Five Get Into Trouble (11 page)

'Give me your pound notes, quick,' said Julian in a low voice, when they had rounded a corner and were out of sight of the windows. They all handed them to him wonderingly.

What was he going to do with them?

The woman had come out to watch them go. Julian beckoned to her. She came hesitatingly down the garden. 'For you,' said Julian, putting the notes into her hand. 'We don't want them.'

The woman took them, amazed. Her eyes fil ed with tears. 'Why — it's a fortune — no, no, you take them back. You're kind, though — so kind.'

Julian turned away, leaving the astonished and delighted woman standing staring after them. He hurried after the others.

'That was a very, very good idea of yours,' said Anne, warmly, and the others agreed. Al of them had been sorry for the poor woman.

'Come on,' said Julian. 'We don't want to miss the opening of the gates! Listen — can you hear the groaning noise back at the house. Somebody has set the machinery working that opens the gates. Thank goodness we're free — and Richard too. That was a bit of luck!'

'Yes, I was so scared Rooky would recognize me, even though my hair was sooted black,' said Richard, who was now looking much more cheerful. 'Oh look — we can see the end of the drive now — and the gates are wide open. We're free!'

'We'll get our bikes,' said Julian. 'I know where we left them. You can ride on my crossbar Richard, because we're a bike short. Dick must have his bike back now — you remember you borrowed it? Look — here they are.'

They mounted their bicycles and began to cycle down the drive — and then Anne gave a scream.

'Julian! Look, look — the gates are closing again. Quick, quick — we'll be left inside!'

Everyone saw in horror that the gates were actually closing, very slowly. They pedal ed as fast as they could — but it was no use. By the time they got there the two great gates were fast shut. No amount of shaking would open them. And just as they were so very nearly out!

They all flung themselves down on the grass verge and groaned.

'What have they done that for, just as we were going out?' said Dick. 'Was it a mistake, do you think? I mean — did they think we'd had time to go out, or what?'

'Well — if it was a mistake, it's easy to put right,' said Julian. 'I'll just cycle back to the house and tel them they shut the gates too soon.'

'Yes — you do that,' said George. 'We'll wait here.'

But before Julian could even mount his bicycle there came the sound of the car purring down the long drive. Al the children jumped to their feet. Richard ran behind a bush in panic. He was terrified of having to face Rooky again.

The car drew up by the children and stopped. 'Yes, they're stil here,' said Mr Perton's voice, as he got out of the car. Rooky got out too. They came over to the children.

Rooky ran his eyes over them. 'Where's that other boy?' he asked quickly.

'I can't imagine,' said Julian, cool y. 'Dear me — I wonder if he had time to cycle out of the gateway. Why did you shut the gates so soon, Mr Perton?'

Rooky had caught sight of Richard's shivering figure behind the bush. He strode over to him and yanked him out. He looked at him closely. Then he pulled him over to Mr Perton.

'Yes — I thought so — this is the boy we want! He's sooted his hair or something, and that's why I didn't recognize him. But when he'd gone I felt sure there was something familiar about him — that's why I wanted another look.' He shook poor Richard like a dog shaking a rat.

'Well — what do you want to do about it?' asked Mr Perton, rather gloomily.

'Hold him, of course,' said Rooky. 'I'll get back at his father now — he'll have to pay a very large sum of money for his horrible son! That'l be useful, won't it? And I can pay this kid out for some of the lies he told his father about me. Nasty little rat.'

He shook Richard again. Julian stepped forward, white and furious.

'Now you stop that,' he said. 'Let the boy go. Haven't you done enough already —

keeping my brother locked up for nothing — holding us al for the night — and now you talk about kidnapping! Haven't you just come out of prison? Do you want to go back there?'

Rooky dropped Richard and lunged out at Julian. With a snarl Timmy flung himself between them and bit the man's hand. Rooky let out a howl of rage and nursed his injured hand. He yelled at Julian.

'Call that dog to heel. Do you hear?'

'I'l cal him to heel al right — if you talk sense,' said Julian, stil white with rage. 'You're going to let us all go, here and now. Go back and open these gates.'

Timmy growled terrifyingly, and both Rooky and Mr Perton took some hurried steps backwards. Rooky picked up a very big stone.

'If you dare to throw that I'l set my dog on you again!' shouted George, in sudden fear.

Mr Perton knocked the stone out of Rooky's hand.

'Don't be a fool,' he said. 'That dog could make mincemeat of us — great ugly brute.

Look at his teeth. For goodness' sake let the kids go, Rooky.'

'Not til we've finished our plans,' said Rooky fiercely, stil nursing his hand. 'Keep 'em al prisoners here! We shan't be long before our jobs are done. And what's more I'm going to take that little rat there off with me when I go! Ha! I'l teach him a few things — and his father too.'

Timmy growled again. He was straining at George's hand. She had him firmly by the collar. Richard trembled when he heard Rooky's threats about him. Tears ran down his face.

'Yes — you can howl all you like,' said Rooky, scowling at him. 'You wait til I get you!

Miserable little coward — you never did have any spunk — you just ran round tel ing tales and misbehaving yourself whenever you could.'

'Look, Rooky — you'd better come up to the house and have that hand seen to,' said Mr Perton. 'It's bleeding badly. You ought to wash it and put some stuff on it — you know a dog's bite is dangerous. Come on. You can deal with these kids afterwards.'

Rooky allowed himself to be led back to the car. He shook his unhurt fist at the children as they watched silently.

'Interfering brats! Little . . .'

But the rest of his pleasant words were lost in the purring of the car's engine. Mr Perton backed a little, turned the car, and it disappeared up the drive. The five children sat themselves down on the grass verge. Richard began to sob out loud.

'Do shut up, Richard,' said George. 'Rooky was right when he said you were a little coward, with no spunk. So you are. Anne's much pluckier than you are. I wish to goodness we had never met you.'

Richard rubbed his hands over his eyes. They were sooty, and made his face look most peculiar with streaks of black soot mixed with his tears. He tooked very woebegone indeed.

'I'm sorry,' he sniffed. 'I know you don't believe me — but I real y am. I've always been a bit of a coward — I can't help it.'

'Yes you can,' said Julian, scornful y. 'Anybody can help being a coward. Cowardice is just thinking of your own miserable skin instead of somebody else's. Why, even little Anne is more worried about us than she is about herself — and that makes her brave. She couldn't be a coward if she tried.'

This was a completely new idea to Richard. He tried to wipe his face dry. 'I'l try to be like you,' he said, in a muffled voice. 'You're al so decent. I've never had friends like you before. Honestly, I won't let you down again.'

'Well, we'll see,' said Julian, doubtfully. 'It would certainly be a surprise if you turned into a hero al of a sudden — a very nice surprise, of course — but in the meantime it would be a help if you stopped howling for a bit and let us talk.'

Richard subsided. He real y looked very peculiar with his soot-streaked face. Julian turned to the others.

'This is maddening!' he said. 'Just as we so nearly got out. I suppose they'l shut us up in some room and keep us there til they've finished whatever this "job" is. I imagine the "job"

consists of getting that hidden fel ow away in safety — the one I saw in the secret room.'

'Won't Richard's people report his disappearance to the police?' said George, fondling Timmy, who wouldn't stop licking her now he had got her again.

'Yes, they wil . But what good wil that do? The police won't have the faintest notion where he is,' said Julian. 'Nobody knows where we are, either, come to that — but Aunt Fanny won't worry yet, because she knows we're off on a cycling tour, and wouldn't be writing to her anyway.'

'Do you think those men wil really take me off with them when they go?' asked Richard.

'Well, we'll hope we shall have managed to escape before that,' said Julian, not liking to say yes, certainly Richard would be whisked away!

'How can we escape?' asked Anne. 'We'd never get over those high walls. And I don't expect anyone ever comes by here — right at the top of this deserted hil . No tradesman would ever call.'

'What about the postman?' asked Anne.

'They probably arrange to fetch their post each day,' said Julian. 'I don't expect they want anyone coming here at al . Or — there may be a letter-box outside the gate. I never thought of that!'

They went to see. But although they craned their necks to see each side, there didn't seem to be any letter-box at all for the postman to slip letters in. So the faint hope that had risen in their minds, that they might catch the postman and give him a message, vanished at once.

'Hallo — here's the woman — Aggie, or whatever he name is,' said George, suddenly, as Timmy growled. They all turned their heads. Yes, Aggie was coming down the drive in a hurry — could she be going out? Would the gates open for her?

Their hopes died as she came near. 'Oh, there you are! I've come with a message. You can do one of two things — you can stay out in the grounds al day, and not put foot into the house at al — or you can come into the house and be locked up in one of the rooms.'

She looked round cautiously and lowered her voice. 'I'm sorry you didn't get out; right down upset I am. It's bad enough for an old woman like me, being cooped up here with Hunchy — but it's not right to keep children in this place. You're nice children too.'

'Thanks,' said Julian. 'Now, seeing that you think we're so nice — tel us, is there any way we can get out besides going through these gates?'

'No. No way at all,' said the woman. 'It's like a prison, once those gates are shut.

Nobody's al owed in, and you're only al owed out if it suits Mr Perton and the others. So don't try to escape — it's hopeless.'

Nobody said anything to that. Aggie glanced over her shoulder as if she feared somebody might be listening — Hunchy perhaps — and went on in a low voice.

'Mr Perton said I wasn't to give you much food. And he said Hunchy's to put down food for the dog with poison in it — so don't you let him eat any but what I give you myself.'

The brute,' cried George, and she held Timmy close against her. 'Did you hear that, Timmy? It's a pity you didn't bite Mr Perton too!'

'Sh!' said the woman, afraid. 'I didn't ought to tell you al this, you know that — but you're kind, and you gave me all that money. Right down nice you are. Now you listen to me —

you'd better say you'd rather keep out here in the grounds — because if you're locked up I wouldn't dare to bring you much food in case Rooky came in and saw it. But if you stay out here it's easier. I can give you plenty.'

'Thank you very much,' said Julian, and the others nodded too. 'In any case we'd rather be out here. I suppose Mr Perton is afraid we'd stumble on some of his queer secrets in the house if we had the free run there! Al right — tell him we'll be in the grounds. What about our food? How shall we manage about that? We don't want to get you into trouble — but we're very hungry for our meals, and we really could do with a good dinner today.'

'I'l manage it for you,' said Aggie, and she actual y smiled. 'But mind what I say now —

don't you let that dog eat anything Hunchy puts down for him! It'l be poisoned.'

A voice shouted from the house. Aggie jerked her head up and listened. 'That's Hunchy,'

she said. 'I must go.'

She hurried back up the drive. 'Well, well, well,' said Julian, 'so they thought they'd poison old Timmy, did they? They'l have to think again, old fel ow, won't they?'

'Woof,' said Timmy, gravely, and didn't even wag his tail!

16 Aggie — and Hunchy

'I feel as if I want some exercise,' said George, when Aggie had gone. 'Let's explore the grounds. You never know what we might find!'

They got up, glad of something to do to take their minds off their surprising problems.

Real y, who would have thought yesterday, when they were happily cycling along sunny country roads, that they would be held prisoner like this today? You just never knew what would happen. It made life exciting, of course — but it did spoil a cycling tour!

They found absolutely nothing of interest in the grounds except a couple of cows, a large number of hens, and a brood of young ducklings. Evidently even the milkman didn't need to cal at Owl's Dene! It was quite self-contained.

'I expect that black Bentley goes down each day to some town or other, to collect letters, and to buy meat, or fish,' said George. 'Otherwise Owl's Dene could keep itself going for months on end if necessary without any contact with the outside world. I expect they've got stacks and stacks of tinned food.'

'It's weird to find a place like this, tucked away on a deserted hil , forgotten by everyone

— guarding goodness knows what secrets,' said Dick. 'I'd love to know who that man was you saw in the secret room, Julian — the snorer!'

'Someone who doesn't want to be seen even by Hunchy or Aggie,' said Julian.

'Someone the police would dearly love to see, I expect!'

'I wish we could get out of here,' said George, longingly. 'I hate the place. It's got such a nasty "feel" about it. And I hate the thought of somebody trying to poison Timmy.'

'Don't worry — he won't be poisoned,' said Dick. 'We won't let him be. He can have half our food, can't you, Timmy, old fel ow?'

Timmy agreed. He woofed and wagged his tail. He wouldn't leave George's side that morning, but stuck to her like a leech.