The Secret Pact

by Mildred A. Wirt

  CHAPTER 24 _A BARRIER OF FLAMES_

  Escape through the newsroom was cut off. Panic seized Penny, but only foran instant. Retreating, she telephoned the fire department. Then findinga chemical extinguisher, she began fighting the flames.

  Black, rolling smoke billowed into her face, choking and blinding her.The heat drove her back.

  From far down the street came the wail of a siren. Penny rushed to awindow. A pumper and a hook-and-ladder truck swung around the corner,lurching to a stop.

  Raising the sash, she stepped out onto the ledge, waving to the menbelow.

  "Stay where you are!" shouted a fireman. "We'll get you!"

  A ladder shot up, but Penny did not wait to be carried to safety. Beforea fireman could mount, she scrambled down with the agility of a monkey.

  "The fire started in the newsroom," she gasped. "But it's already spreadinto the composing department."

  "Anyone else in the building?"

  "I don't think so. There were three scrub women, but they're probably outnow."

  Lines of hose were stretched to the hydrants, and streams of water beganto play on the flames. A crowd, following in the wake of the fireengines, was ordered back by the police. One young man broke through,darting to Penny's side.

  "Jerry!" she exclaimed.

  "Gosh, how did it start?" he demanded. "Why, Penny, your hair is singed!"

  "I was in it," she said briefly. "I can't explain now, but the fire wasstarted by Peter Fenestra."

  "On purpose?"

  "I don't know about that. He was smoking a cigarette."

  "Have you told the police?"

  "Not yet. I'm waiting for Dad."

  A car inched through the crowd, stopping a few yards away. Mr. Parkerleaped out and ran toward the burning building. He was stopped at theentrance by a fireman.

  "Let me in there!" the publisher shouted, trying to free himself. "Mydaughter's inside!"

  "No, here I am, Dad!" Penny cried, grasping his hand.

  Mr. Parker said no word, but he pulled her to him in a rough embrace. Thenext moment he was trying once more to enter the building, intending tosave important papers.

  "Take it easy, Parker," advised the fireman, barring the door with hishose. "The smoke's bad in there."

  "Will the building go?"

  "We'll save most of it," the fireman assured him confidently.

  Penny plucked at her father's sleeve. "Dad, oughtn't the police be sentafter Peter Fenestra? He's responsible for this, and a lot of otherthings, too!"

  "You mean Fenestra set the fire?"

  Above the roar of flames, Penny tersely disclosed how the man hadcompelled her to take refuge in the inner office room. Jerry also heardthe story, and when she had finished, he said to Mr. Parker:

  "Chief, let me take a couple of policemen and nail that fellow! Maybe wecan arrest him at the farm before he makes a get-away."

  "Go ahead," urged Mr. Parker.

  "I'm going along," declared Penny, and darted away before her fathercould stop her.

  Twenty minutes later, with a police cruiser dispatched to Fenestra'splace, she and Jerry drove there in Mr. Parker's car. Parking somedistance down the road, they walked cautiously toward the farmhouse whichloomed dark against the sky. No lights burned in the windows. The groundsappeared deserted.

  "Looks as if Fenestra isn't here," observed Jerry. "No use waiting forthe police."

  Boldly going to the front door he pounded on it, ordering in a loudvoice: "Open up!"

  "He's not here," said Penny after a moment. "Unless perhaps he's hiding."

  "The place looks deserted to me."

  Penny glanced toward the storm cave, remembering that she had the key tothe padlock in her pocket. Jerry read her thought, and followed as shewent quickly toward the mound.

  "It's locked," he said, indicating the padlock.

  "Here's the key." Eagerly Penny offered it to Jerry. "I'm sure this mustbe the one."

  The reporter gave her a flashlight to hold while he tried to fit the keyinto the lock.

  "It's no go, Penny."

  "But I was so sure, Jerry." She stooped to examine the padlock. "Well, nowonder! It's been changed."

  "Then we're out of luck until the police get here."

  "Isn't there any way we can open it ourselves?"

  "Maybe I can break it."

  "There should be tools in the barn, Jerry."

  "I'll see what I can find."

  Leaving Penny, the reporter disappeared in the direction of the barn.Extinguishing the flashlight, she patiently waited.

  Suddenly she was startled to hear running footsteps. Barely had shecrouched behind the storm cave before a man emerged from among the pinetrees adjoining the road. It was Peter Fenestra and he was breathinghard.

  Straight toward the cave he ran. Pausing at the slanting door, he peeredquickly about, and then fumbled with the padlock. In desperate haste hejerked it loose, swung back the hinged door, and descended the stonesteps.

  Penny waited a moment, then crept to the entrance.

  Fenestra had not taken time to lower the door behind him. A light shonefrom an underground room at one side of the main passageway, and shecould hear the man's heavy boots scuffing on a cement floor.

  Penny considered going after Jerry and decided against it. Fenestra'sfrantic haste suggested that he might not linger long in the cave. Whatcould he be doing beneath ground?

  With Jerry so near, she felt that it would not be too dangerous toinvestigate. Warily she tiptoed down the steps.

  A low, rounding doorway opened from the descending passage. Peering intothe dimly lighted room, Penny did not immediately see Peter Fenestra.

  Instead her gaze roved about the walls of what appeared to be a workshop.Tools were neatly arranged over a bench, while a cupboard of shelvescontained miscellaneous mechanical parts.

  At the far end of the cave stood an urn-like contrivance which the girltook to be an electric furnace. An armored cable ran from it to a heavywall switch having two blades and a sizable wooden handle. Plainly it wasdesigned to carry a very heavy current.

  Peter Fenestra came from behind the furnace. Penny saw him throw theswitch. Almost immediately she heard a low hissing sound from theinterior of the metal oven. Slowly the furnace heated, and soon glowedweirdly.

  As she pondered what the man could be intending to do, she heard a slightsound at the stairway entrance. Thinking that Jerry had returned, shestarted up the steps. Not one figure but three loomed in the doorway!

  Penny flattened herself against the dirt wall. But she could not avoidbeing seen. A flashlight beam focused upon her, and the next instant arevolver muzzle bit into her side.

  "Keep quiet!" she was ordered in a whisper. "You won't be hurt!"

  Penny stared into the grim face of Anchor Joe. Behind him came John Munn,and a man she had never seen before. In a flash she knew why they werethere--to avenge themselves upon Peter Fenestra.

  Quietly as the men had moved, they had been heard in the next room.

  "Who's there?" Fenestra called sharply.

  John Munn and Anchor Joe stepped into the rectangle of light, theirrevolvers trained upon the man.

  "Just three of your old pals, Otto," drawled Anchor Joe. "Reach!"

  "Listen, Joe, you got me all wrong," Peter Fenestra whined. "I canexplain why I kept the gold. I'll give it all to you if that's what youwant. I'll do anything--don't shoot."

  "Shootin' would be too good for you," retorted Anchor Joe. "We got otherplans." His face was dark with rage.

  "Sure, we know how to deal with a traitor," added John Munn, deftlywhisking a revolver from Fenestra's hip pocket. "You thought you couldhide from us. You thought by changing your name, and coming to thisout-of-the-way town you could fool us. Why, you dirty rat, you eventhought you could get by with pushing me off a bridge!"

  "Your greed kept you here," taunted Anchor Joe. "You couldn't be
ar toleave any of those gold bars behind."

  "You thought you'd melt down the last of 'em tonight and skip," addedJohn Munn. "You're goin' on a long trip all right, but with us!"

  A pair of steel cuffs were slipped over Fenestra's wrists. Speedily, thesailors searched the cave, gathering up several bags of what Pennyassumed to be gold.

  "How about this bar?" John Munn asked his companions. "Can we handle it?"

  "Too heavy," answered Anchor Joe. "With Moyer hot on our trail, we've gotto travel light. Get going and I'll follow."

  Munn and his companion marched Peter Fenestra from the cave. Taking acord from his pocket, Anchor Joe bound Penny's hands and feet.

  "I'm tying 'em loose," he said. "And I'll leave the cave door open. Afterwe're gone you can yell for help."

  "Joe, where are you taking Fenestra? What has he done?"

  The sailor did not answer. Seizing a bag of gold, he slung it over hisshoulder and went quickly up the stairs. Penny was left in the darkness.

  CHAPTER 25 _SAILORS' REVENGE_

  Minutes later, Jerry, returning from the barn, heard Penny's muffledscream for help. Descending into the cave he immediately freed her andlearned what had happened.

  "Fenestra used this furnace for melting down gold all right!" heexclaimed, peering into the dark cavern. "Wonder where he got it?"

  "It must be stolen gold--government gold, perhaps," gasped Penny. "Jerry,those men have been gone only a minute or two!"

  "Then maybe we can get 'em yet!"

  Jerry had heard an automobile turn into the yard. Hopeful that it mightbe the awaited authorities, he and Penny ran up the stone steps. To theirjoy they saw that it was the police cruiser.

  In terse sentences they told their story to the officers. Penny had noidea which direction the men had gone, but the reporter recalled havingseen a group of four walking toward the river just as he had left thebarn.

  With Jerry and Penny standing on the running board, the police car headedin the direction of the Big Bear. Suddenly a series of explosive soundswere heard, staccato noises similar to the back-firing of an automobileexhaust.

  "Shots!" exclaimed Jerry. "From the river, too!"

  The car drew to a halt. The policemen leaped out and started across thefields. Disregarding orders to remain behind, Penny and Jerry followed.

  Breathlessly, they reached the rim of the river. A beam of light directedtheir gaze to the opposite shore. A high-powered motor boat had pulledaway and was fast gathering speed. Flashes of gunfire from its decks wereanswered by the revolvers of men on the river bank.

  Shielding Penny with his body, Jerry drew her behind a tree. In a momentas the motor boat passed beyond range, firing ceased. Then they slid downthe bank to learn what had occurred.

  Penny saw that Peter Fenestra had been captured. He was handcuffed to Mr.Moyer, and she instantly guessed that the other four men were governmentoperatives.

  "Find a boat and start after those three sailors who got away!" Moyerordered his men tersely. "I'll take this fellow to town."

  Penny edged forward, obtaining an excellent view of Peter Fenestra'sdowncast face. Quietly she made her accusations, telling of the cavewhere she had been imprisoned.

  "So that was how the gold was melted down," commented Moyer.

  He then explained that for days his operatives had watched the riverwhere they knew Anchor Joe had hidden a motorboat. Surprised in the actof taking off, the sailors had exchanged shots with the government men,but by abandoning Fenestra and the gold, they had escaped.

  "This man's real name is Otto Franey," Moyer revealed, indicatingFenestra. "He and the three sailors were shipmates aboard the _Dorasky_."

  "They're wanted for stealing gold?" questioned Penny.

  "Yes, they got away with four gold bars taken from the _Dorasky_. Yousee, about a year ago a consignment of gold was shipped by a Swiss bankto the New York Federal Reserve. Because of heavy fog the bars wereunloaded at the pier instead of being taken off at Quarantine. They wereremoved in a sling and dumped on the wharf to await the mail truck."

  "And the four sailors saw a chance to steal some of the bars?" questionedJerry.

  "Yes, how they accomplished it we don't know. But hours later a maildriver refused to sign for one of the bags because it had been slit open.Four bars valued at approximately fourteen thousand dollars each weremissing. Investigation disclosed that a sailor, Otto Franey, had jumpedship. A few days later Joe Landa, John Munn and Jack Guenther alsodisappeared."

  "Each man was marked with an octopus tattoo, wasn't he?" Penny inquiredeagerly.

  "Yes, although I did not learn that until a day or so ago. Otto has beentrying to get his tattoo removed so that it would be harder to trace him.The four sailors had their backs marked with an octopus design and wordswhich read, _All for one, one for all_, when put together. They werefeeling very friendly toward each other at that time."

  "Then I was right!" exclaimed Penny. "And the four conspired to steal thegold bars?"

  "Otto was entrusted by his pals to dispose of the stolen gold. Instead,he gave them the slip and tried to keep it for himself. Evidently herigged up a furnace and melted the metal into useable form. But the threesailors trailed him here, determined to avenge themselves."

  As Fenestra was hustled to a waiting car, Penny told Mr. Moyer everythingshe knew about the prisoner, save his connection with Matthew Judson.Deliberately she withheld information about the blackmail plot.

  While the prisoner was being loaded into the government car, anotherautomobile drew up nearby. Recognizing Mr. Parker at the wheel, Penny andJerry ran to tell him the latest news.

  "Full speed ahead, Chief!" exclaimed the reporter, sliding into the frontseat. "We've got a big story by the tail!"

  "A lot of good it does us," responded the publisher gloomily.

  "You mean the firemen failed to save the _Star_ building?" Penny askedanxiously.

  "The building's saved, but considerable damage was done by fire andwater. We can't use the plant for several days. It's enough to make a manill! Scooped by the opposition when the story is ours!"

  "You forget the little _Weekly Times_," reminded Penny. "Old Homey haseverything ready to roll. I'm turning the plant over to you."

  "To me?" Mr. Parker did not understand her meaning.

  "Yes, gather your mechanical force. The plant's yours for the night."

  "Penny, you're the tops!" the publisher exclaimed, starting the car witha lurch. "Together we'll get out an extra that will be an extra!"

  After that Penny lost all sense of time as events transpired withrapidity and precision. As if by magic the staff of the _Star_ appearedto take over the _Times_ plant. The building shook off its lethargy andmachinery began to turn.

  Allowing Jerry to write the big story, Penny tried to be everywhere atonce. She fluttered at DeWitt's elbow as he drew a dummy of the frontpage.

  "Let's make it 96-point type," she urged. "Splashy! A double column storywith a break-over to page three."

  "Anything you say," was DeWitt's surprising answer.

  In the composing room, printers were locking the forms, using pagespreviously made ready for the next issue of the _Weekly Times_.Stereotypers were testing the pneumatic steam tables. Pressmen under OldHorney's direction oiled the double-deck rotaries and tightened bolts.

  At last came the moment when the starter plate was fitted into place onthe cylinder. With a half turn of a T wrench Old Horney made it secure.

  "She's ready," he announced, flashing the signal light. "You push thebutton, Penny."

  Trembling with excitement, she started the press rolling. Faster andfaster it went. In a moment papers dropped so swiftly from the folderthat her eye could not follow. A conveyer carried them upward over thepresses to the distributing room.

  Mr. Parker offered Penny a paper, smiling as he saw her stare at thenameplate. Instead of the _Star_ it read: _The Weekly Times_.
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  "Why, Dad!" she exclaimed. "They've made a mistake."

  "It's no mistake," he corrected. "This is your extra. Your name appearsas Managing Editor."

  "So that was why DeWitt was so agreeable to all my suggestions?" shelaughed. "I might have guessed."

  Later, while newsboys cried their wares, Penny and her father sat in theprivate office, talking with Matthew Judson. From his own lips theylearned how he had submitted to blackmail rather than disgrace Paulettaby returning to prison.

  "Your case is a deserving one," Mr. Parker told him kindly. "I assure youwe'll never publish the story, and I'll do everything in my power to helpyou obtain a pardon."

  Before leaving the office, Mr. Judson promised Penny he would tell hisdaughter the truth, allowing her to break her engagement to Major Atchleyif she chose.

  "We'll go away somewhere," he said. "California, perhaps. Although I'llnever try to publish a paper again, at least my life will cease to be atorment."

  Alone with her father once more, Penny had two requests to make.

  "Name them," he urged.

  "Can you get Tillie Fellows a job?"

  "Easily."

  "And will you take Horney into your own plant?"

  "I'll be glad to do it as soon as the _Star_ operates again. Untilremodeling work is completed I have no plant."

  "Yes, you have, Dad. This building is yours if you can make arrangementswith Mr. Veeley."

  "Penny! You're willing to give up the _Weekly_?"

  "Willing?" she laughed. "I'm hilariously crazy to get rid of it. Mattershave reached a state where either I must abandon the paper or myeducation. I've only awaited a chance to end my career in a blaze ofglory."

  "A blaze expresses it very mildly," smiled Mr. Parker. "In all modesty,let us say a conflagration!"

  "Oh, why be modest?" grinned Penny. "Let's come right out and call it aholocaust! That's the strongest word I know."

  THE END

  Transcriber's Notes

  --Replaced the list of books in the series by the complete list, as in the final book, "The Cry at Midnight".

  --Silently corrected a handful of palpable typos.

  --Conforming to later volumes, standardized on "DeWitt" as the name of the city editor.