Five Fall Into Adventure (4 page)

‘Well, all I can say I hope I haven’t her layers of dirt and her sm -’ she began, angrily.

But Dick stopped her.

‘She’s probably not got any soap or hair-brush or anything. She’d be all right cleaned up. Don’t be unkind, George.’

George turned her back. How could Dick stick up for that awful girl? ‘Isn’t she ever going?’ she said. ‘Or is she going to park herself on us all day long?’

‘I’ll go when I want to,’ said Jo, and put on a scowl, so exactly like George’s that Julian and Dick laughed in surprise. Jo laughed, too, but George clenched her fists furiously.

Anne looked on in distress. She wished Jo would go, then everything would be all right again.

‘I like that dog,’ said Jo, suddenly, and she leaned over to where Timmy lay beside George. She patted him with a hand that was like a little brown paw. George swung round.

‘Don’t touch my dog!’ she said. ‘He doesn’t like you, either!’

‘Oh, but he does,’ said Jo, surprisingly. ‘All dogs like me. So do cats. I can make your dog come to me as easy as anything.’

‘Try!’ said George, scornfully. ‘He won’t go to you! Will you, Tim?’

Jo didn’t move. She began to make a queer little whining noise down in her throat, like a forlorn puppy. Timmy pricked up his ears at once. He looked inquiringly at Jo. Jo stopped making the noise and held out her hand.

Timmy looked at it and turned away - but when he heard the whining again he got up, listening. He stared intently at Jo. Was this a kind of dog-girl, that she could so well speak his language?

Jo flung herself on her face and went on with the small, whining noises that sounded as if she were a small dog in pain or sorrow. Timmy walked over to her and sat down, his head on one side, puzzled. Then he suddenly bent down and licked the girl’s half-hidden face. She sat up at once and put her arms round Timmy’s neck.

“Famous Five 09 - Five Fall Into Adventure” By Enid Blyton
16

‘Come here, Timmy,’ said George, jealously. Timmy shook off the brown arms that held him and walked over to George at once.

Jo laughed.

‘See? I made him come to me and give me one of his best licks! I can do that to any dog.’

‘How can you?’ asked Dick, in wonder. He had never seen Timmy make friends before with anyone who was disliked by George.

‘I don’t know, really,’ said Jo, pushing back her hair again, as she sat up. ‘I reckon it’s in the family. My mother was in a circus, and she trained dogs for the ring. We had dozens

- lovely they were. I loved them all.’

‘Where is your mother?’ asked Julian. ‘Is she still in the circus?’

‘No. She died,’ said Jo. ‘And I left the circus with my Dad. We’ve got a caravan. Dad was an acrobat till he hurt his foot.’

The four children remembered how the man had dragged his foot as he walked. They looked silently at dirty little Jo. What a strange life she must have led!

‘She’s dirty, she’s probably very good at telling lies and thieving, but she’s got pluck,’

thought Julian. ‘Still, I’ll be glad when she goes.’

‘I wish I hadn’t given her that awful bruise,’ thought Dick. ‘I wonder what she’d be like cleaned up and brushed? She looks as if a little kindness would do her good.’

‘I’m sorry for her, but I don’t much like her,’ thought Anne.

‘I don’t believe a word she says!’ thought George angrily. ‘Not one word! She’s a humbug. And I’m ashamed of Timmy for going to her. I feel very cross with him.’

‘Where’s your father?’ asked Julian at last.

‘Gone off somewhere to meet somebody,’ said Jo vaguely. ‘I’m glad. He was in one of his tempers this morning. I went and hid under the caravan.’

There was a silence. ‘Can I stay with you today till my Dad comes back?’ said Jo suddenly, in her sing-song voice. ‘I’ll wash myself if you like. I’m all alone today.’

‘No. We don’t want you,’ said George, feeling as if she really couldn’t bear Jo any longer. ‘Do we, Anne?’

Anne didn’t like hurting anyone. She hesitated. ‘Well,’ she said at last, ‘perhaps Jo had better go.’

‘Yes,’ said Julian. ‘It’s time you scooted off now, Jo. You’ve had a long time with us.’

Jo looked at Dick with mournful eyes, and touched the bruise on her chin as if it hurt her.

Dick felt most uncomfortable again. He looked round at the others.

‘Don’t you think she could stay and share our picnic?’ he said. ‘After all - she can’t help being dirty and - and...’

‘It’s all right,’ said Jo, suddenly scrambling up. ‘I’m going! There’s my Dad!’

They saw the man in the distance, dragging his foot as he walked. He caught sight of Jo and gave a shrill and piercing whistle. Jo made a face at them all, an impudent, ugly, insolent face.

‘I don’t like you!’ she said. Then she pointed at Dick. ‘I only like him - he’s nice. Yah to the rest of you!’

And off she went like a hare over the sand, her bare feet hardly touching the ground.

‘What an extraordinary girl!’ said Julian. ‘l don’t feel we’ve seen the last of her yet!’

“Famous Five 09 - Five Fall Into Adventure” By Enid Blyton
17

“Famous Five 09 - Five Fall Into Adventure” By Enid Blyton
18

That night Anne began to look rather scared as darkness fell. She was remembering the Face at the Window!

‘It won’t come again, Ju, will it?’ she said to her big brother half a dozen times.

‘No, Anne. But if you like I’ll come and lie down on George’s bed instead of George tonight, and stay with you all night long,’ said Julian.

Anne considered this and then shook her head. ‘No. I think I’d almost rather have George and Timmy. I mean - George and I - and even you - might be scared of Faces, but Timmy wouldn’t. He’d simply leap at them.’

‘You’re quite right,’ said Julian. ‘He would. All right then, I won’t keep you company - but you’ll see, nothing whatever will happen tonight. Anyway, if you like, we’ll all close our bedroom windows and fasten them, even if we are too hot for anything - then we’ll know nobody can possibily get in.’

So that night Julian not only closed all the doors and windows downstairs as he had done the night before (except the tiny pantry window that wouldn’t shut), but he also shut and fastened all the ones upstairs.

‘What about Joan’s window ?’ asked Anne.

‘She always sleeps with it shut, summer and winter,’ said Julian, with a grin. ‘Country folk often do. They think the night air’s dangerous. Now you’ve nothing at all to worry about, silly.’

So Anne went to bed with her mind at rest. George drew the curtains across their window so that even if the Face came again they wouldn’t be able to see it!

‘Let Timmy out for me, Julian, will you?’ called George. ‘Anne doesn’t want me to leave her, even to take old Timmy out for his last walk. Just open the door and let him out.

He’ll come in when he’s ready.’

‘Right!’ called Julian, and opened the front door Timmy trotted out, tail wagging. He loved his last sniff round. He liked to smell the trail of the hedgehog who was out on his night-rounds; he liked to put his nose down a rabbit-hole and listen to stirrings down below; and he loved to follow the meanderings of rats and mice round by the thick hedges.

‘Isn’t Timmy in yet?’ called George from the top of the stairs. ‘Do call him, Ju. I want to get into bed. Anne’s half-asleep already.’

‘He’ll be in in a moment,’ said Julian, who wanted to finish his book. ‘Don’t fuss.’

But no Timmy had appeared even when he had finished his book. Julian went to the door and whistled. He listened for Timmy to come. Then, hearing nothing, he whistled once more.

This time he heard the sound of pattering footsteps coming up the path to the door. ‘Oh there you are, Tim,’ said Julian. ‘What have you been up to? Chasing rabbits or something?’

Timothy wagged his tail feebly. He didn’t jump up at Julian as he usually did. ‘You look as if you’ve been up to some mischief, Tim,’ said Julian. ‘Go on - up to bed with you -

and mind you bark if you hear the smallest sound in the night.’

“Famous Five 09 - Five Fall Into Adventure” By Enid Blyton
19

‘Woof,’ said Timmy, in rather a subdued voice, and went upstairs. He climbed on to George’s bed and sighed heavily.

‘What a sigh!’ said George. ‘And what have you been eating, Timmy? Pooh - you’ve dug up some frightful old bone, I know you have. I’ve a good mind to push you off my bed. I suppose you suddenly remembered one you buried months ago. Pooh!’

Timmy wouldn’t be pushed off the bed. He settled down to sleep, his nose on George’s feet as usual. He snored a little, and woke George in about half an hour.

‘Shut up, Timmy,’ she said, pushing him with her feet. Anne woke up, alarmed.

‘What is it, George?’ she whispered, her heart thumping.

‘Nothing. Only Timmy snoring. Hark at him. He won’t stop,’ said George, irritated. ‘Wake up, Timmy, and stop snoring.’

Timmy moved sleepily and settled down again. He stopped snoring and George and Anne fell sound asleep. Julian woke once, thinking he heard something fall - but hearing Timmy gently snoring again through the open doors of the two rooms, he lay down, his mind at rest.

If the noise had really been a noise Timmy would have heard it, no doubt about that.

George always said that Timmy slept with one ear open.

Julian heard nothing more till Joan went downstairs at seven o’clock. He heard her go into the kitchen and do something to the kitchen grate. He turned over and fell asleep again.

He was wakened suddenly twenty minutes later by loud screams from downstairs. He sat up and then leapt out of bed at once. He rushed downstairs. Dick followed him.

‘Look at this! The master’s study - turned upside down - those drawers ransacked! The safe’s open, too. Mercy me, who’s been here in the night - with all the doors locked and bolted, too!’ Joan wailed loudly and wrung her hands as she gazed at the untidy room.

‘I say!’ said Dick, horrified. ‘Someone’s been searching for something pretty thoroughly!

Even got the safe open - and wrenched the drawers out.’

‘How did he get in?’ said Julian, feeling bewildered. He went round the house, looking at doors and windows. Except for the kitchen door, which Joan said she had unlocked and unbolted herself as soon as she came down, not a window or door had been touched.

All were fastened securely.

Anne came down, looking scared. ‘What’s the matter?’ she said. But Julian brushed her aside. How did that burglar get in? That was what he wanted to know. Through one of the upstairs windows, he supposed - one that somebody had opened last night after he had fastened it. Perhaps in the girls’ room?

But no - not one window was open. All were fastened securely, including Joan’s. Then a thought struck him as he looked into George’s room. Why hadn’t Timmy barked? After all, there must have been quite a bit of noise, however quiet the thief had been. He had himself heard something and had awakened. Why hadn’t Timmy, then?

George was trying to pull Timmy off the bed. ‘Ju, Ju! There’s something wrong with Timmy. He won’t wake up!’ she cried. ‘He’s breathing so heavily, too - just listen to him!

And what’s the matter downstairs? What’s happened?’

Julian told her shortly while he examined Timmy. ‘Somebody got in last night - your father’s study’s in the most awful mess - absolutely ransacked from top to bottom, safe and all. Goodness knows how the fellow got in to do it.’

‘How awful!’ said George, looking very pale. ‘And now something’s wrong with Tim. He didn’t wake up last night when the burglar came - he’s ill, Julian!’

“Famous Five 09 - Five Fall Into Adventure” By Enid Blyton
20

‘No, he’s not. He’s been doped,’ said Julian, pulling back Timmy’s eyelids. ‘So that’s why he was so long outside last night! Somebody gave him some meat or something with dope in - some kind of drug. And he ate it, and slept so soundly that he never heard a thing - and isn’t even awake yet.’

‘Oh, Julian - will he be all right?’ asked George anxiously, stroking Timmy’s motionless body. ‘But how could he take any food from a stranger in the night?’

‘Maybe he picked it up - the burglar may have flung it down hoping that Timmy would eat it, said Julian. ‘Now I understand why he looked so sheepish when he came in. He didn’t even jump up and lick me.’

‘Oh, dear - Timmy, do, do wake up,’ begged poor George, and she shook the big dog gently. He groaned a little and snuggled down again.

‘Leave him,’ said Julian. ‘He’ll be all right. He’s not poisoned, only drugged. Come down and see the damage!’

George was horrified at the state of her father’s study. ‘They were after his two special books of American notes, I’m sure they were,’ she said. ‘Father said that any other country in the world would be glad to have those. Whatever are we to do?’

‘Better get in the police,’ said Julian, gravely. ‘We can’t manage this sort of thing ourselves. And do you know your father’s address in Spain?’

‘No,’ wailed George. ‘He and Mother said they were going to have a real holiday this time - no letters to be forwarded, and no address left till they had been settled somewhere for a few days. Then they’d telegraph it.’

‘Well, we’ll certainly have to get the police in, then,’ said Julian, looking rather white and stern. George glanced at him. He seemed suddenly very grown-up indeed. She watched him go out of the room. He went into the hall and rang up the police station. Joan was very relieved.

‘Yes, get in the police, that’s what we ought to do,’ she said. ‘There’s that nice Constable Wilkins, and that other one with the red face, what’s he called - Mr.

Donaldson. I’ll be making some coffee for them when they come.’

She cheered up considerably at the thought of handing out cups of her good hot coffee to two interested policemen, who would ask her plenty of questions that she would be only too delighted to answer. She bustled off to the kitchen.

The four children stared silently at the ruins of the study. What a mess! Could it ever be cleared up? Nobody would know what was gone till Uncle Quentin came back. How furious he would be.