The Hooded Claw and the Bully Brothers had taken Penelope to an old abandoned sawmill in the woods that no one had ever visited for a very long time. After they tied her to a large log, they lifted the log and rested it on top of the sawmill's conveyor belt.
"I never got a chance to ask, Claw." Penelope wanted to know where she was. "What is this little ole place?"
"This Pitstop, is an old abandoned sawmill that resides in this very neck of the woods." The Hooded Claw explained. "No one has ever used this place for a number of decades, but prior to capturing you the Bully Brothers and I cleaned and dusted this place for just the occasion. Not just your birthday, but the first time in so long that anyone's even set foot in this sawmill."
"If you look across and up above, suspended above the switch is a small ball that, although it looks like a typical toy bouncy ball in appearance, is actually heavier and harder than a rock." He explained his peril, pointing to a small steel ball that was tied to the switch of the conveyor belt and held up by rope tied to the ceiling. "Notice too, that there is a hungry rat climbing the rope holding the ceiling and the ball. When he gnaws that rope, the ball will drop and activate the switch, sending the conveyor belt that the log you are tied to rests upon to that giant saw blade, splitting you in two!"
The Hooded Claw gave an evil laugh after his explanation.
"You can't just pull the lever yourself?" Penelope raised her brow.
"I could, but how's that any fun? Sayonara, Penelope!"
With that, the Hooded Claw dashed off with the Bully Brothers, leaving poor Penelope bound to the log and awaiting her splintering doom. While the rat was chewing on the rope tied to the ceiling and holding the steel ball up, Penelope decided to take advantage of that time by attempting to figure out a plan.
Despite her hands being tied up tightly to her sides on the giant log, Penelope moved them to get in her pocket in hopes that she could find something to get her out of this dreaded trap and back on the road. She searched her pockets really good, but unfortunately, she was unable to find anything in there.
"Oh dear, I'd use my little ole nail file to get myself free, but it's in my purse, and my purse is in my car." Penelope worried. "Oh what is poor little ole me going to do?"
The rat finished chewing up the rope and, snap! The rope fell along with the steel ball and pulled down the switch, activating the conveyor belt and moving the log Penelope was tied to the large, loud spinning saw blade.
At this point Penelope began to feel even more edgy. She was trying so hard to be brave, but she was moving closer and closer to the spinning saw blade, and even if anyone else was around in the woods (which she doubted), she could cry for help, but the saw blade was so loud that nobody would be able to hear her over it. It was bad enough that she could barely hear anything over the roaring saw blade herself.
"So this is how my birthday ends, and it's still morning." Penelope shut her eyes tight as she got even closer to the saw blade.
Before that blade could saw her and the log she was bound to in half, it suddenly stopped. The very minute it stopped, Penelope opened her eyes, took a deep breath and looked around, wondering how that was even possible. That saw blade was so terribly loud, that she didn't hear anyone come in, nor did she see anyone come in and stop the conveyor belt.
"Are you alright, miss?" Asked a thick but kind male voice belonging to a big, muscle-bound lumberjack, a beaver with a yellow helmet, gloves and scarf by his side as he walked to Penelope.
"Yes, I'm alright now, but I could've never seen the rest of my birthday had the blade not stopped before it could saw me in half and…"
It was then that Penelope recognized her rescuer, a friend and competitor of hers in the Wacky Races.
"Why Rufus Ruffcut, and Sawtooth!" Penelope smiled.
"Why Penelope!" Rufus began to recognize who he rescued himself. "What a pleasure to see you again."
"It's a pleasure to see you, too. Did you save me from that horrible little ole saw blade?"
"Yes m'am! You may not have seen or heard me and Sawtooth coming in but we ran in and I pulled the switch and stopped the conveyor belt." Rufus told Penelope.
"I certainly didn't hear you, Rufus. That blade was so loud; I'm surprised that I can still hear."
From there, Rufus lifted the log Penelope was tied to off the conveyor belt and placed the log back on the floor with Penelope still standing.
"Stay where you are, I'll have Sawtooth get you untied."
Sawtooth nodded, went behind the log and used his teeth to get the ropes off Penelope.
"Thank you ever so ever!" Penelope felt joy and pure relief to have been rescued again. "Little ole me safe and free again!"
But she shivered and felt cold from the fall morning air again.
"But I'm still freezing. This cold sawmill is just making it worse."
"Come with me, Penelope." Rufus offered to take Penelope to his cabin home in the woods. "I'll take you to my home and I'll get the fireside going so you can warm up. Would you like to come?"
"I would love to Rufus. If I stay here any longer I'll just get colder. Let's go." Penelope replied as she and Rufus headed out of the sawmill.
A few moments later, Rufus, Sawtooth and Penelope were now seen at Rufus's cabin. While the fireplace was blazing the perfect amount of heat for Penelope, who sat by the fire in a cozy armchair with a warm blanket wrapped around her shoulders and held Sawtooth in her lap and pet him, Rufus was preparing a hot drink for her.
"That ought to do it." He grinned as the kettle whistled, indicating that it was hot enough to be poured.
Rufus took the kettle, poured hot apple cider into a mug, carefully carried the mug to the armchair Penelope sat in, and, after Sawtooth left Penelope's lap, gave the hot cider to Penelope.
"Here, Penelope. Be careful with that now." Rufus said while Penelope slowly took her drink. "Some fresh hot apple cider, since it's about that time of year again."
He and Penelope chuckled.
"Indeed it is." Penelope carefully took a sip of her cider. "What I could go for is a nice long soak in a hot tub or a bubble bath. But I'm starting to warm up some. Thank you again."
"It was my pleasure, miss Penelope."
"How did y'all know where I was and what was happening to me?" Penelope wondered.
"I was in these woods doing what I do best, which is of course chopping wood." Rufus began to explain. "Right in the middle of a chop so Sawtooth and I could collect some more wood for the fire, I heard the loud roar of the saw blade coming from the old saw mill. No one has ever been in that saw mill for a very long time, so we were curious to see who was using it after all those long years and followed the sound of the saw blade straight there. Once I saw you all tied up and heading for the blade, I knew I had to act fast, so I ran to the switch and pulled it up, thus stopping that conveyor belt."
"Thank heavens you were out and about in the woods during this time."
"Yeah, otherwise you could've been split in two. Who did that to you anyway?"
"Well, Rufus." Penelope answered. "You know all those stories I keep telling you and the other Wacky Racers about my encounters with my archenemy the Hooded Claw?"
"I do remember."
"Well he captured me while I was on my way into another town and tried to do me in again." Penelope told him. "And there's something about him that stands out. Instead of just simply pulling the switch down with his hand like another villain would do, he had to do this in an elaborate complicated way."
"How often do you deal with him?" Rufus asked Penelope.
"Quite an awful lot." Penelope sighed.
"You know Penelope." Rufus suggested. "If he won't stop trying to pursue you to do these things to you, you need to call the authorities. You can't just let him get away with this."
"I know I should, but at least I have the Ant Hill Mob to protect me and make sure I'm safe and well-taken care of." Penelope sighed and then smiled. "Even if they're not around, and I know they can't always be around, there have been many times, and there still are many times where I have managed my way out of the Hooded Claw, the Bully Brothers, and the perils they've put me in on my own."
"That is true, and not to mention good ole Peter Perfect's also there to look out for you." Rufus pointed out.
"Yes, he's rescued me from the Hooded Claw's evil clutches a lot, too." Penelope remembered a few moments Peter saved her. "Especially when he did so last week. It was ever so romantic."
"It's a good thing there are other people like the Ant Hill Mob and Pete to look out for you." Rufus smiled as Penelope stroked Sawtooth. "You're a nice beautiful young girl, and everyone loves you. It's a shame someone like the Hooded Claw keeps doing this to you."
"Yes, but I just know I'll prevail." Penelope showed a positive attitude. "I'm not letting him ruin my birthday."
"That's the spirit, Penelope." Rufus gave her a gentle pat on her back.
"Now that I'm all warmed up, I simply must get going." Penelope got up and went to say goodbye to Rufus and Sawtooth. "Thank y'all so much for rescuing me and for letting me stay in your home to get warm. Your little ole cabin is just grand and I'm glad I got a chance to see it."
"Oh, you're welcome, miss Penelope." Rufus replied. "I'm glad that Sawtooth and I saved your life and that we got a chance to see you, and happy birthday, Penelope. Do you have any plans?"
"I'm just on my way into town, where Peter and I will be meeting for lunch." Penelope told him her birthday plans. "Before I meet him, though, I'll be getting a little ole mani-pedi at my favorite salon. If I don't get going, I'll be late."
"Sounds like a great way to spend your birthday. Go enjoy yourself now, Penelope."
"I will! Goodbye, Rufus!" Penelope told him as she walked out the cabin door and on her way out of the woods. "And thank y'all again!"
"Goodbye Penelope!" Rufus called out. "Have a great day!"
As Penelope headed out of the woods, Rufus and Sawtooth watched on with smiles.
"Such a nice girl she is." Rufus thought. "With someone like the Hooded Claw on her tail all the time, I hope she'll be safe."
