so strongly of dye.
Up in the field, where the snow was now rapidly melting, Colin and George had been waiting impatiently for a long time. They had seen Jack and Peter disappear over the gate, and had had a difficult time holding Scamper back, because he wanted to follow them. They had stood there quietly for about half an hour, wondering whenever Peter and Jack were coming back, when Scamper began to growl.
«He can hear something», said Colin. «Yes – a car – coming down the lane. I do hope it's not those men again. Jack and Peter will be caught, if so!»
The car had no trailer-van behind it this time. It stopped at the gate of the old house and two men got out. Scamper suddenly barked loud, and was at once cuffed by Colin. «Idiot!» hissed Colin. «Now you've given us away!»
One of the men came to the field gate at once. He gazed at the six snowmen. «Come and look here!» he called to the other man, who went to stand beside him. How Colin and George trembled and quaked!
«What? Oh, we saw the snowmen there last night. Don't you remember?» he said. «Some kids have been messing about again today and built a few more. Come on. That dog we heard barking must be a stray one about somewhere.»
The men left the gate and went up the drive to the house. Colin and George breathed freely again. That was a narrow escape! Thank goodness for their white faces, caps and sheets. Thank goodness Scamper was in white, too.
For a long time there was no sound at all. Colin and George got colder and colder and more and more impatient. WHAT was happening? They wished they knew. Were Jack and Peter caught?
At last, just as they thought they really must give up and go and scout round the house themselves to see what was happening, they heard sounds again. Voices! Ah, the men were back again. There was the sound of a car door being shut quietly. The engine started up. The car moved down the lane to turn in at the field gate again, go round in a circle and come out facing up the lane. It went by quickly, squelching in the soft, melting snow.
«They're gone, said Colin. «And we were awful mutts not to have stolen up to the gate and taken the car's number! Now it's too late.»
«Yes. We could have done that», said George. «What shall we do now? Wait to see if Peter and Jack come out?»
«Yes, but not for too long», said Colin. «My feet are really frozen.»
They waited for about five minutes, and still no Peter or Jack came. So, sloshing through the fast-melting snow, the two boys went to the gate. They climbed over. Soon they were in the drive of the old house, hurrying up to the front door, with Scamper at their heels.
«But, of course, they couldn't get in there, nor in the other doors either. And then, like Jack and Peter, they discovered the open window! In they went. They stood on the kitchen floor and listened. They could hear nothing at all.
They called softly. «Jack! Peter! Are you here?» Nobody answered. Not a Sound was to be heard in the house. Then Scamper gave a loud bark and ran into the passage between the scullery and the kitchen. He scraped madly at a door there. The boys followed at once, and no sooner had they got there than they heard Peter's voice.
«Who's there? That you, Colin and George? Say the password if it's you!»
«Weekdays! Where are you?» called George.
«Down here, in the cellar. We'll come up», said Peter's voice. «We're all right. Can you unlock the door – or has the key been taken?»
«No, it's here», said Colin. «Left in the door.»
He turned the key and unlocked the door. He pushed it open just as Jack and Peter came up to the top of the cellar steps!And behind them came somebody else – somebody whose feet made a thudding sound on the stone steps – Kerry Blue! He wasn't going to be left behind in the dark cellar, all alone! He was going to keep beside these nice kind boys.
Colin and George gaped in astonishment. They stared at Kerry Blue as if they had never seen a
Up in the field, where the snow was now rapidly melting, Colin and George had been waiting impatiently for a long time. They had seen Jack and Peter disappear over the gate, and had had a difficult time holding Scamper back, because he wanted to follow them. They had stood there quietly for about half an hour, wondering whenever Peter and Jack were coming back, when Scamper began to growl.
«He can hear something», said Colin. «Yes – a car – coming down the lane. I do hope it's not those men again. Jack and Peter will be caught, if so!»
The car had no trailer-van behind it this time. It stopped at the gate of the old house and two men got out. Scamper suddenly barked loud, and was at once cuffed by Colin. «Idiot!» hissed Colin. «Now you've given us away!»
One of the men came to the field gate at once. He gazed at the six snowmen. «Come and look here!» he called to the other man, who went to stand beside him. How Colin and George trembled and quaked!
«What? Oh, we saw the snowmen there last night. Don't you remember?» he said. «Some kids have been messing about again today and built a few more. Come on. That dog we heard barking must be a stray one about somewhere.»
The men left the gate and went up the drive to the house. Colin and George breathed freely again. That was a narrow escape! Thank goodness for their white faces, caps and sheets. Thank goodness Scamper was in white, too.
For a long time there was no sound at all. Colin and George got colder and colder and more and more impatient. WHAT was happening? They wished they knew. Were Jack and Peter caught?
At last, just as they thought they really must give up and go and scout round the house themselves to see what was happening, they heard sounds again. Voices! Ah, the men were back again. There was the sound of a car door being shut quietly. The engine started up. The car moved down the lane to turn in at the field gate again, go round in a circle and come out facing up the lane. It went by quickly, squelching in the soft, melting snow.
«They're gone, said Colin. «And we were awful mutts not to have stolen up to the gate and taken the car's number! Now it's too late.»
«Yes. We could have done that», said George. «What shall we do now? Wait to see if Peter and Jack come out?»
«Yes, but not for too long», said Colin. «My feet are really frozen.»
They waited for about five minutes, and still no Peter or Jack came. So, sloshing through the fast-melting snow, the two boys went to the gate. They climbed over. Soon they were in the drive of the old house, hurrying up to the front door, with Scamper at their heels.
«But, of course, they couldn't get in there, nor in the other doors either. And then, like Jack and Peter, they discovered the open window! In they went. They stood on the kitchen floor and listened. They could hear nothing at all.
They called softly. «Jack! Peter! Are you here?» Nobody answered. Not a Sound was to be heard in the house. Then Scamper gave a loud bark and ran into the passage between the scullery and the kitchen. He scraped madly at a door there. The boys followed at once, and no sooner had they got there than they heard Peter's voice.
«Who's there? That you, Colin and George? Say the password if it's you!»
«Weekdays! Where are you?» called George.
«Down here, in the cellar. We'll come up», said Peter's voice. «We're all right. Can you unlock the door – or has the key been taken?»
«No, it's here», said Colin. «Left in the door.»
He turned the key and unlocked the door. He pushed it open just as Jack and Peter came up to the top of the cellar steps!And behind them came somebody else – somebody whose feet made a thudding sound on the stone steps – Kerry Blue! He wasn't going to be left behind in the dark cellar, all alone! He was going to keep beside these nice kind boys.
Colin and George gaped in astonishment. They stared at Kerry Blue as if they had never seen a
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