The Happy Valley Mystery

precarious safety on the roof of the barn.
     

No Place to Go • 17
     
    GRADUALLY THE TRIO realized that, for the moment, at least, they were safe, and they looked around. The ascent of the roof from the eaves was gradual, growing , less steep as it reached the apex. There an old-fashioned cupola perched.
    The light had almost faded from the sky. Carefully bracing her feet against the eaves, Trixie sat up.
    “I can just barely see Sand Hill,” she said. “I don’t believe there’s any water over it yet.”
    “Can you see any sign of life anywhere—any automobile lights or anything?” Honey asked. She was too frightened to change her position.
    Jim took the puppy from Trixie and settled him in the curve of his own arm. His feet braced against the eaves, he surveyed the area around them. “There are cars coming and going on Army Post Road,” he said. “Not a thing heading this way. I guess everyone has been warned about the flood.”
    “I’m pretty sure I can tell where Happy Valley Farm is,” Trixie said. “The lights in the house and the floodlight in the yard seem to have been turned on. Ned’s house, across the road, is a blaze of light.”
    “By this time they must surely know something has happened to us,” Honey said. “Trixie, will we ever—”
    “Don’t say it,” Trixie said. “Look how high and dry we are.”
    “High enough in the air, I hope,” Jim said, “but far from dry. I can still wring water from my clothes. It’s a good thing the rain stopped.”
    “And a good thing we all have our jackets,” Trixie said, “though I almost took mine off when we fell in the water.”
    “That was a horrible time,” Honey said, shaking with cold and fright.
    “It was,” Trixie said. “But it all came out all right, thanks to Jim.”
    “And a certain pretty keen girl called Trixie Belden,” Jim added. “Sis,” he said to Honey, “please don’t be frightened anymore. It’s only a question of time till somebody comes after us.”
    “How?” Honey asked.
    “Motorboat,” Jim said.
    “Did you see any in Trixie’s uncle’s yard?” Honey asked despairingly.
    “No, but I saw plenty of them over on Waterworks Lake. They were still covered up and in dock for the winter.”
    “That doesn’t do us much good here, a mile or more away,” Honey said realistically. “You can t float a boat , down Sand Hill.”
    “What’s the matter with you, Honey?” Jim asked. “You’re always such a good sport. How did those boats get out to the lake in the first place? Trailers, of course. There’s always a way.”
    “There aren’t any motorboats out there hunting for us now, are there, Trixie?” Honey asked. “Do you see any lights—you know—shining on the water?”
    “Not yet,” Trixie answered. “But we will!”
    It had grown quite dark now. Stars filled the sky, and a wan moon at the edge of the horizon tried vainly to lighten the night.
    There was no sound of life near them—nothing but the rush of the current in the river, far too near for comfort, and the swishing and swooshing of dislodged trees as they floated into the backwash.
    Suddenly the barn shook as though from an earthquake.
    Jim and Trixie quickly sprawled on the roof. “What was that?” Honey cried, her voice shaking. “Something hit the side of the barn, I guess,” Jim said. “A chicken house or smokehouse or something that the flood carried away.”
    “Do you think it knocked the barn loose?” Honey asked anxiously.
    “I doubt it, Sis,” Jim said. “It’s anchored on concrete a foot thick. It’s an old barn, remember, and well built. Anyway,” he went on, “we’re still on top of it.”
    “Jim,” Trixie said, not listening to anything that was being said, “isn’t there some way we can signal? So when they do start to look for us down here in the flooded district, we can give them some indication of where we are?”
    “We can yell like the dickens,” Jim said. “I was just going to do that.”
    “And we could wave my flashlight,” Honey said, pulling it from deep in her pocket.
    “For gosh sakes, Honey, where have you been keeping that?” Jim asked. “How did it survive your dunking in the river?”
    “I forgot I had it,” Honey said, ashamed. “It was buttoned into my pocket. Anyway, it was light until a little while ago. Shall I wave it around?”
    “Sure thing,” Jim said. “And I’ll yell!”
    So Honey waved and Jim yelled, and after a little while Trixie and Honey