The Secret Seven (3 page)

He went to the gate. The car came slowly by and then Jack saw that it was towing something – something rather big. What could it possibly be?

The boy strained his eyes to see. It wasn't big enough for a removal van, and yet it looked rather like the shape of one. It wasn't a caravan either, because there were no wide windows at the side. Were there any windows at all? Jack couldn't see any. Well, whatever was this curious van? And where was it going? The driver simply must have made a mistake! The boy began to climb over the gate. Then he suddenly sat still.

The car's headlights had gone out. The car itself had stopped, and so had the thing it was towing. Jack could make out the dark shapes of the car and the van behind, standing quite still. What was it all about?

Somebody spoke to somebody else in a low voice. Jack could see that one or two men had got out of the car, but he could not hear their footsteps because of the snow.

How he wished the moon was up, then he could hide behind the hedge and see what was happening! He heard a man's voice speaking more loudly.

«Nobody about, is there?»

«Only that deaf fellow», said another voice.

«Have a look-see, will you?» said the first voice. «Just in case.»

Jack slipped quickly down from the gate, as he saw a powerful torch flash out. He crouched behind the snowy hedge, scraping snow over himself. There came the soft crunch of footsteps walking over frosty snow by the hedge. The flashlight shone over the gate and the man gave an exclamation.

«Who's there? Who are you?»

Jack's heart beat so hard against him that it hurt. He was just about to get up and show himself, and say who he was, when the man at the gate began to laugh.

«My word – look here, Nibs – a whole lot of snowmen standing out here! I thought they were alive at first, watching for us! I got a scare all right.»

Another man came softly to the first and he laughed too. «Kids' work, I suppose», he said. «Yes, they look real all right, in this light. There's nobody about here at this time of night, Mac. Come on – let's get down to business.»

They went back towards the car. Jack sat up, trembling. What in the world could the men be doing down here in the snowy darkness, outside an old empty house? Should he try to see what they were up to? He didn't want to in the least. He wanted to go home as quickly as ever he could!

He crept to the gate again. He heard queer sounds from where the men were – as if they were unbolting something – opening the van perhaps.

And then there came a sound that sent Jack helter-skelter over the gate and up the lane as fast as his legs would take him! An angry, snorting sound, and then a curious high squeal – and then a noise of a terrific struggle, with the two men panting and grunting ferociously.

Jack couldn't think for the life of him what the noise was, and he didn't care, either. All he wanted was to get home before anything happened to him. Something was happening to somebody, that was certain, out there in the snowy lane. It would need a very, very brave person to go and interfere – and Jack wasn't brave at all, that night!

He came to his house, panting painfully. He crept in at the garden door and locked and bolted it. He went upstairs, not even caring if the stairs creaked under his feet! He switched on the light in his bedroom. Ah – that was better. He didn't feel so scared once he had the light on.

He looked at himself in the glass. He was very pale, and his coat was covered with snow. That was through lying in the snowy ditch below the hedge. He caught sight of his badge, still pinned on to his coat. Well, anyhow, he had that.

“I went out to find my badge – and goodness knows what else I've found”, thought the boy. “Golly – I must tell the others. We must have a meeting tomorrow. This is something for the Secret Seven! I say – what a thrill for them!”

He couldn't wait to tell them the next day. He must slip out again – and go to the shed at the bottom of Peter's garden. He must leave a note there, demanding a meeting at once!

«It's important. Very, very important», said Jack to himself, as he scribbled a note on a bit of paper. «It really is something for the Society to solve.»

He slipped down the stairs again, and out of the garden door. He wasn't frightened any more. He ran all the way up the lane and round to Peter's house. The farmhouse stood dark and silent. Everyone was in bed; they did not stay up late at the farm.

Jack went down to the old shed. The door. It was locked. His hands felt on the door itself. He bent down and slid his note under the crack at the bottom.

Then home he went again to bed – but not to sleep. Who had made that noise? What was that strange high van? Who were the men? It really was enough to keep anybody awake for hours!

5 – Exciting Plans

Next morning Janet went down to the shed by herself. Peter was brushing Scamper. He was well and truly brushed every single morning, so it was no wonder his coat shone so beautifully.

«Just open the shed and give it an airing», ordered Peter. «We shan't be using it today. There won't be any meeting yet.»

Janet skipped down the path, humming. She took the key from its hiding-place – a little ledge beneath the roof of the shed – and slipped it into the lock. She opened the door.

The shed smelt rather stuffy. She left the door open and went to open the little window too. When she turned round she saw Jack's note on the floor.

At first she thought it was an odd piece of waste paper, and she picked it up and crumpled it, meaning to throw it away. Then she caught sight of a word on the outside of the folded paper.

“URGENT. VERY IMPORTANT INDEED.”

She was astonished. She opened the paper out and glanced down it. Her mouth fell open in amazement. She raced out of the shed at top speed, yelling for Peter. «Peter! PETER! Where are you? Something's happened, quick!»

Her mother heard her and called to her. «Janet, Janet, what's the matter, dear? What's happened?»

«Oh – nothing, Mummy», called back Janet, suddenly remembering that this was Secret Society business.

«Well, why are you screeching for Peter like that?» said her mother. «You made me jump.»

Janet flew up the stairs to where Peter was still brushing Scamper. «Peter! Didn't you hear me calling? I tell you, something's happened!»

«What is it?» asked Peter, surprised. «Look – I found this paper when I went to the shed this morning», said Janet, and she gave him Jack's note. «It's marked: “Urgent, Very Important Indeed.” Look what it says inside.»

Peter read out loud what Jack had written: «Peter, call a meeting of the Secret Seven at once. Very important Mystery to solve. It happened to me last night about half-past nine. Get the others together at ten if you can. I'll be there. Jack. What on earth does he mean?» said Peter, in wonder. «Something happened to him last night? Well, why is it such a mystery then? I expect he's exaggerating.»

«He's not, he's not. I'm sure he's not», cried Janet, dancing from one foot to another in her excitement. «Jack doesn't exaggerate, you know he doesn't. Shall I go and tell the others to come at ten if they can? Peter, it's exciting. It's a mystery!»

«You wait and see what the mystery is before you get all worked up», said Peter, who, however, was beginning to feel rather thrilled himself. «I'll go and tell Colin and George – you can tell the girls.»

Janet sped off in one direction and Peter in another. How lovely to have to call a meeting already – and about something so exciting too.

It was about half-past nine when the two came back.

Everyone had promised to come. They were all very anxious to know what Jack had got to say.

«Remember your badges», Janet said to the two girls. «You won't be admitted to an important meeting like this unless you know the password and have your badge.»

Everyone turned up early, eager to hear the news. Everyone remembered the password, too.

«Weekdays!» and the door was opened and shut.

«Weekdays», and once more the door was opened and shut. Member after member passed in, wearing the badge and murmuring the password. Both Colin and George had their badges this morning. George had found his and Colin's mother had already made him one.

Jack was the last of all to arrive, which was most annoying because everyone was dying to hear what he had to say. But he came at last.

«Weekdays», said his voice softly, outside the shed door. It opened and he went in. Everybody looked at him expectantly.

«We got your note, and warned all the members to attend this meeting», said Peter. «What's up, Jack? Is it really important?»

«Well, you listen and see», said Jack, and he sat down on the box left empty for him. «It happened last night.»

He began to tell his story – how he had missed his badge and felt certain he had dropped it in the field where the snowmen were – how he had slipped out with his torch to find it, and what he had heard and seen from the field.

«That frightful noise – the snorting and the horrid squeal!» he said. «It nearly made my hair stand on end. Why did those men come down that lane late at night? It doesn't lead anywhere. It stops a little further on just by a great holly hedge. And what could that thing be that they were towing behind?»

«Was it a cage, or something – or was it a closed van where somebody was being kept prisoner?» said Barbara, in a half-whisper.

«It wasn't a cage as far as I could see», said Jack. «I couldn't even see any windows to it. It was more like a small removal van than anything – but whatever was inside wasn't furniture. I tell you it snorted and squealed and struggled.»

«Was it a man inside, do you think?» asked Pam, her eyes wide with interest and excitement.

«No. I don't think so. It might have been, of course», said Jack. «But a man doesn't snort like that. Unless he had a gag over his mouth, perhaps.»

This was a new thought and rather an alarming one. Nobody spoke for a minute.

«Well», said Jack, at last, «it certainly is something for the Secret Seven to look into. There's no doubt about that. It's all very mysterious – very mysterious indeed.»

«How are we going to tackle it?» said George.

They all sat and thought. «We had better find out if we can tell anything by the tracks in the snow», said Peter. «We'll find out too if there are car-tracks up the drive to that old house.»

«Yes. And we could ask the old caretaker if he heard anything last night», said Colin.

«Bags I don't do that», said Pam at once. «I'd just hate to go and ask him questions.»

«Well, somebody's got to», said George. «It might be important.»

«And we might try and find out who owns the old empty house», said Colin.

«Yes», said Peter. «Well, let's split up the inquiries. Pam, you go with George and see if you can find out who owns the house.»

«How do we find out?» asked Pam.

«You will have to use your common sense», said Peter. I can't decide everything. Janet, you and Barbara can go down the lane and examine it for car-tracks and anything else you can think of.»

«Right», said Janet, glad that she hadn't got to question the caretaker.

«And I and Colin and Jack will go into the drive of the old house and see if we can get the caretaker to tell us anything», said Peter, feeling rather important as he made all these arrangements.

«What's Scamper to do?» asked Janet.

He's going to come with us», said Peter. «In case the caretaker turns nasty! Old Scamper can turn nasty too, if he has to!»

«Oh, yes – that's a good idea, to take Scamper», agreed Jack, relieved at the thought of having the dog with him. «Well – shall we set off?»

«Yes. Meet and report here this afternoon», said Peter. «You've discovered a most exciting mystery, Jack, and it's up to the Secret Seven to solve it as soon as they can!»

6 – Finding Out a Few Things

All the Secret Seven set off at once, feeling extremely important. Scamper went with Peter, Colin and Jack, his tail well up, and he also felt very important. He was mixed up in a Mystery with the Society! No wonder he turned up his nose at every dog he met.

They left Pam and George at the corner, looking rather worried. The two looked at one another. «How are we going to find out who owns the house?» said Pam.

«Ask at the post office!» said George, feeling that he really had got a very bright idea. «Surely if the house is owned by someone who has put in a caretaker, there must be letters going there.»

«Good idea!» said Pam, and they went off to the post office. They were lucky enough to see a postman emptying the letters from the pillar-box outside. George nudged Pam.

«Come on. We must start somewhere. We'll ask him.»

They went up to the man. «Excuse me», said George. «Could you tell us who lives at the old house down by the stream – you know, the empty house there?»

«How can anyone live in an empty house?» said the postman. «Don't ask silly questions and waste my time! You children – you think you're so funny, don't you?»

«We didn't mean to be funny, or cheeky either», said Pam in a hurry. «What George means is – who owns the house? There's a caretaker there, we know. We just wondered who the house belongs to.»

«Why? Thinking of buying it?» said the postman, and laughed at his own joke. The children laughed too, wishing the man would answer their question.

«How would I know who owns the place?» he said, emptying the last of the letters into his sack. «I never take letters there except to old Dan the caretaker, and he only gets one once in a month – his wages, maybe. Better ask at the estate office over there. They deal with houses, and they might know the owner – seeing as you're so anxious to find him!»

«Oh, thank you», said Pam, joyfully, and the two of them hurried across to the estate office. «We might have thought of this ourselves», said Pam. «But I say – what shall we say if the man here asks why we want to know? You only go to a house agent's if you want to buy or sell a house, don't you?»

They peeped in at the door. A boy of about sixteen sat at a table there, addressing some envelopes. He didn't look very frightening. Perhaps he would know – and wouldn't ask them why they wanted the name of the owner.