Mystery of Tally-Ho Cottage by Enid Blyton Page A

time, as well as two small suitcases.’
    ‘Coo - the picture!’ said Ern. ‘Weren’t they caught then? Did they get away?’
    ‘Yes - fled in the night - took someone else’s car out of the garage and went,’ said Fatty. ‘Complete with suitcases and crate. I don’t somehow think they will try to get out of the country at present. They’ll hide somewhere safe and wait.’
    ‘Would they come back to Peterswood?’ asked Ern, thrilled. ‘I’d better keep a strict watch from my treehouse.’
    ‘They might,’ said Fatty. ‘And, as we said before, they might send someone to fetch Poppet, so keep a watch for any stranger at the Larkins’ cottage, Ern, and keep a watch too to see that the poodle is always there.’
    ‘Oh, I will!’ said Ern.
    He spent a pleasant morning with the others, and then, remembering that his dinner was at half-past twelve, not one o’clock, he rose to go.
    ‘I’ll be along again sometime,’ he said. ‘Goodbye, all. Thanks for the biscuits. Goodbye, Buster!’
    Buster came with him as far as the gate, and saw him off politely, his tail wagging fast. He liked Ern. Ern mounted his bicycle and rode off at top speed. He rang his bell going round the corner just at the same moment as somebody else rang theirs. Em swung round the corner, pedalling furiously - to meet his uncle, Mr. Goon, also pedalling furiously on his bicycle! Mr. Goon, unfortunately, had cut the corner and was on his wrong side. The bicycles were about to crash together, when Ern quickly swerved. His pedal caught Mr. Goon’s, and over they both went.
    ‘Oooh! Oh!’ groaned Mr. Goon, as he landed very heavily indeed. His bicycle fell on top of him.
    ‘Oooh!’ yelled Ern, and he too fell to the ground. He sent a terrified glance at Mr. Goon and got up. Mr. Goon groaned again. Then he saw who the other cyclist was, and stared open-mouthed.
    ‘What! You, Ern! How dare you ride at sixty miles an hour round a corner! How…’
    ‘It wasn’t my fault, Uncle,’ said poor Ern, scared stiff. ‘You were on your wrong side.’
    ‘I was not!’ said Mr. Goon, most untruthfully. ‘Do you mean to say you’re accusing me of causing this here accident? You just wait, young Ern! What you doing in Peterswood, anyhow?’
    Ern was not prepared to tell him that. He put his foot on the left-hand pedal, and was about to swing his leg over to sit on the saddle, when his uncle gave a really most alarming groan.
    ‘Oh, my back! It’s broken! Here, young Ern, you help me up, come on, now!’ He held out an enormous hand to Ern. ‘Come on - give me a pull!’
    Ern put out his hand too - but saw the gleam in Goon’s eye just in time. He snatched back his hand and jumped on his bicycle, panting hard. Coo - his uncle had almost got him!
     
    MR. HOHO-HA!
     
    Ern cycled back to his aunt’s at top speed, turning round every now and again to see if Goon was after him. But mercifully there was no sign of his uncle.
    It took Goon quite a minute to heave himself to his feet, and examine his bicycle to see if it could be ridden in safety. It appeared to be all right. Goon knew that it was no good trying to chase Ern. Indeed, if he did, Ern would certainly win!
    Goon said a lot of things under his breath. ‘That Ern! Wait till I get him! I’ll pull all his hair out! I’ll box every ear he’s got! Why, he might have killed me. Speed fiend, that’s what he is! What’s he doing in Peterswood, I’d like to know!’
    Goon had no idea that Ern was staying in Peterswood - and certainly none at all that he was living next door to the Lorenzos’ house. He got on his bicycle very very carefully, fearful that something might be broken and give way beneath his weight.
    He wondered what Fatty was doing. He hadn’t seen or heard of him since the morning that all the Five had visited him. He began to scowl.
    That fat boy was too cunning for words. Was he hoping to do something about the Lorenzo Mystery? Had he gone to see the Larkins and got out of them more than he, Goon, had managed to get? Was he working out