his life to ascertain if the girl were inside.

“She must have tried to reach the basement!” Penny cried. “Oh, Jack, we’ve got to bring her out!”

Nodding grimly, Jack stripped off his coat. Throwing it over his head as a shield, he darted into the burning building. Penny, close at his heels, had no protection.

Inside the house, smoke was so black they could not see three feet ahead. Choking, gasping for breath, they groped their way through the living room to the kitchen. Penny jerked open the door leading into the cellar.

Flames roared into her face. The entire basement was an inferno of heat. No human being could descend the stairs and return. If Sally were below, she was beyond help.

Closing the door, Penny staggered backwards. Her head was spinning and she could not get her breath.

“It’s no use!” Jack shouted in her ear. “We’ve got to get out of here! The walls or floor may collapse.”

Clutching Penny’s arm, he pulled her along. In the black smoke swirling about them, they missed the kitchen door.

Frantically, they crept along a scorching hot wall, seeking to find an exit.

Then Penny stumbled over an object on the floor and fell. As she tried to get up, her hand touched something soft and yielding. A body lay sprawled in a heap beside her on the floor.

“It’s Sally!” she cried. “Oh, Jack, help me get her up!”