with a poker, Bets
gave a scream, and flung herself down on the floor beside the surprised
Scottie.
"Buster! Are you hurt? Oh, Buster, how could any one
hit you like that! I hate Goon! I do, I do. I know it's wrong to hate people,
but it's wronger not to hate cruel people like Goon. Buster, are you
bruised?"
The whole tale was hung up for about ten minutes whilst Buster was
carefully examined by all the Find-Outers. Fatty had been pretty certain that
Buster was not really hurt, for he had an extremely thick coat of hair, but
when he saw how concerned the others were, he began to wonder if poor old
Buster had been badly bruised. The five children tenderly parted the
thick hair along Buster's back and examined every speck of the remarkably pink
body beneath. Buster was thrilled. He lay down on his tummy, wagging his plumy
tail with pleasure at all this loving fuss. In fact he was so thrilled that he
hung his red tongue out and began to pant with joy.
There was nothing to be seen at all except for a tiny mark in once
place. "That's where he was hit," said Bets, triumphantly. "I
wish I could hit Goon with a poker- very, very hard."
"How bloodthirsty you sound. Bets!" said Daisy in
surprise. "You know you'd run for miles if Goon so much as yelled at
you!"
"I wouldn't be a bit surprised if Bets did take a
poker to Goon if she thought he was going to hurt Buster," said Fatty.
"She may be frightened of him herself—but she'd be all pluck and no fright
if she thought he was going to hurt any one else! I know Bets!"
Bets was so pleased at this speech from Fatty. She went red and
buried her face in Buster's neck. Fatty patted her on the back.
"I felt like banging Goon on the head myself when I twisted
the poker out of his hand," he said. "Oh my goodness—you should have
seen his face when he found that I had the poker and he hadn't!"
"Go on with the story now," said Pip. "It's getting
more and more exciting. Gosh, I wish I'd been there."
Fatty went on with his tale. The children squealed with laughter
when they heard that Goon had demanded all the false clues, and had been
solemnly handed them by Pippin.
"He'll meet that Sunday train, Fatty!" chuckled Pip.
"Can't we meet it too?"
"Oh yes," begged Bets. "Let's. Do let's.
Goon would be awfully annoyed to see us all there. He'd think we knew the clue
too."
"Which we do," said Larry. "Seeing that we thought
of it!"
"Yes—it's an idea," said Fatty. "Quite an idea,
I've a good mind to disguise myself and arrive on that train—and arouse Goon's
Suspicions and get him to follow me."
"We could all follow too," suggested Bets. "We
really must do that. It's tomorrow, isn't it. Oh Fatty, wouldn't it be
fun?"
"Go on with the tale," said Daisy. "Let's hear it
to the end before we make any more plans. It'll be dinner-time before Fatty's
finished."
Fatty then told the rest of the tale to the end. The children were
very glad to hear that Pippin had stuck up for Buster and Fatty. They all
agreed that Pippin was very nice indeed. They were thrilled to hear about the
Pantomime Cat, and the two girls wished they had been brave enough to peep into
the verandah-room and see him the night before.
"Do you think he did it all?" asked Bets. "If he
took in the tea, he must have done it. He may be cleverer than we think."
"He may be. Bets," said Fatty. "I shall have to
interview him. In fact, I thought we all could—together, you know, just as if we
were children interested in him. He may be on his guard with grown-ups. He
wouldn't be with children."
"Yes. That's a good idea," said Larry. "Gosh, what
a thrill this is! To think we put our clues in the very place where all this
was going to happen—and managed to put a policeman there too, so that he would
discover the crime. It's extraordinary."
"Well—we must set our wits to work," said Fatty.
"We've only got just over two weeks to solve the mystery—and Goon is on
the job too—hampered by a few false clues, of course! But we've got
gave a scream, and flung herself down on the floor beside the surprised
Scottie.
"Buster! Are you hurt? Oh, Buster, how could any one
hit you like that! I hate Goon! I do, I do. I know it's wrong to hate people,
but it's wronger not to hate cruel people like Goon. Buster, are you
bruised?"
The whole tale was hung up for about ten minutes whilst Buster was
carefully examined by all the Find-Outers. Fatty had been pretty certain that
Buster was not really hurt, for he had an extremely thick coat of hair, but
when he saw how concerned the others were, he began to wonder if poor old
Buster had been badly bruised. The five children tenderly parted the
thick hair along Buster's back and examined every speck of the remarkably pink
body beneath. Buster was thrilled. He lay down on his tummy, wagging his plumy
tail with pleasure at all this loving fuss. In fact he was so thrilled that he
hung his red tongue out and began to pant with joy.
There was nothing to be seen at all except for a tiny mark in once
place. "That's where he was hit," said Bets, triumphantly. "I
wish I could hit Goon with a poker- very, very hard."
"How bloodthirsty you sound. Bets!" said Daisy in
surprise. "You know you'd run for miles if Goon so much as yelled at
you!"
"I wouldn't be a bit surprised if Bets did take a
poker to Goon if she thought he was going to hurt Buster," said Fatty.
"She may be frightened of him herself—but she'd be all pluck and no fright
if she thought he was going to hurt any one else! I know Bets!"
Bets was so pleased at this speech from Fatty. She went red and
buried her face in Buster's neck. Fatty patted her on the back.
"I felt like banging Goon on the head myself when I twisted
the poker out of his hand," he said. "Oh my goodness—you should have
seen his face when he found that I had the poker and he hadn't!"
"Go on with the story now," said Pip. "It's getting
more and more exciting. Gosh, I wish I'd been there."
Fatty went on with his tale. The children squealed with laughter
when they heard that Goon had demanded all the false clues, and had been
solemnly handed them by Pippin.
"He'll meet that Sunday train, Fatty!" chuckled Pip.
"Can't we meet it too?"
"Oh yes," begged Bets. "Let's. Do let's.
Goon would be awfully annoyed to see us all there. He'd think we knew the clue
too."
"Which we do," said Larry. "Seeing that we thought
of it!"
"Yes—it's an idea," said Fatty. "Quite an idea,
I've a good mind to disguise myself and arrive on that train—and arouse Goon's
Suspicions and get him to follow me."
"We could all follow too," suggested Bets. "We
really must do that. It's tomorrow, isn't it. Oh Fatty, wouldn't it be
fun?"
"Go on with the tale," said Daisy. "Let's hear it
to the end before we make any more plans. It'll be dinner-time before Fatty's
finished."
Fatty then told the rest of the tale to the end. The children were
very glad to hear that Pippin had stuck up for Buster and Fatty. They all
agreed that Pippin was very nice indeed. They were thrilled to hear about the
Pantomime Cat, and the two girls wished they had been brave enough to peep into
the verandah-room and see him the night before.
"Do you think he did it all?" asked Bets. "If he
took in the tea, he must have done it. He may be cleverer than we think."
"He may be. Bets," said Fatty. "I shall have to
interview him. In fact, I thought we all could—together, you know, just as if we
were children interested in him. He may be on his guard with grown-ups. He
wouldn't be with children."
"Yes. That's a good idea," said Larry. "Gosh, what
a thrill this is! To think we put our clues in the very place where all this
was going to happen—and managed to put a policeman there too, so that he would
discover the crime. It's extraordinary."
"Well—we must set our wits to work," said Fatty.
"We've only got just over two weeks to solve the mystery—and Goon is on
the job too—hampered by a few false clues, of course! But we've got
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