Five Have Plenty of Fun (14 page)

„Yes - but we can"t go round the countryside asking everyone we meet if they"ve noticed a silver-grey car with blue wings," said Julian.

„Let"s go back home and get a map and see the lie of the country round about," said Dick. „Spiky, which way did the car turn when it went out of the field-gate?"

„Towards the east," said Spiky. „On the road to Big Twil ingham."

„Well, that"s something to know," said Dick. „Come on, let"s get our bikes. Thanks most awfully, Spiky. You"ve been a terrific help. We"ll let you know what happens."

„Cal on me if ever you want more help," said Spiky, proudly, and gave them a smart little salute, bobbing his head so that his spikes of hair shook comically.

The three of them rode off, with Timmy running beside them again. As soon as they got home they told Anne and Joan all they had found out. Joan was for ringing up the police at once again, but Julian stopped her.

„I think perhaps we can do this next bit of work better than they can," he said. „We"re going to try and find out where the car went, Joan. Now - where are the maps of the district?"

They found them and began to pore over them. Jo was quite lost when it came to map-reading. She could find her way anywhere, day or night - but not with a map!

„Now - here"s the road to Big Twil ingham and Little Twil ingham," he said. „Let"s list carefully all the roads the car could take from there. My word - it"s a job!"

After fifteen minutes they had six towns on their list, all of which could have been reached in about half-an-hour from Big Twil ingham, which was two miles away from the Fair.

„And now what do you propose to do, Ju?" asked Dick. „Bike over to all the towns and ask if anyone has seen the car?"

„No. We can"t possibly do that," said Julian. „I"m going down to the garage to see our friend Jim, and get his help! I"m going to ask him to ring up any friends he has in the garages in those towns, and ask if they"ve seen the car passing through."

„Won"t he think it"s a bit funny?" asked Anne.

„Yes. But he won"t mind how funny it is if we pay the telephone-cal s and give him fifty pence for his trouble!" said Julian, folding up the map. „And what"s more he won"t ask any questions either. He"l probably think it"s some sil y bet we"ve got on with one another."

Jim was quite wil ing to ring up the garages for them. He knew boys working in main garages in four of the towns, and he knew the hall-porter of a hotel in the fifth town. But he knew no one in the sixth.

„That don"t matter!" he said. „We"ll ring up the garage in the High Street there, and just ask whoever comes to the phone."

Jim rang up the garage in Hillingford, and had a rather cheeky conversation with his friend there. He put the receiver down. „No go," he said. „He says no car like that came through Hil ingford, or he"d have noticed it that time of day. I"l ring up Jake at Green"s Garage in Lowington now."

„That"s no go, either," he said, after a minute"s telephone conversation. „I"l try my hall-porter now. He"s a cousin of mine."

The hall-porter had some news. „Yes!" Jim kept saying. „Yes, that"s the one! Yes, yes! You heard him say that, did you? Thanks most awfully."

„What is it?" asked Dick, eagerly, when Jim at last put down the receiver.

„Pat - that"s the hall porter - says he was off duty this afternoon, and went to buy some cigarettes at a little shop in the main street of Graysfield, where his hotel is - and as he stood talking to the fel ow in the shop an enormous car drew up at the kerb - silver-grey, with blue wings - an American car, left-hand drive and all."

„Yes - what next?" said Julian, eagerly.

„Well, the driver got out to get some cigarettes at the shop. He had dark glasses on, and a big gold ring on his finger - Pat noticed that..."

„That must be the man who asked about us at the tea-shop in Kirrin!" said Julian, remembering. „Go on, Jim - this is wonderful!"

„Well, Pat"s interested in big cars, so he went out and had a good look at it," said Jim. „He said the car had its blinds drawn down at the back, so he couldn"t see inside. The fel ow with the dark glasses came out and got into the driver"s seat again. He cal ed out to whoever was behind and said “Which way now?” "

„Yes, yes - did he hear the answer?" said Julian.

„Somebody called back and said, “Not far now. Into Twining, turn to the left, and it"s the house on the hil .” "

„Well! Of all the luck!" said Dick. „Would that be where G ..." He stopped at a sharp nudge from Julian, and remembered that he mustn"t give too much away to the helpful Jim.

Julian passed over fifty pence to the pleased garage boy, who pocketed it at once, grinning. „Now, you just come along to me if you want to know about any more cars," he said. „I"l phone all over the place for you! Thanks a lot!"

They sped back to Kirrin Cottage, too excited even to talk. They flung their bicycles against the wal and ran in to tell Anne and Joan. Timmy and Sal y sensed their excitement and danced round, barking loudly.

„We know where George is!" cried Dick. „We know, we know!"

Joan and Anne listened eagerly. „Well, Master Julian," said Joan, in admiration, „it was real y smart of you to make Jim phone up like that. The police couldn"t have done better.

What are you going to do now? Ring up that sergeant?"

„No," said Julian. „I"m so afraid that if the police get moving on this now, they"l alarm Gringo and he"ll spirit George away somewhere else. Dick and I wil go to this place tonight, and see if we can"t get hold of George and bring her back! After all - it"s only an ordinary house, I imagine - and as Gringo doesn"t suspect that anyone knows where George is, he won"t be on the look out!"

„Good!" said Dick. „Good, good, good!"

„I"m coming too," said Jo.

„You are not," said Julian, at once. „That"s flat - you are NOT COMING, Jo. But I shal take Timmy, of course."

Jo said no more, but looked so sulky that Anne laughed. „Cheer up, Jo. You can keep me and Sal y company. Oh Julian - wouldn"t it be wonderful to find George and rescue her!"

There was more map-reading as the boys decided which was the best way to bicycle over to Graysfield. „Look out the best torches we"ve got, Anne, wil you?" said Dick. „And let me see - how can we bring George back once we"ve got her? On my bike-step, I think, though I know it"s not allowed. But this is very urgent. We can"t very well take a third bike with us. Gosh, isn"t this exciting!"

„We real y ought to ring up the police," said Joan, who kept saying this at intervals.

„Joan, you sound like a parrot!" said Julian. „If we"re not back by morning you can ring up all the police in the country if you want to!"

„There"s been another phone-call from your aunt today, Master Julian - I nearly forgot to tell you," said Joan. „Your uncle is better and they are coming home as soon as possible."

„Not this evening, I hope," said Julian, in alarm. „Did they tell you anything about Mr Elbur Wright - Berta"s father?"

„Oh, he"s hanging on to his secrets quite happily now that he knows it isn"t Berta who is kidnapped," said Joan. „I don"t know if the kidnappers even know they"ve got the wrong girl yet. It"s all very hush-hush. Even your uncle and aunt are having to obey the police.

Your poor aunt is so terribly upset about George."

„Yes. She must be frightfully worried," said Julian, soberly. „We"ve had so much excitement today that I"ve almost forgotten to worry. And anyway when you"re able to do something, things don"t seem so bad."

„You be careful you don"t go and do too much and land yourself in trouble," said Joan, darkly.

„I"l be careful!" said Julian, winking at Dick. „I say - isn"t it nearly supper-time? I feel awfully hungry."

„Well, we haven"t had any tea," said Dick. „How extraordinary to have forgotten about tea. No wonder we"re hungry."

„Would you like bacon and eggs for a treat?" said Joan, and there was a chorus of approval at once. Timmy and Sal y wagged their tails as if Joan"s question applied to them too!

„We"ll set off as soon as it"s dark," said Julian. „Jo, you"d better go home after supper.

They"l be worrying about you."

„Al right," said Jo, pleased to have been asked to supper, but stil sulky at being forbidden to go with Julian and Dick that night.

Jo disappeared after supper, with many messages to Berta from Dick, Julian, Anne and Sal y.

„And I bet she doesn"t give a single one of them!" said Dick. „Now, let"s have a game before we set off, Julian. Just to take our minds off the excitement. I"m getting al worked-up!"

Joan went up to bed at ten because she was tired. Anne stayed up to see the boys off.

„You wil be careful," she kept saying. „You wil be careful, won"t you? Oh dear, I think it"s almost worse to stay behind and wonder what"s happening to you, than to go with you and find out!"

At last the time came for the boys to go. It was a quarter to twelve and, except for a smal moon, was a dark night, with great clouds looming up, often hiding the moon.

„Come on, Timmy," said Dick. „We"re going to find George."

„Woof!" said Timmy, delighted. Sal y wuffed too, and was most disappointed at being left behind. The boys wheeled their bicycles to the front gate.

„So long, Anne!" said Dick. „Go to bed - and hope to see George when you wake up!"

They set off on their bicycles, with Timmy loping along beside them. They soon arrived at the field where the Fair was, and went swinging away to the east, following the road the silver-grey car had gone that afternoon.

They knew the way by heart, for they had studied the map so wel . As they passed the signposts they felt their excitement beginning to mount. „Graysfield next," said Dick at last.

„Soon be there, Timmy! You"re not getting tired, are you?"

They came into Graysfield silently. The town was asleep, and not a single light showed in any window. A policeman suddenly loomed up out of the shadows, but when he saw two boys cycling, he did not stop them.

„Now - into Twining Vil age, turn to the left - and look for the house on the hil !" said Dick.

They rode through the tiny, silent vil age of Twining, and took the lane to the left. It led up a steep, narrow lane. The boys had to get off and walk because the hil was too much for them.

„There"s the house!" said Julian, suddenly whispering. „Look - through those trees. My word, it looks a dark and lonely one!"

They came to some enormous iron gates, but when they tried to open them, they found them locked. A great wall ran completely round the grounds. They followed it a little way, leaving their bicycles against a tree by the gate, but it was soon certain that nobody could climb a wall like that!

„Blow!" said Julian. „Blow!"

„What about the gates?" whispered Dick. Then he glanced round him nervously, hearing a twig crack. „Did you hear that? There"s nobody following us, is there?"

„No! Don"t get the jitters, for goodness" sake!" said Julian. „What was it you were saying?"

„I said “What about the gates?” " said Dick. „I don"t see why we can"t climb over them, do you? Nobody would do that in the daytime, they"d be seen - but I can"t see why we can"t do it now - they didn"t look too dificult - just ordinary wrought-iron ones."

„Yes! Of course!" said Julian. „That"s a brain-wave. Come on!"

The two boys went back to the gates. Dick turned round and looked behind him two or three times. „I do hope nobody is shadowing us!" he said. „I keep on feeling somebody"s watching us al the time."

„Oh, stuff!" said Julian, impatiently. „Look - here are the gates. Give me a leg-up and I"l be over in a jiffy."

Dick gave him a shove, and Julian climbed over the gates without much difficulty. They were bolted, not locked. He slid the great bolts careful y, and opened one gate a little for Dick and Timmy. „Timmy can"t be left behind!" he said. „And he certainly couldn"t climb this gate!"

They kept to the shadowed side of the drive as they walked up towards the house. The small moon came out from behind a cloud as they came near. It was an old house, with high chimneys, an ugly house with narrow windows that seemed like watching eyes.

Dick glanced behind him suddenly and Julian saw him. „Got the jitters again?" he said, impatiently. „Dick, don"t be an ass. You know perfectly wel that if anyone was shadowing us, Timmy would hear them and go for them at once."

„Yes, I know," said Dick. „I"m an idiot - but I"ve just got that feeling tonight - the feeling that someone else is there!"

They came right up to the house. „How shal we get in?" whispered Julian. „The doors are all sure to be locked. We"ll have to try the windows."

They tiptoed silently round the big house. As Julian had said, the doors were all locked.

The windows were all fastened too - well and truly fastened. Not one was open or could be opened.

„If this is a house belonging to Gringo he must be able to hide plenty of things in absolute safety - bolted gates, high wal s, locked doors, fastened windows!" said Dick. „No burglar could possibly get in."

„And neither can we," said Julian, desperately. „We"ve been all round the house three times now! There"s no door, no window we can get in. No balcony to climb up to - no ivy to hang on to - nothing!"

„Let"s go round once more," said Dick. „We might have missed something."

So once more they went round - and discovered something curious when they got to the kitchen quarters. The moon came out, and showed them a round black hole in the ground! Whatever could it be?

They tiptoed to it just as the moon went in again. They shone their torches on it briefly.

„It"s a coal-hole!" said Dick, astonished. „Why didn"t we see it before? Look, there"s the lid just beside it. It"s been left open. I suppose the moon was in last time we came by this part of the house. I can"t think how we didn"t notice it."

Julian was uneasy. „I didn"t see it before, certainly. It"s queer. Could it be a trap, do you think?"

„I don"t see how it could be," said Dick. „Come on - let"s get down. At least it"s a way in."