Read Online Escape to Witch Mountain by Alexander Key - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Alexander Key
Ads: Link
on the shoulder, and he turned to see a short, red-faced man with a badge pinned to the pocket of his sweaty shirt.
“You looking for anyone, son?”
“I only wanted to find a telephone,” said Tony.
“Well, if you'll come along quiet, an' don't give me no trouble, I might let you use the one at the police station.”
“Police station!” Tony exclaimed.
“That's right, son. I'm Chief Purdy. I know who you are, an' I got orders out of Washington to hold you.”
JAIL BREAK
T ony looked incredulously at the short man. A cold knot was gathering in his stomach.
“W-what's this all about?” he stammered.
“Son, if your name's Malone, alias Castaway,” Chief Purdy told him, “you ought to know what it's all about. An' don't tell me you ain't the right pair. You're the only young folks on the bus, and the description fits you perfect. Even to the black cat.” He smiled thinly, showing tobacco-stained teeth. “Now, if you'll just come along…”
“Just a minute, Ben,” said a gaunt man in overalls. “What you going to do with the girl? She looks kinda young to be locked up.”
“I don't know how old she is, Milt, but from what they tell me about her it won't be the first time she's been in the pokey. But if you an' May want to be responsible for her till they send somebody to pick 'em up…”
A gray-haired woman shook her head quickly and whispered to the gaunt man, “Stay out of it, Milt. I wouldn't have that foxy-faced girl in the house.”
Tony said desperately, “You're making an awful mistake! Who was it in Washington told you—”
“Don't argue, son,” the short man said patiently. “We'll talk it over at the station.”
Tony winced as a square, powerful hand closed over his elbow and began to guide him down the street. The opposite hand had Tia by the elbow. They moved past the junkyard, and over to afilling station where two scrawny bears stood watching in a cage. As they turned past the cage, Tony heard the bears give little wistful grunts to Tia's silent whisper of greeting. Then Tia said, “Look, Tony, look!” and he raised his head and saw the mountains for the first time.
They were so unexpectedly close, so wonderfully green and blue and strange, that they quite took his breath away. Involuntarily he stopped and stared.
The short man thrust him on. “What's the matter with you, son?”
“The mountains…”
“Pshaw, ain't you never seen mountains before?”
“Not close like this.”
“Well, they ain't nothin' to get excited over. But the tourists like 'em. Mountains an' bears. That's why I keep them bears. They attract tourists to the gas station.”
Because he suddenly hated the man, Tony could not help saying, “Don't you ever feed them? They look hungry.”
“Pshaw, fool bears.” The chief spat, showing his first sign of irritation, and propelled them across the rear of the lot to a small, dilapidated block building with the words Fairview Police crudely painted over the door. As they approached it, Winkie leaped nervously from Tia's grasp and vanished in the surrounding weeds.
Inside, beyond a scarred desk, some radio equipment and a few broken chairs, Tony glimpsed a partially open door that shut off a small area containing two cells. The place was unpleasantly hot and dirty.
The short man nodded at the desk. “Phone's there. But first, I'm wondering who you're aiming to talk to around here.”
“Nobody. I want to call long distance.”
“I'm not sure I can let you do that, son.” The chief shook his head, and rubbed his hand over his knotty red face. He was a deliberate person, with a thin, wide mouth that kept moving slowly as if he were chewing something. Tony, looking at him angrily, visioned the ill-fed bears, and thought: You dirty old penny pincher…
“But I've a right to make a call,” he protested. “And you've no right to arrest us like this!”
“Now don't get het up, son. I don't like to arrest young people, but sometimes it's my
“You looking for anyone, son?”
“I only wanted to find a telephone,” said Tony.
“Well, if you'll come along quiet, an' don't give me no trouble, I might let you use the one at the police station.”
“Police station!” Tony exclaimed.
“That's right, son. I'm Chief Purdy. I know who you are, an' I got orders out of Washington to hold you.”
JAIL BREAK
T ony looked incredulously at the short man. A cold knot was gathering in his stomach.
“W-what's this all about?” he stammered.
“Son, if your name's Malone, alias Castaway,” Chief Purdy told him, “you ought to know what it's all about. An' don't tell me you ain't the right pair. You're the only young folks on the bus, and the description fits you perfect. Even to the black cat.” He smiled thinly, showing tobacco-stained teeth. “Now, if you'll just come along…”
“Just a minute, Ben,” said a gaunt man in overalls. “What you going to do with the girl? She looks kinda young to be locked up.”
“I don't know how old she is, Milt, but from what they tell me about her it won't be the first time she's been in the pokey. But if you an' May want to be responsible for her till they send somebody to pick 'em up…”
A gray-haired woman shook her head quickly and whispered to the gaunt man, “Stay out of it, Milt. I wouldn't have that foxy-faced girl in the house.”
Tony said desperately, “You're making an awful mistake! Who was it in Washington told you—”
“Don't argue, son,” the short man said patiently. “We'll talk it over at the station.”
Tony winced as a square, powerful hand closed over his elbow and began to guide him down the street. The opposite hand had Tia by the elbow. They moved past the junkyard, and over to afilling station where two scrawny bears stood watching in a cage. As they turned past the cage, Tony heard the bears give little wistful grunts to Tia's silent whisper of greeting. Then Tia said, “Look, Tony, look!” and he raised his head and saw the mountains for the first time.
They were so unexpectedly close, so wonderfully green and blue and strange, that they quite took his breath away. Involuntarily he stopped and stared.
The short man thrust him on. “What's the matter with you, son?”
“The mountains…”
“Pshaw, ain't you never seen mountains before?”
“Not close like this.”
“Well, they ain't nothin' to get excited over. But the tourists like 'em. Mountains an' bears. That's why I keep them bears. They attract tourists to the gas station.”
Because he suddenly hated the man, Tony could not help saying, “Don't you ever feed them? They look hungry.”
“Pshaw, fool bears.” The chief spat, showing his first sign of irritation, and propelled them across the rear of the lot to a small, dilapidated block building with the words Fairview Police crudely painted over the door. As they approached it, Winkie leaped nervously from Tia's grasp and vanished in the surrounding weeds.
Inside, beyond a scarred desk, some radio equipment and a few broken chairs, Tony glimpsed a partially open door that shut off a small area containing two cells. The place was unpleasantly hot and dirty.
The short man nodded at the desk. “Phone's there. But first, I'm wondering who you're aiming to talk to around here.”
“Nobody. I want to call long distance.”
“I'm not sure I can let you do that, son.” The chief shook his head, and rubbed his hand over his knotty red face. He was a deliberate person, with a thin, wide mouth that kept moving slowly as if he were chewing something. Tony, looking at him angrily, visioned the ill-fed bears, and thought: You dirty old penny pincher…
“But I've a right to make a call,” he protested. “And you've no right to arrest us like this!”
“Now don't get het up, son. I don't like to arrest young people, but sometimes it's my
Similar Books
