“Locked!” she muttered impatiently. “Just our luck!”
The rattle of the chain had disturbed a hound penned inside the shed. Before Salt and Penny could retreat, the animal’s paws scratched against the door and he uttered a deep and prolonged bay.
“Jeepers!” exclaimed Salt. “We’ve got to get away from here—and fast!”
Already it was too late. A window on the second floor of the house flew up and Mrs. Hawkins in cotton nightdress and lace cap, peered down into the yard.
“Who’s there?” she called sharply. “Answer up if you ain’t hankerin’ fer a bullet through yer innards!”
CHAPTER
11
AN ABANDONED CAR
For Salt and Penny, the moment was a perilous one. In plain view of the upstairs window, they could not hope to escape detection.
But shrewdly, they reasoned that Mrs. Hawkins could not be certain they had been trying to break into the woodshed.
“Oh, is that you, Mrs. Hawkins?” Penny called as cheerily as if greeting an old friend. “I hope we didn’t awaken you.”
The farm woman leaned far out the window. “Who be ye folkses?” she demanded suspiciously. “What you doin’ here?”