Third Year at Malory Towers (14 page)

She went out to the stables again. In the yard the two girls were walking Thunder round and round, the rain pouring down on them. She told them that the vet could not be reached. Bill groaned. She was in despair.

“He's at Raglett's farm,” said Miss Peters. “That's about five miles off, on the Billington Road. I know what I'll do. I'll saddle one of the other horses and ride to the farm myself and get him. That would be the best thing.”

“What! In the dark and the rain?” said Darrell, hardly able to believe her ears.

“That's nothing,” said Miss Peters. “Thunder is a lovely horse—I don't mind what I do for him.”

Bill's hand groped for Miss Peters' arm. She was sobbing. “You
are
good!” she said. “Thank you. Miss Peters. You are the kindest person I've ever known. Oh, if only you can get the vet!”

Miss Peters patted Bill's shoulder. “I'll do my best. Don't worry, Bill!”

Darrell was struck with surprise. Miss Peters had called Bill Bill. Gracious! And she was going to ride for miles in the dark to fetch someone to help Thunder. She was a perfectly marvellous person! “And to think I never even guessed it before!” marvelled Darrell, valiantly leading Thunder round the yard. “People are awfully decent underneath.”

Miss Peters was soon galloping off into the night. The two girls took it in turns to lead Thunder round the yard. He seemed better when he was walking.

“Darrell—I do feel so awful now to remember all the horrid things I thought about Miss Peters,” said Bill, once. “She's the decentest person I've ever met. Fancy riding off like that to get the vet. Darrell, I shall never be able to repay her. Shall I?”

“No. I don't suppose you will,” said Darrell. “I think she's fine. Golly—won't the girls be thrilled to hear about all this tomorrow!”

Miss Peters was riding fast through the night. The rain beat down on her but she didn't mind. She was an all-weather person, and thought nothing of rain, wind, snow or fog! She galloped off to Raglett's farm, and at last got to the gate that led up to the farm.

There was a light in one of the sheds. Miss Peters guessed the vet was there with the farmer, and the cow he had gone to tend. She rode up to the door, her horse's hooves making a loud noise in the night.

The farmer came to the door in surprise. Miss Peters hailed him in her loud, deep voice. “Is the vet here? Can I speak to him?”

“He's in yonder,” said the farmer. Miss Peters dismounted and went into the shed. The vet was there, kneeling beside a cow. By the cow's side were two pretty little calves.

“Mr. Turnbull,” said Miss Peters, “if you've finished here, could you possibly come to Malory Towers? That horse Thunder I told you about on the telephone this morning is in a bad way. Colic. He needs help.”

“Right,” said the vet, getting up. “I've finished here, as it happens—much earlier than I thought. I'll come along now. I'll get my horse. Well, Raglett, that cow's fine now—and she's got two of the prettiest calves I ever saw!”

Presently the vet and Miss Peters were riding back over the road to Malory Towers. When they were half-way here Miss Peters” horse suddenly shied and reared.

“Hey there! Whoa! What's the matter?” cried Miss Peters and at the same moment she saw something lying beside the road. It was a dark shape, hardly visible in the darkness of the night.

“Mr. Turnbull. Come here!” yelled Miss Peters. “I think there's somebody here. I hope they haven't been knocked down by a car and left helpless!”

The vet had a powerful torch. He switched it on. The beam played over a huddled up bundle—a bundle with a mackintosh on!

“Good heavens! It's a young girl!” said the vet. “Is she hurt?”

He picked the girl up. Miss Peters gave a loud and horrified exclamation. “It's MAVIS! Good gracious me! Mavis! Whatever is she doing lying out here in the dark at this time of night? This is terrible!”

“She's fainted from exhaustion I think,” said the vet. “Doesn't seem to have any bones broken. Look, she's opening her eyes.”

Mavis looked up and saw Miss Peters. She began to cry weakly. “They wouldn't let me sing. And I missed the last bus, and I've been walking all night in the rain.”

“What is she talking about?” said the vet. “Look, she's wet through! She'll get pneumonia unless we're pretty quick. I'll take her on my horse. Help me to lift her up.”

Amazed, horrified and distressed, Miss Peters helped to lift Mavis on to the vet's horse. He held the girl steady in front of him. Then off they went again, this time more slowly.

They came to Malory Towers. “If Mavis can walk I'll take her straight in to Matron,” said Miss Peters. “Oh dear, what a night! You go to the stables, Mr. Turnbull. Darrell and Bill are walking Thunder in the yard.”

The vet disappeared in the direction of the stables. Miss Peters guided the exhausted Mavis into North Tower. She could hardly walk. Miss Peters half-dragged her up the stairs to Matron's room.

Matron awoke and opened her door in surprise. She exclaimed in horror when she saw Mavis. “What's all this”.”

Where has she been? She's soaked through and shivering. Miss Peters, there's an electric blanket in that cupboard. Put it into the little bed over there, will you, and get the bed hot. And put my electric kettle on. Good gracious! What can have happened?”

“Goodness knows,” said Miss Peters, doing all the things she had been asked to do, whilst Matron quickly undressed Mavis, flinging her soaking clothes on the floor in her hurry to get her into a warm bed. It wasn't long before she was tucked up with two hot-water bottles, whilst Matron prepared some hot cocoa.

Mavis tried to tell her what had happened. She spoke in a poor croaking voice. “I only went to Billington—to that talent spotting concert—but they said they couldn't let schoolgirls enter. I tried and tried to make them let me sing, but they wouldn't. And then I missed the last bus so I began to walk all the way home. But it rained and blew and I was so tired I fell down. And I couldn't get up again. So...”

“Now, don't talk any more,” said Matron gently. “You drink this cocoa and go to sleep. I'll be here in this other bed so you'll be all right.”

Miss Peters had slipped out of the room, murmuring something about seeing to a horse, much to Matron's surprise. She couldn't make out why Miss Peters was in riding things nor how it was that she had found Mavis on the road. Well, the main thing was to see to Mavis. She could find out the rest of the mystery afterwards.

Miss Peters went down to the others. Bill and Darrell had welcomed the vet with joy and relief. Thunder knew him and whinnied. It wasn't long before the vet had made him drink a huge draught of medicine. “You've done well to keep him on his feet,” he told the two tired girls. “Probably saved his life. Now—off you go to bed. I'll stay with him till morning. Miss Peters will help me. Off you go!”

BILL hadn't wanted to leave Thunder, of course. But Miss Peters spoke to her firmly and gently. “Now, Bill—you must leave matters to us. You know that we shall do our best for the horse, and now that he has had that draught he will be all right. We'll walk him as long as necessary. But you and Darrell have done your share and you are tired out. Be sensible, Bill, and do as you are told.”

“Yes, I will,” said Bill, unexpectedly. She took Miss Peters” hand in hers and held it tightly. “Miss Peters—I can never repay you. Never. But I'll never forget tonight and all you did.”

Miss Peters patted Bill on the back. “That's all right. I'm not asking for any repayment! I'm fond of Thunder, too, and I knew how you felt. I'm not sending him home, Bill. You shall keep him. I don't somehow think I shall ever have to punish you again by saying you mustn't see him.”

“You won't,” said Bill, her white face gleaming in the lamplight. “I'll be your—your very best pupil from now on, Miss Peters!”

“Well—that will be a wonderful repayment,” said Miss Peters, smiling. “Now do go, both of you. You look so pale and tired. You must both have breakfast in bed!”

“Oh no!” protested both girls. “We couldn't bear it.”

“All right. I can't bear it either,” said Miss Peters. “You can go to bed early instead! Now, good night—or rather, good morning! It's nearly three o” clock!”

The two girls stumbled into North Tower, yawning. They hardly said a word to one another, they were so tired. But they were happy, and felt as if they had been friends for years! Bill slid into bed. She whispered to Darrell.

“Darrell I know you're Sally's friend, so you can't be mine. But I'm yours forever and ever. Just you remember that! I'll pay you back some day for all you did tonight.”

“That's all right,” said Darrell, sleepily and was asleep almost at once.

In the morning, what a to-do! Darrell and Bill slept so soundly that not even the bell awoke them. When Jean pulled at them they shrugged away and cuddled down again, hardly waking.

“Darrell! Bill! I say, what's the matter with them both! Wake up, you two, the bell's gone ages ago. Do wake up— we want to tell you something. Mavis isn't back! Her bed is empty!”

The rest of the girls were talking excitedly about Mavis's non-appearance. Jean was very worried. She felt that she ought to have reported the night before that Mavis had not come to bed with the rest of them. She was feeling very guilty.

“I must go to Miss Potts at once,” she said and she rushed off. But Miss Potts knew all about Mavis, for Matron had already reported to her. Miss Grayling knew, too. There had been a great upset about it. Mavis was now in the san, where sick girls were kept, and Sister, who looked after the San., was in charge of her. The doctor had been to see her already.

Jean listened to all this in amazement. “Did Mavis—did she go to Billington?” she asked.

“Oh! So you know about that too,” said Miss Potts, grimly. “Funny sort of head-girl you are, Jean, not to have reported that Mavis was not in the dormitory last night. Very remiss of you. There are times when you have to make a distinction between telling tales and reporting. You know that. We might have saved Mavis from a serious illness if we had learnt from you that she hadn't gone to bed.”

Jean went white. “I fell asleep,” she said miserably, “I was going to wait till the last bus came in—and if Mavis didn't come in then I was going to come and report. But I fell asleep.”„

“A lame excuse,” said Miss Potts, who was angry with herself for not having popped her head into the third form dormy the night before, when she had heard talking. If only she had!

“Can we see Mavis?” asked Jean.

“Certainly not,” said Miss Potts. “She is seriously ill. She got soaked through, and then lay for some time by the roadside. She has bronchitis now—and we are hoping it won't turn to anything worse. Her throat is terribly bad, too—she can hardly whisper.”

Jean went back to the third form dormy feeling guilty and alarmed. She found the third-formers gathered round Darrell listening excitedly to her tale of the night before. Bill was not there. She had rushed off to the stables at once, of course.

“Listen...” said Jean. But nobody listened. They were all agape at Darrell's amazing tale. Jean found herself listening, too.

“But—would you believe Miss Peters could be so utterly decent?” said Belinda, in surprise. “She was super! How lucky that you fetched her, Darrell!”

“It was a night!” said Darrell. “Bill and I must have walked miles and miles with Thunder round the yard. I wonder how he is this morning.”

Footsteps raced up the corridor to the dormy. Bill burst in, her face glowing. “Darrell! DARRELL! He's all right. Right as rain, and eating his oats as if he couldn't have enough. The vet stayed with him till half-past seven, and Miss Peters stayed till now. She never went to bed again!”

“Golly! She's wonderful,” said Alicia, seeing Miss Peters in an entirely new light. “Bill, why didn't you and Darrell wake us up, too!”

“We never thought of anything like that,” said Bill. “We only thought of Thunder. Darrell was marvellous, too. Oh, I feel so happy. Thunder's all right. He's not going to be sent home. Everything's fine. And I shall never, never forget what Miss Peters did last night.”

“You will!” said Alicia. “You'll sit and look out of the window and dream in class, just as you always do!”