Penny grasped the dangling rope. With far more ease than she had anticipated, she climbed hand over hand to the deck of the barge. Once there she lost not a moment in lighting signal lamps at bow and stern. The task accomplished, she was moving amidships when she thought she heard a slight sound from within the deck house. Pausing to listen, she called:
“Is anyone here?”
There was no answer, but distinctly she heard a scraping noise, as if someone were pushing a chair against a wall.
“Someone is in there!” Penny thought.
Darting across the deck, she tried the door of the cabin. It had been fastened from the outside. Fumbling with the bolt, she finally was able to push it back. The door swung outward.
For a moment Penny could discern no one in the dark, little room. Then she saw a man lying on the floor. A gag covered his mouth and his hands and feet were tied with cord.
The prisoner was Carl Oaks.
CHAPTER
16
DANGER ON THE RIVER
Throwing the door open wide to admit more light, Penny darted into the cabin. Bending over the prisoner, she began to untie the cords which bound his wrists.
“I’ll have you free in a minute, Mr. Oaks,” she encouraged him.