Five Have a Wonderful Time (18 page)

"I wouldn't mind you for a pet, if you were a bit smaller," Jo told him. "I don't know why people don't like snakes. Oh, Beauty — it makes me laugh to think of the way you treated those men!"

She chuckled as she went along the secret ways, holding the lantern high, except when she came to the last passage of all, and had to walk bent double. Beauty waited for her when she came to the hole in the wall. He had heard noises outside.

Jo climbed out first, and was immensely surprised to find herself pounced on and held. She wriggled and shouted and struggled, and finally bit the hand that was holding her.

Then a torch was shone on her and a shout went up. "It's Jo! Jo, where have you been? And look here, if you bite like that I'll scrag you!"

"Bufflo! I'm sorry—but what did you want to go and pounce on me for?"

cried Jo. The moon suddenly came out and lighted up the scene. She saw Julian and the rest there, coming up eagerly.

"Jo! Are you all right?" said her uncle. "We were worried about you.

Where have you been?"

Jo took no notice. She ran up to Dick and the others.

"You escaped!" she cried. "Did you all get safely down the peg-rope?"

"There's no time to tell about that now," said Bufflo, watching the hole in the wall. "What about those fellows? We're waiting for them here. Did you hear anything of them, Jo?"

"Oh, yes. I followed them. Oh, Bufflo, it was so funny…" said Jo, and began to laugh. Bufflo, shook her, but she couldn't stop. And then who should come gliding out through the hole but Beauty!

Mr. Slither saw him at once and gave a yell. "Beauty! Jo, did you take him with you. You wicked girl! Come here, my Beauty!"

The snake glided to him and wound himself lovingly round him.

"I'm not wicked," said Jo, indignantly. "Beauty wanted to come with me and he did—and oh, he got mixed up with all those men, and…"

She went off into peals of laughter again. Dick grinned in sympathy. Jo was very funny when she couldn't stop laughing.

Alfredo shook her roughly and made her stop. "Tell us what you know about those men," he commanded.

"Are they coming out this way? Where are they?"

"Oh — the men," said Jo, wiping her eyes and trying to stop laughing, "They're all right. Beauty chased them back to the tower-room, and I bolted them in. They're still there, I expect — unless they dare to get down the peg-rope, which I bet they won't!"

Bufflo gave a short laugh. "You did well, Jo," he said. "You and Beauty!"

He gave a sharp order to Alfredo and the rubber-man, who went back over the wall and into the courtyard to watch if the men slid down the peg-rope.

"I think it would be a good idea to get the police now," said Terry-Kane, beginning to feel that he must be in some kind of extraordinary dream, with peg-ropes and whips and knives and snakes turning up in such a peculiar manner. "That fellow Pottersham is dangerous. He's a traitor, and must be caught before he gives away all that he knows about the work he and I have been doing."

"Right," said Bufflo. "We've got another fellow locked up too — in an empty caravan."

"But — didn't he escape then?" said Jo, surprised. "I thought that man Pottersham, who's up in the tower-room now, was the one we locked up."

"The one we locked up is
still
locked up," said Bufflo grimly.

"But who is
he
, then?" said Terry-Kane, bewildered.

"We'll soon find out," said Bufflo. "Come on, let's get going now. It's very late, you kids must be dying of hunger, somebody ought to go to the police, and I want to get back to camp."

"Alfredo and the rubber-man will keep guard on the peg-rope," said Mr. Slither, still fondling Beauty.

"There is no need to stay here any longer."

So down the hill they went, talking nineteen to the dozen. Terry-Kane went off to the police-station and to telephone what he vaguely called 'the high-up authorities'. The five children began to think hungrily of something to eat and drink! Timmy ran to the stream as soon as they reached the field and began to lap thirstily.

"Let's just find out if you know the fellow we've got locked up in this caravan," said Bufflo, when they got to the camp. "He seems the only unexplained bit so far."

He unlocked the caravan, and called loudly. "Come on out. We want to know who you are!" He held up a lamp, and the man inside came slowly to the door.

There was a shout of amazement from all the children. "Uncle Quentin!" cried Julian, Dick and Anne.

"Father!" shouted George. "What ARE you doing here?"

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THERE was a minute or two of silence. Everyone was most astonished. To think that George's father had been locked up like that! It had been Jo's mistake, of course — she had been so sure he was Mr. Pottersham.

"Julian," said Uncle Quentin, very much on his dignity, and also very angry, "I must ask you to go and get the police here. I was set on and locked up in this caravan for no reason at all."

Bufflo began to look most disturbed. He turned on Jo.

"Why didn't you tell us he was George's father?" he said.

"I didn't know it
was
," said Jo. "I've never seen him, and anyway I thought…"

"It doesn't matter what you thought," said Uncle Quentin, looking at the dirty little girl in disgust. "I insist on the police being fetched."

"Uncle Quentin, I'm sure it's all been a mistake," said Julian, "and anyway Mr. Terry-Kane has gone to the police himself."

His uncle stared at him as if he couldn't believe his ears. "
Terry-Kane
? Where is he? What has happened? Is he found?"

"Yes. It's rather a long story," said Julian. "It all began when we saw that face at the window. I told Aunt Fanny all about that, Uncle, and she said she would tell you when you got back from London. Well — it
was
Mr. Terry-Kane at the window!"

"I thought so! I told your Aunt Fanny I had a feeling it was!" said his uncle. "That's why I came as soon as ever I could — but you were none of you here. What happened to you?"

"Well, that's part of the story, Uncle," said Julian, patiently. "But I say, do you mind if we have something to eat. We're practically dead from starvation — haven't had anything since yesterday!"

That ended the interview for the time being! Mrs. Alfredo bustled about, and soon there was a perfectly glorious meal set in front of the five half-starved children. They sat round a camp-fire and ate and ate and ate.

Mrs. Alfredo practically emptied her big pot for them. Timmy was surrounded by plates of scraps and big bones brought by every member of the camp! Almost every minute someone loomed up out of the darkness with a plate of something or other either for the hungry children, or for Timmy.

At last they really could eat no more, and Julian began to tell their extraordinary story. Dick took it up, and George added quite a few bits. Jo interrupted continually and even Timmy put in a few barks. Only Anne said nothing. She was leaning against her uncle, fast asleep.

"I never heard such a tale in my life," said Uncle Quentin, continually. "Never! Fancy that fellow Pottersham going off with Terry-Kane like that. I
knew
Terry-Kane was all right—
he
wouldn't let his country down. Now, Pottersham I never did like. Well, go on."

The fair-folk were as enthralled as Uncle Quentin with the tale. They came closer and closer as the story of the secret passages, the hidden room, the stone stairways and the rest was unfolded.

They got very excited when they learnt how Bufflo had appeared in the tower-room and had flicked the gun out of Pottersham's hand. Uncle Quentin threw back his head and roared when he heard that bit.

"What a shock for that fellow!" he said. "I'd like to have seen his face. Well, well — I never heard such a tale in my life!"

And then it was Jo's turn to tell how she had followed the four men into the secret passages, and had set Beauty, the python, on to the men. She began to laugh again as she told her tale, and soon all the fair-folk were laughing in sympathy, rocking to and fro, with tears streaming down their faces.

Only Uncle Quentin looked rather solemn at this point. He remembered how he had felt when, because of his shouting, the fair-folk had sent the python into his caravan, and almost frightened him out of his life.

"Mr. Slither, please do get Beauty," begged Jo. "He ought to listen to his part of the story. He was wonderful. He enjoyed it all too. I'm sure he would have laughed if only snakes
could
laugh."

Poor Uncle Quentin didn't like to object when the snake-man fetched his beloved python — in fact, he fetched both of them, and they had never had such a fuss made of them before. They were patted and rubbed and pulled about in a way they both seemed to enjoy hugely.

"Let me hold Beauty, Mr. Slither," said Jo, at last, and she draped him round her neck like a long, shiny fur.

Uncle Quentin looked as if he was going to be sick. He would certainly have got up and gone away if it hadn't been that his favourite niece Anne was fast asleep against his shoulder.

"What extraordinary people George seems to be friends with," he thought. "I suppose they are all right —

but really! What with whips and knives and snakes I must say I find all this very peculiar."

"Somebody's coming up the field," said Jo, suddenly. "It's — yes, it's Mr. Terry-Kane, and he's got three policemen with him."

Immediately almost all the fair-folk melted away into the darkness. They knew quite well why the police had come — not for them, but because of Mr. Pottersham and his unpleasant friends. But all the same they wanted nothing to do with the three burly policemen walking up the hill with Terry-Kane.

Uncle Quentin leapt to his feet as soon as he saw Terry-Kane. He ran to meet him joyfully, and pumped his arm up and down, up and down, shaking hands so vigorously that Terry-Kane felt quite exhausted.

"My dear fellow," said Uncle Quentin, "I'm so glad you're safe. I told everyone you weren't a traitor, and never could be — everyone! I went up to London and told them. I'm glad you're all right."

"Well — it's thanks to these children," said Terry-Kane, who looked very tired. "I expect you've heard the peculiar and most extraordinary tale of the Face at the Window."

"Yes — it's all so extraordinary that I shouldn't believe it if I read it in a book," said Uncle Quentin. "And yet it all happened! My dear fellow, you must be very tired!"

"I am," said Terry-Kane. "But I'm not going to lie down and sleep until those other fellows are safely under lock and key — Pottersham and his fine friends! Do you mind if I leave you for a bit, and go off to the castle again? We simply must catch those fellows. I came to ask if one of the children could go with us, because I hear we have to creep through all kinds of passages and galleries and up spiral stairways and goodness knows what."

"But — didn't
you
go that way when Pottersham first took you there and hid you in that room?" asked Dick, surprised.

"Yes. I must have gone that way," said Mr. Terry-Kane. "But I was blindfolded and half-doped with something they had made me drink. I've no idea of the way. Of course, Pottersham knew every inch — he's written books about all these old castles, you know—nobody knows more about them and their secrets than he does. He certainly put his knowledge to good use this week!"

"I'll go with you," said Jo. "I've been up and down those passages four times now." I know them by heart!

The others have only been once."

"Yes, you go," said Bufflo.

"Take Timmy," said George most generously, for usually she would never let Timmy go with Jo.

"Or take a snake," suggested Dick, with a grin.

"I won't take anything," said Jo. "I'll be all right with three big policemen! So long as they're not after
me
, I like them!"

She didn't really, but she couldn't help boasting a little. She set off with Terry-Kane and the three policemen, strutting a little, and feeling quite a heroine.

The others all went to their caravans, tired out. Uncle Quentin sat by the camp-fire, waiting for the arrival of Pottersham and his three friends.

"Good night," said Julian to the girls. "I'd like to wait till the crowd come back — complete with the rubber-man and Alfredo — but I shall fall asleep standing on my feet in a minute. I say, wasn't that a smashing supper?"

"Super!" said the others. "Well — see you tomorrow."

They all slept very late the next day. Jo was back long before they awoke, very anxious to tell them how they had captured Pottersham and the others, and how they had been marched off to the police-station, with her following all the way. But Mrs. Alfredo would not let her wake the four children up.

However, they did awake at last, and got up eagerly, remembering all the exciting moments of the day before. Soon they were jumping down the steps of the two caravans, eager to hear the latest news.

"Hallo, Father!" shouted George, seeing him not far off.

"Hallo, Uncle Quentin! Hallo, Jo!" called the others, and soon heard the latest bits of information from Jo who was very proud of being in at the finish.