Five Go to Mystery Moor (14 page)

The man turned and went. George looked after him her eyes bright. He thought he was making her play a trick on Julian and Dick, to bring them here so that they could be threatened and questioned about the packets, and where they were hidden!

„But I"m going to play a trick on him," thought George. „I"m going to tell Timmy to take the note to Henry, and she"l be suspicious and get Captain Johnson to follow Tim back here, and that wil give the gypsies an awful shock! I expect the Captain wil be sensible enough to get the police as well. Aha, I"m playing a trick too!"

In ten minutes" time Sniffer"s father returned with Timmy. It was a rather subdued Timmy, with a very bad cut on his head, which real y needed stitching. He pattered soberly across to George, and she flung her arms round his neck and cried into his thick hair.

„Does your head hurt you?" she said. „I"l take you to the vet when I get back, Tim."

„You can get back as soon as we"ve got those two boys here and they"ve told us where those packets are hidden," said the man.

Timmy was licking George as if he would never stop, and his tail waved to and fro, to and fro. He couldn"t understand what was happening at al ! Why was George here? Never mind, he was with her again. He settled down on the floor with a thump and put his head on her knee.

„Write the note," said the man, „and tie it on to his col ar, on the top, so that it can easily be seen."

„I"ve written it," said George. The gypsy held out a dirty hand for it and read it.

„We are prisoners. Follow Timmy and he wil bring you to us and you can save us.

Georgina."

„Is that real y your name, Georgina?" asked the man. George nodded. It was one of the few times she ever owned to a girl"s name!

She tied the note firmly to Timmy"s collar, on the top of his neck. It was quite plainly to be seen. Then she gave him a hug and spoke urgently to him.

„Go to Henry, Tim, go to HENRY. Do you understand, Timmy dear, take this note to HENRY."

She tapped the paper on his collar as he listened to her. Then she gave him a push. „Go along. Don"t stay here any longer. Go and find HENRY."

„Hadn"t you better tell him the other boy"s name too?" said the man.

„Oh no, I don"t want to muddle Timmy," said George hastily. „Henry, Henry, HENRY!"

„Woof," said Timmy, and George knew that he understood. She gave him another push.

„Go, then," she said. „Hurry!"

Timmy gave her rather a reproachful look as if to say, „You haven"t let me stay with you very long!" Then he padded off down the passage, the note showing clearly on his collar.

„I"l bring the boys up here as soon as they come with the dog," said the man, and he turned on his heel, and went out. George wondered if Sniffer was stil about and she cal ed him. But there was no answer. He must have slipped away down the passages back to his caravan.

Anne woke up then, and wondered where she was. George switched on her torch again and explained all that had happened.

„You should have wakened me," said Anne. „Oh blow these ropes. They"re so uncomfortable."

„I"ve got a knife now," said George. „Sniffer gave it to me. Shall I cut our ropes?"

„Oh yes!" said Anne, in delight. „But don"t let"s try and escape yet. It"s stil night-time and if that mist is about, we"ll only get lost. We can pretend we"re stil tied up if anyone comes."

George cut her own ropes with Sniffer"s exceedingly blunt knife. Then she cut Anne"s. Oh, what a relief to lie down properly, and not to have to sit up all the time and feel the knots at the back!

„Now do remember, if we hear anyone coming, we must tie the ropes loosely round us,"

she said. „We wil stay here til we know it"s day, and perhaps we can find out if the mist is stil about, or if it"s gone. If it"s gone, we"ll go."

They fel asleep on the sandy floor, both glad to lie down flat. Nobody came to disturb them, and they slept on and on, tired out.

Where were the boys? Stil under the bush, half-sleeping, half-waking, for they were cold and uncomfortable. They hoped the girls were now safely at home. They must have gone right down the railway, and made their way back to the stables, thought Julian, every time he awoke. I do hope they are safe, and Timmy too. Thank goodness he is with them.

But Timmy wasn"t with them, of course. He was padding across the misty moor al by himself, puzzled, and with a badly-aching head. Why had George sent him to Henry? He didn"t like Henry. He didn"t think that George did, either. And yet she had sent him to find her. Very strange!

Stil , George had given him his orders, and he loved her and always obeyed her. He padded over the heather and grass. He didn"t bother about keeping to the railway line.

He knew the way back without even thinking about it!

It was stil night, though soon the dawn would come. But the mist was so thick that even the dawn would not be able to break through it. The sun would have to remain hidden behind the thick swathes of mist.

Timmy came to the stables. He paused to remember which was Henry"s bedroom. Ah yes, it was upstairs, next to the room that Anne and George had had.

Timmy leapt into the kitchen through a window left open for the cat. He padded upstairs and came to Henry"s room. He pushed at the door and it opened.

In he went and put his paws on her bed. „Woof," he said in her ear. „Woof! Woof! Woof!"

Henry had been fast asleep and snoring. She awoke with a tremendous jump when she felt Timmy"s paw on her arm and heard his sharp little bark.

„Oooh! What is it?" she said, sitting up straight in bed and fumbling for her torch. She was quite panic-stricken. She switched on the torch with trembling fingers and then saw Timmy, his big brown eyes looking at her beseechingly.

„Why, Timmy!" said Henry, in amazement, „Timmy! Whatever are you doing here? Have the others come back? No, they couldn"t have, not in the middle of the night! Why have you come then, Timmy?"

„Woof," said Timmy, trying to make her understand that he was bringing a message. Henry put out her hand to pat his head, and suddenly caught sight of the paper tied to his col ar at the back.

„What"s this on your collar?" she said, and reached out for it. „Why, it"s paper. Tied on, too.

It must be a message!"

She untied the piece of paper and unrolled it. She read it.

„We are prisoners. Follow Timmy and he wil bring you to us and you can save us.

Georgina."

Henry was astounded. She looked at Timmy and he looked back, wagging his tail. He pawed at her arm impatiently. Henry read the note again. Then she pinched herself to make sure she was not dreaming.

„Oooh, no, I"m awake all right," she said. „Timmy, is this note true? Are they prisoners? And who does “we” mean? George and Anne, or the whole four? Oh, Timmy, I do wish you could speak!"

Timmy wished the same! He pawed energetical y at Henry. She suddenly saw the cut on his head and was horrified.

„You"re hurt, Timmy! Oh, you poor, poor thing. Who did that to you? You ought to have that wound seen to!"

Timmy certainly had a very outsize headache, but he couldn"t bother to think about that.

He gave a little whine and ran to the door and back.

„Yes, I know you want me to follow you, but I"ve got to think," said Henry. „If Captain Johnson was here I"d go and fetch him. But he"s away for the night, Timmy. And I"m sure Mrs Johnson would have the fright of her life if I fetched her. I simply don"t know what to do."

„Woof," said Timmy, scornful y.

„It"s al very wel to say “Woof” like that," said Henry, „but I"m not as brave as you are. I pretend I am, Timmy, but I"m not real y. I"m afraid of following you! I"m afraid of going to find the others. I might be caught too. And there"s a terrible mist, Timmy, you know."

Henry slid out of bed, and Timmy looked suddenly hopeful. Was this sil y girl going to make up her mind at last?

„Timmy, there"s no grown-up here tonight except Mrs Johnson, and I really can"t wake her," said Henry. „She"s had such a very hard, busy day. I"m going to dress, and then get Wil iam. He"s only eleven, I know, but he"s very sensible, and he"s a boy. He"l know what to do. I only pretend to be a boy."

She dressed quickly in her riding things and then set off to Wil iam"s room. He slept by himself across the landing. Henry walked in and switched on her torch.

Wil iam awoke at once. „Who"s there?" he demanded, sitting up at once. „What do you want?"

„It"s me. Henry," said Henry. „Wil iam, a most extraordinary thing has happened. Timmy has arrived in my room with a note on his col ar. Read it!"

Wil iam took the note and read it. He was most astonished. „Look," he said, „George has signed herself Georgina. She wouldn"t do that unless things were very urgent. She never, never lets herself be called anything but George. We"ll have to follow Tim and go, at once, too"

„But I can"t walk miles in a mist over the moor," said Henry, in a panic.

„We don"t need to. We"ll saddle our horses and go on those," said Wil iam, beginning to dress, and sounding very sensible indeed. „Timmy wil lead the way. You go and get the horses out. Do buck up, Henry. The others may be in danger. You"re acting like a Henrietta!"

That made Henry cross. She went out of the room at once and down into the yard. What a pity Captain Johnson happened to be away just that night. He would have decided everything at once.

Courage came to her when she got the horses. They were surprised but quite wil ing to go for a nighttime ride, even in this thick mist! Wil iam came up in a very short time with Timmy behind him. Timmy was delighted to have Wil iam with him. He liked him, but he was not very fond of Henry.

He ran forward, just in front of the horses, and they followed behind. Both Henry and Wil iam had excel ent torches, and kept them shining downwards, so that they should not miss Timmy. He did go out of sight once or twice, but came back immediately, when he heard the horses stopping.

Over the moor they rode. They didn"t follow the railway, of course. Timmy didn"t need to.

He knew the way perfectly!

Once he stopped and sniffed the air. What had he smelt? Henry and Wil iam had no idea, but Timmy was puzzled by what he had smelt on the misty air.

Surely he had smelt the smel of the two boys, Julian and Dick? It had come on the air for a moment or two, and Timmy was half-inclined to follow it and see if the smell was right.

Then he remembered George and Anne and went on through the swirling mist.

The boys were actually not very far away when Timmy smelt them. They were stil in the middle of the bush, trying to keep warm, and sleep. If only they had known that Timmy was near, with Henry and Wil iam! But they didn"t.

Timmy led the way. Soon they came to the quarry, but did not see it because of the mist.

They went round it, led by Timmy, and rode towards the gypsy camp. Timmy slowed down, and they took warning.

„He"s getting near wherever he wants to take us," whispered Wil iam. „Had we better dismount and tie the horses up, do you think? Their hooves may give a warning that we are near."

„Yes. Yes, Wil iam," said Henry, thinking that the boy was real y very sensible. They dismounted quietly and tied the horses to a nearby birch tree.

They were quite near the hil in front of which was the gypsy camp. The mist was not so thick here, and the two suddenly caught sight of a dark, shadowy caravan, outlined against a campfire, left burning nearby. „We"ll have to be very quiet," whispered Wil iam.

„Timmy"s brought us to the gypsy camp on the moor. I had an idea that he would. The others must be held prisoner somewhere near - be as quiet as you can."

Timmy watched them dismount. He hung his head, panting, his tail down. His head was hurting him very much, and he felt decidedly queer and giddy. But he must get to George, he must!

He led the way to the opening in the hil . Wil iam and Henry were most astonished. They followed Timmy through the maze of passages, wondering how he knew the way so surely. But Timmy didn"t falter. He only needed to go somewhere once, and after that he never forgot the way!

He was going very slowly now, and his legs felt queer and shaky. He wanted to lie down and put his aching head on his paws. But no, he must find George. He must find George.

George and Anne were lying in the little cave, asleep. They were uncomfortable, and the cave was hot, so they were restless, waking up every few minutes. But both were asleep when Timmy walked slowly into the cave, and flopped down beside George.

George awoke when she heard Wil iam and Henry come into the cave. She thought it might be Sniffer"s father coming back, and she hastily put the ropes round her waist so that she would look as if she were stil tied up. Then she heard Timmy panting, and switched on her torch eagerly.

It showed her Timmy, and Henry and Wil iam! Henry was ful of amazement when she saw George and Anne with ropes round their waists. She gaped at them.

„Oh Timmy darling, you fetched help!" said George, putting her arms round his neck. „Oh Henry, I"m so glad you"ve come. But didn"t you bring Captain Johnson too?"

„No. He"s away," said Henry. „But Wil iam"s here. We rode, and Timmy guided us.

Whatever"s happened, George?"

Anne awoke just then, and couldn"t believe her eyes when she saw the visitors! There was a hasty discussion, and then Wil iam spoke firmly.

„If you want to escape, you"d better come now, while the gypsy camp is asleep. Timmy can guide us out of this rabbit-warren of a hil . We"d never be able to find our way out alone. Come on!"

„Come on, Tim," said George, shaking him gently. But poor old Timmy was feeling very peculiar. He couldn"t see things properly. George"s voice sounded blurred to him. His head felt as heavy as lead, and somehow his legs wouldn"t carry him, The blow on his head was taking real effect now, and the hurried journey over the moor and back was making it worse.

„He"s il !" said George, in a panic. „He can"t get up! Oh Timmy, what"s the matter?"

„It"s that cut on his head," said Wil iam. „Its pretty bad, and he"s worn out with coming to fetch us and running al the way back again. He can"t possibly guide us back, George.