The Adventures of Stunt Boy and His Amazing Wonder Dog Blindfold by Lollie Barr Page B

over your right. Squeeze your feet together so the rope is held between them.
    4. Gripping the rope with your feet, stand up tall. Reach as far up the rope as you can and get a firm grip on a spot above.
    5. Let go of the rope with your feet. Bend your legs and haul yourself up.
    6. Coil the rope under your right foot and over your left, so you are holding the rope using the same technique as above.
    7. Straighten up and repeat until you get to the top.
    8. Nailed it!

9
    We were going to jail
    T he policeman shepherded Benny and I towards the police car.
    â€˜Right, get in, lads,’ he said wearily as he held the back door open.
    I slid in after Benny and the policeman shut the door behind me with a thud.
    Did you know that police cars don’t have actual proper seats in the back? They have hard black plastic seats that are really uncomfortable.
    â€˜Why do you think they’re plastic?’ I asked Benny.
    â€˜Maybe because if some drunk guy is sick in here then the police can just hose it out without ruining the seats,’ suggested Benny, who seems to have an answer for everything.
    â€˜Right, boys, it’s been a long shift and I need some peace and quiet. I don’t want to hear another peep out of you. And put your seatbelts on,’ the policeman added, looking over his shoulder.
    He picked up his radio, the crackle of static filling the car.
    â€˜Fifty-two at Chesterley’s Circus, Eastside Parade,’ called in the policeman.
    â€˜Receiving, Fifty-two,’ said the female dispatcher, and I nudged Benny excitedly – they were talking about us! He rolled his eyes and shook his head, as if to say this wasn’t a good thing.
    â€˜With regards to the break-in at Chesterley’s, it was those two missing twelve year olds from OverWest. They haven’t stolen anything,’ he said. ‘So I’ll bring them to the station.’
    Oh no, we were going to jail and I was starving. I hadn’t eaten since breakfast. I wanted to ask Benny if it was true that you only got bread and water in jail, but I kept quiet.
    â€˜Hold tight, Fifty-two. I’ll get confirmation on that,’ said the female operator as the news of car accidents and robberies crackled over the radio.
    Benny and I looked at each other nervously.
    â€˜Fifty-two, the chief wants you to take them to Stoked Stunt Circus.’
    â€˜That’s a forty-minute drive away! My shift is supposed to finish in an hour!’ he complained, glaring at us in the mirror.
    â€˜Sorry, Fifty-two. That’s an affirmative. Take them straight to Stoked.’
    â€˜Great! Now I’m going to miss the football because of you two,’ he said in a bad mood.
    â€˜If you put the siren on and speed through the traffic lights, you could get there faster!’ I suggested helpfully, thinking it would be cool to be in a speeding police car with the sirens blazing like we were on a cop show.
    â€˜This isn’t a joyride, son,’ said the policeman. ‘You’re in a police vehicle and that means you’ve done something very bad by breaking and entering into Chesterley’s.’
    Benny looked at me and raised his eyebrows and dropped his bottom lip to reveal his bottom teeth as if to say, ‘Yikes’. I decided not to say anything else for the rest of the journey. I could have fallen asleep because I was so tired, but it was too exciting being in a police car and I didn’t want to miss a thing. However, it was a relief to see the gates of our circus and the big red sign surrounded by light bulbs that spelt out Stoked Stunt Circus greeting us.
    Unlike Chesterley’s, our gates were wide open and we drove straight into the compound. When the police car drew to a halt, we were immediately surrounded by a big group of people staring at us through the window. I saw Jem, Benny’s parents, Sue, Leonie, Mellie Bellie, Biker Pete, Lefty Blue Eye and Ginger Styles, to name a few. I