Five Get Into a Fix (11 page)

“What happened? Is Morgan going to the police?”

“No,” said Julian. “He was angry. He told us not to interfere. He took that bit of paper with the message on, and never gave it back to us. We think he"s mixed up with whatever is going on!”

“Very well then,” said George at once. “We"ll take up the matter ourselves! We"ll find out what"s going on - and MOST CERTAINLY we"ll get poor old Mrs. Thomas out of that tower. I don"t know how - but we"ll do it! Won"t we, Timmy?”

The four children sat and talked for a long time, sitting round the little oil-stove, eating a good supper. What would be the best thing to do? It was all very well for George to flare up and say they would see to things, they would rescue the old lady from the tower - but how could they even begin to do anything? For one thing they didn"t know how to get into the house! No one was going to risk a battle with that fierce dog!

“If only that kid Aily would help us!” said Julian, at last. “She"s really our only hope. It"s no good going to the police - it would take us ages to go down to the vil age at the bottom of the mountain, and find out where the nearest police station is - and we"d never get a vil age policeman to believe our tale!”

“I wonder the vil agers don"t do something about Old Towers,” said Dick, puzzled. “I mean

- all those peculiar vibrations we felt last night - and the noises we heard - and the light in the sky when that mist hung over the place...”

“Yes - but I suppose al those things are seen and heard up here in the mountains much more clearly than down in the valley below,” said Anne, sensibly. “I don"t expect that queer shuddering would be felt in the val ey nor would the rumblings be heard, and even the strange mist over Old Towers might not be seen.”

“That"s true,” said Julian. “I never thought of that. Yes - we up here would see a lot... and possibly the shepherd higher up on the hil s would, as wel . I dare say the farm down below us would see something, too... Well, we know they did, because of Morgan"s behaviour to us tonight! He obviously knew what we were talking about!”

“He"s also obviously hand in glove with the men in that place - the big men and little men that Aily spoke of. Gosh - I wish she"d show us how to get into that house. How does she get in? I"m blowed if I can think of any way. With that electric fence all round, it sounds impossible.”

“The fence that bites!” said George, with a laugh. “Fancy that child touching the fence and getting a shock. She"s an extraordinary little creature, isn"t she - quite wild!”

“I hope she didn"t get a whipping,” said Anne. “She is a naughty little truant, of course -

but you can"t help liking her. Does anybody want more cheese? And there are stil some apples left - or I could open a tin of pears.”

“I vote for the pears,” said Dick. “I feel like something real y sweet. I say - this stay up here is turning out rather exciting, isn"t it?”

“We always seem to run into trouble,” said Anne, going to the cupboard to fetch the tin of pears.

“Give it a better name, Anne, old thing,” said Dick. “Adventure! That"s what we"re always running into. Some people do, you know - they just can"t help it. And we"re those sort of people. Jolly good thing too - it makes life exciting!”

Timmy suddenly began to bark, and everyone started up at once. Now what was up?

“Let Timmy out,” said Dick. “With all these queer goings-on I feel as if it would be just as well to let Tim examine anyone coming by here at night!”

“Right,” said George, and went to the door - but as she was about to open it, she heard a dog barking outside, just beyond the hut. She swung round.

“I"m not letting Timmy out! That might be Morgan with his dogs! I seem to recognise that deep bark!”

“Someone"s coming by,” said Anne, half scared. “My word - it is Morgan!”

So it was. He passed by the window, and they saw his great shoulders and head bent against the wind as he went on up the hil . He didn"t even glance in at them - but the three dogs, who were with him, began to bark furiously as they sensed another dog in the hut. Timmy barked back furiously too.

Then all was quiet. Morgan had gone by and the dogs with him. “Whew - I"m glad you didn"t let Tim out as I suggested,” said Dick. “He"d have been torn to pieces!”

“Where do you suppose Morgan"s going?” asked Anne. “It"s funny he should be going up the hil - not even in the direction of Old Towers!”

“Probably going to talk to the shepherd,” said Julian. “He"s farther up the hil with his sheep. I say - I wonder if he"s in this too!”

“Oh no,” said Anne. “He"s good - I could feel it in my bones. I can"t imagine him mixed up with a gang of any sort.”

Nobody could, of course. They had all liked the shepherd. But why else would Morgan be going up to him at this time of night?

“He might be going to tell him that we know too much,” suggested Julian. “He might ask him to keep an eye on us.”

“Or he might be going to complain of Aily, and her doings inside the grounds of Old Towers,” said Dick. “Goodness - do you suppose that kid wil get into trouble because we told Morgan about her - and gave him the bit of paper she found?”

They all stared at one another in dismay. Anne nodded soberly. “Yes - that"s it, of course.

Aily wil certainly get into trouble over this - oh, why did we think of telling Morgan what we knew? Poor little Aily!”

They all felt very uncomfortable about Aily. They liked the wild, fey little creature with her pet lamb and little dog. Now perhaps she would be well beaten because of what they had told Morgan!

None of them felt like playing cards just then. They sat and talked, wondering if they would hear Morgan coming back. They knew Timmy would bark if he did.

Sure enough he began to bark about half-past eight, and made them all jump. “That wil be Morgan coming back,” said Julian, and they watched the window to see if his head and shoulders would pass by again. But they didn"t. Neither did any dog bark outside.

Then George saw that Timmy was sitting with his ears pricked up, and his head on one side. Why? And if he could real y hear something, why didn"t he bark again? She was puzzled.

“Look at Tim,” she said. “He"s heard something - and yet he"s not barking. And he doesn"t look very worried either. What"s up, Tim?”

Timmy took no notice. He sat there listening intently, stil with his head on one side. What could he hear? It was most tantalising to the others, because not one of them could hear anything at al . The countryside seemed to be absolutely quiet at that moment.

Then suddenly Tim jumped up and barked joyfully! He ran to the door and whined, scraping at the bottom of it with his paw. He looked back at George and barked again, as if to say “Buck up! Open the door!”

“Well!” said Dick, in surprise. “What"s up, Timmy? Has your best friend come to cal ? Shall we open the door, Julian?”

“I"l go,” said Julian, and went to open the door cautiously. Timmy leapt out at once, barking and whining.

“There"s nobody here,” said Julian, astonished. “Nobody at all! Hey, Tim, what"s all the fuss about? Give me that torch, Dick, wil you? I"l go out after him and see what the excitement is.”

Out he went, and flashed the torch around to find Timmy. Ah - there he was, scraping at the little wooden bunker that held the oil-cans and the big enamel jug. Julian was astonished.

“Whatever"s come over you, Tim?” he said. “There"s nothing here in this bunker - look, I"l lift the lid so that you can peep inside and see, sil y dog!”

He lifted up the lid, and shone his torch inside, to show Timmy that it was empty.

But it wasn"t! Julian almost let the lid drop down in his surprise! Someone was there -

someone small and half-frozen! It was Aily!

“Aily!” said Julian, hardly believing his eyes. “What on earth - Aily - what are you doing here?”

Aily blinked up at him, looking scared to death. She clutched the lamb and the dog, and didn"t say a word. Julian saw that she was shivering, and crying bitterly.

“Poor little Aily bach!” he said, using the only Welsh word he knew. “Come into the hut -

we"ll get you warm and make you better.”

The child shook her head and clutched her animals closer. But Julian was not going to leave her there in the little oil-bunker on that cold night! He lifted her up, animals and al , and cuddled her. Aily strove to get free but his arms were strong and held her close.

George"s voice came impatiently from the hut. “Ju! Tim! Where are you? Have you found anything?”

“Yes,” called back Julian. “We have. We"re bringing it along - it"s quite a surprise!”

He carried the shivering child into the hut, and the others stared in the utmost astonishment. Aily! A cold, forlorn and miserable little Aily, pale and shivering! And the lamb and dog too!

“Bring her near the stove,” said Anne, and stroked the child"s thin arm. “Poor Aily!”

Julian tried to set her down, and the animals as well, but she clung to him. She sensed that he was good and kind and strong, and his arms were very comforting. Julian sat down on a chair, stil holding the little creature closely. The dog and lamb slid off his knee and ran sniffing round the room.

“She was in the oil-bunker out there - she and the lamb and dog,” he said. “Al cuddled up together. Partly hiding, I should think, and partly for shelter. Maybe she"s slept there before, with these two. Isn"t she a poor little mite? She seems very unhappy. Let"s give her something to eat.”

“I"l make some hot cocoa,” said Anne. “George, get some bread and butter and cheese for her - and hadn"t we better get the lamb and dog something too? What do you give lambs?”

“Milk out of a bottle,” said Dick. “But we haven"t got a feeding-bottle! I dare say it wil lap milk. Good gracious - the things that happen here!”

Aily felt warm and comforted in Julian"s arms. She lay there like a little animal, too cold and tired to be scared. Julian was glad to hold her and comfort her. Poor little thing -

what had made her come this long way so late at night?

“She must have gone home with her mother,” he said, watching the little dog hobnobbing with a delighted Timmy. “And probably got a whipping, and was shut up somewhere. And then my guess is that Morgan went down to see if she was there, and to scold her, and tel her mother to be sure and not let her out, and...”

“Morgan!” repeated Aily, sitting up in fear, looking al round as if he might be there.

“Morgan! No! No!”

“It"s al right, little thing,” said Julian. “We"ll look after you. Morgan shan"t get you!”

“See?” he said to the others. “I bet I"m right! It was he who went and scared her - and as soon as he was gone, I expect she escaped from her mother"s house and came up here to hide. That horrible fel ow! If he shouted at her as he shouted at us, she"d be scared stiff.

I bet he was afraid she"d go and give more of the game away unless she was shut up -

might even show us the way into the old house over on the opposite hil !”

Timmy suddenly gave a bark - but not a joyful one this time! Anne cried out at once, “That may be Morgan coming back! Hide Aily, for goodness sake - or he"ll drag her out of here and take her back with him! Quick - where shall we hide her?”

Aily leapt out of Julian"s arms as quickly and surely as a cat, when she heard that it might be Morgan coming. She looked round the room like a hunted thing, and then darted to the bunk-beds. With an amazing leap, she was up on one of the top ones in a trice, and pul ed a rug over her. She lay absolutely stil . The lamb looked up in surprise and bleated.

Then it too leapt up the bunks, as sure-footed as a goat, and cuddled down with its little mistress. Only Dave the dog was left below, whining miserably. “Gosh!” said Dick, amazed at these incredibly sudden happenings. “Look at that! Did you ever see such leaping! Shut up barking, Tim. We want to hear if Morgan is coming. Ju - where shall we hide Aily"s dog?

He mustn"t be seen - or heard either!”

Julian lifted the dog up to the top bunk and put him with the other two there. “That"s about the only place where he"l keep quiet!” he said. “Aily - lie quite stil til we tell you everything is safe.”

There was no reply from the bunk - not a word or a bark or a bleat. Then Timmy began to bark loudly again, and ran to the door.

“I"m going to lock the door,” said Julian. “I"m not having Morgan and his dogs in here, hunting for Aily! My guess is that he knows she"s escaped from her mother"s - or maybe she ran off when he scolded her - and thinks she went to her father, the old shepherd!

He"s got to get hold of her, to stop her from spreading what she knows!”

“Well - for goodness sake don"t let those dogs in here!” said George, desperately. “I can hear them barking away in the distance.”

“Quick - let"s sit round the table with the cards, and pretend to be playing a game!” said Dick, snatching the cards from a shelf. “Then if Morgan looks in, he"ll think everything is normal - and won"t guess we"ve got Aily here. I bet he"l be sly enough to try and peep in without us seeing him - hoping to spot Aily if we"ve got her!”

They sat round the table, and Dick dealt out the cards. Anne"s hands were trembling, and George felt a bit weak at the knees. Anne kept dropping her cards, and Dick laughed at her.

“Butterfingers! Cheer up - Morgan won"t eat you! Now - if I suddlenly say „What ho!" you"l know I can see Morgan peeping in at the window, and you must laugh and play like anything. See?”

Dick was the one facing the window, and he kept a sharp eye on it as they played snap.

There was no sound of dogs barking now, though Tim sat by the door, his ears cocked, as if he could hear something.

“Snap!” said Julian, and gathered up the cards. They went on playing.

“Snap! I say, don"t grab like that - you"ve almost broken my nail!”

“Snap! I said it first!”

“What ho!” said Dick, and that put everyone on their guard at once. They went on playing, but without giving much attention to the game now. What could Dick see?