Penny Nichols Finds a Clue

by Joan Clark

  CHAPTER XVII

  Under the Canvas

  "It begins to look as if my hunch might be correct," Penny toldherself. "Unless that truck merely drove into the garage for gasolineor service, things look suspicious!"

  She saw Brunner follow the car into the building, carefully closing thedoors.

  "If everything is honest and above board, why did they use the alleyentrance when the other one is far more convenient?" she reflected."Obviously, Brunner knew the car was coming at exactly ten o'clock too."

  Convinced that she was on the verge of important discoveries, Pennysettled herself for a long wait. From her chair by the window shecould watch both the alley and the main entrance.

  A half hour elapsed, then another. At length Penny's patience wasrewarded. The alley doors swung open and a heavy truck which wascovered over with a canvas top, emerged. The driver wore a cap and hishead was bent low. In the semi-darkness of the dimly lighted streetPenny could not catch even a glimpse of his face.

  "I must follow that truck!" she thought tensely. "If Dad were here hewould do it I feel sure! It's the only chance to gain real evidence!"

  She waited at the window only long enough to see that the car hadturned down Center Avenue. Scribbling a brief message to her fatherexplaining what she intended to do, she left the note where he wouldfind it in the event he returned to the office that night. Then sheraced to the street.

  By the time she had her roadster started the covered truck haddisappeared. However, turning down Center Avenue, Penny caught it atthe first traffic light. Satisfied that she would have no trouble inkeeping it in view, she slowed down, falling back to a distance whichwas not likely to arouse suspicion.

  Penny had no idea where the chase would lead, although the truck seemedto be driving directly out of the city. From the slow rate of speed atwhich it traveled, she thought that it must be heavily loaded withcargo.

  "If I only knew what was hidden under that canvas cover I might havethe solution to the mystery," she reflected. "I think I have itanyway, but I must secure definite evidence."

  Penny was fully aware that she had launched herself upon a dangerousenterprise. In some manner Joe Franey had lost track of hercompletely, and she could no longer count upon his protection. In anemergency she must depend entirely upon her own resources.

  Before Penny had traveled many miles out of the city she began to growalarmed because her gasoline gauge showed that she had scarcely agallon left. Although she had her purse with her, it contained only adollar. She could buy about five gallons of fuel, but should the trucklead her much farther into the country, she easily might find herselfstranded.

  Apparently, the driver ahead faced a similar need for gasoline. At thenext filling station he turned in.

  Penny determined upon a bold move. At the risk of detection, she toodrove into the station.

  "This will give me just the opportunity I need to get a good look atthat driver!" she thought.

  The truck had pulled up alongside of one of the three pumps but asPenny stopped in the shadow where the light from the filling stationoffice would not shine fully upon her, she was disappointed to see thatthe driver's seat was empty.

  "He's gone off somewhere," she told herself. "If only I could be surehe'd be away for a minute or two, I'd peep under that canvas cover andsee what it is he's hauling."

  Before she could transfer the thought into action, a filling stationattendant came to serve her.

  "How many?" he inquired.

  "Three gallons," Penny said.

  While the attendant operated the pump, she looked searchingly about.The driver of the truck was talking with someone inside the office, buthis back was turned so that she could not see his face.

  "Sixty-three cents," the attendant informed politely. "Shall I look atyour oil?"

  "It's all right I think," Penny responded, offering the money. The manwent inside for change.

  "This is my only chance!" Penny told herself.

  Like a flash she was out of the roadster. She moved swiftly to theback of the truck, cast a quick glance toward the office, and seeingthat she was unobserved, lifted a corner of the canvas cover.

  The truck was loaded with automobile wheels.

  A sound from the direction of the filling station office caused Pennyto wheel. The driver was coming back!

  She dropped the canvas flap and melted back into the shadow. Shepretended to busy herself with the radiator cap of her own car.

  "Everything okay, sir?" the station attendant asked, emerging from theoffice and addressing the truck driver.

  "Yes, what do I owe?"

  Penny started as she heard the voice. It was strangely familiar. Ifonly she could see the driver's face!

  "Three-forty-two," the attendant informed the trucker, in response tohis question.

  The driver gave him a bill and waited for his change. For the firsttime he turned toward Penny. She hastily averted her face, yet lookedover her shoulder an instant later to view his.

  "It's Jerry Barrows!" she recognized. "Now I understand in whatcapacity he was employed by Brunner!"

  The attendant had returned with the driver's change and likewise herown. He noticed that she had removed the radiator cap from theroadster.

  "Need water?" he questioned pleasantly.

  "Please," Penny said, very low.

  At the sound of her voice, Jerry Barrows turned, but he saw nothingmore than Penny's back. Apparently satisfied that he had never seenthe girl before, he climbed into his truck.

  The attendant had peered down into the radiator of Penny's car.

  "It's full to the top," he reported.

  "Why, so it is," Penny acknowledged with a self-conscious laugh. "Iguess I didn't look very well."

  She stepped into the roadster but spent several minutes putting awayher change and starting the motor. She did not wish to pull away fromthe station until after Jerry Barrows had left.

  "I intend to find out where he's taking those stolen wheels before Iturn back," she decided grimly.

  After a seemingly interminable delay, the boy started his truck andpulled out of the station. Penny waited a few minutes longer and thenfollowed.

  For some time they traveled over a wide, national highway but presentlythe truck driver turned into a dirt road which wound in and out throughthe low hills. Several times Penny was forced to stop her car and waitby the roadside lest she draw too close to the vehicle ahead.

  The trail led through a dense forest. Farm houses became farther andfarther apart. After awhile they crossed a river, and directly beyondPenny noticed an odd wooden structure which appeared to be a rebuiltsawmill.

  The truck turned into a narrow lane which led to the old building.Penny hesitated to follow lest the driver discover that he was beingshadowed. She parked her car in a clump of bushes just off the road.Since leaving the main highway she had traveled without headlights.

  The truck drew up near the sawmill. Penny could hear the roar of thepowerful engine and see the headlight beam. Then the lights wereswitched off and the sound of the motor became muffled.

  "He's driven inside the building," she decided. "Unless I get in theresomehow, I'll never discover what is going on."

  Penny debated, but in the end curiosity conquered fear. She left theroadster and stealthily made her way toward the sawmill.