Bill Smugs lived all alone in the tumbledown hut. He had a comfortable car, which he kept under a tarpaulin at the top of the cliff, in as sheltered a place as possible. He went into the nearest town to do his shopping whenever he wanted to. He had brought a mattress and other things to the hut, to make it as comfortable as he could.
The children were thrilled when they knew he. had a car as well as a boat. They begged him to take them out in it next time he went.
I want to buy a torch, said Jack. You remember that queer secret passage we told you about, Bill? Well, it’s difficult to go up it carrying a candle a torch would be much handier. I could buy one if you’d take me in your car.
I’d like one too, said Philip. And, Jack you said you wanted some camera film, because you’d left yours behind at Mr. Roy’s. You can’t take photographs of birds unless we get some. You could get that too.
The girls wanted things as well, so Bill Smugs agreed to take them the next day. They all crowded into the car in excitement the following morning.
Jo-Jo’s going into the town as well today, said Dinah, with a giggle. It would be funny if we saw him, wouldn’t it? He would get a surprise.
Bill Smugs’ car was really a beauty. The boys, who knew about cars, examined it in delight.
It’s new, said Jack. This year’s, and a jolly fast one. Bill, are you very rich? This car must have cost a lot of money. You must be awfully well-off.
Not very, said Bill, with a grin. Now off we go.
And off they went, cruising very swiftly, once they left the bad coast road behind. The car was well-sprung, and seemed to surge along.
Golly, isn’t it different from Aunt Polly’s old car that Jo-Jo drives! said Dinah, enjoying herself. It won’t take us any time to get to the town.
They were very soon there. Bill Smugs parked the car, and then went off by himself, after arranging with the children to meet them for lunch at a very grand hotel.
I wonder where he’s gone, said Jack, staring after him. We might just as well have kept all together. I wanted to go to that stuffed-animal shop with him, and see some of the stuffed birds there.
Well, you could see he didn’t want us, said Dinah, who was disappointed too. She was very fond of Bill Smugs now and had saved up some money to buy him an ice-cream. I expect he has got business of his own to do.
What is his business? asked Lucy-Ann. He must do something besides bird-watching, I should think. Not that he does much of that, now that he knows us.
He never said what his work was, said Jack. Anyway, why should he? He’s not like us, always wanting to blurt out everything. Grown-ups are different. Come on let’s find a shop that sells torches.
They found one that had extremely nice pocket torches, small and neat. The beam was strong, and the boys could well imagine how the dark secret passage would be lighted up, once they turned on their torches. They each bought a torch, the girls too.
Then we needn’t light our bedroom candles at night, said Dinah. We can use our torches’.
They went to buy rolls of film to fit Jack’s camera. They bought sweets and biscuits, and a small bottle of strong-smelling scent for Aunt Polly.
Now we’d better get some sunflower seeds for Kiki, said Jack. Kiki gave a squawk. She was on Jack’s shoulder as usual, behaving very well for once. Every passerby stared at her in surprise, of course, and the parrot enjoyed this very much. But, except for sternly telling a surprised errand-boy to stop whistling at once, Kiki hardly said a word. She was pleased with the sunflower seeds, which she adored, and gobbled up a few in the shop.
The children looked in the shops for a time, waiting for one o’clock to come, so that they might join Bill Smugs at the hotel. And then, quite suddenly, they saw Jo-Jo.
He was coming along the street in the old car, hooting at a woman crossing the road. The children clutched one another, wondering if he would see them, half hoping that he would.
And he did. He caught sight of Philip first, then saw Jack with Kiki on his shoulder, and then the two girls behind. He was so overcome with amazement that he let the car swerve across the road, almost knocking down a policeman.
Here, you! What do you think you’re doing? yelled the policeman angrily. Jo-Jo muttered an apology, and then looked for the children again.
Don’t run away, said Jack to the others. He can’t chase us in the car. Just walk along and take no notice of him.
So they walked down the street, talking together, pretending not to see Jo-Jo and taking no notice at all of his shouts.
Jo-Jo simply could not believe his eyes. How did the children get here? There was no bus, no train, no coach they could take. They had no bicycles. It was too far for them to have walked there in the time. Then how was it they were here?
The black man hurried to park his car, meaning to go after the children and question them. He parked it and jumped out. He ran after the four children, but at that moment they reached the very grand hotel where they had arranged to meet Bill Smugs, and ran up the steps.
Jo-Jo did not dare to follow the children into the grand hotel. He stood at the bottom of the big flight of steps, looking after them in annoyed surprise. It was astonishing enough to find them in the town but even more astonishing to find them disappearing into the most expensive hotel in the place.
Jo-Jo sat down at the bottom of the steps. He meant to wait till they came out. Then he would pack them into his car and take them home, and tell Miss Polly where he’d found them. She wouldn’t be best pleased to hear they were wasting hard-earned money at expensive hotels, when they could easily take a packet of sandwiches with them.
The children giggled as they ran up the steps. Bill Smugs was waiting for them in the lounge. He showed the girls where to wash and do their hair. They all met together again in a few minutes and went into the restaurant to have lunch.
It was a magnificent lunch. The children ate everything put in front of them, and finished up with the biggest ice-creams they had ever seen.
Oh, Bill, that was grand, said Dinah, sinking back into her comfortable chair with a sigh. Simply marvellous. A real treat. Thanks awfully.
I think you must be a millionaire, said Lucy-Ann, watching Bill count out notes to the waiter in payment of the bill. Golly, I’ve eaten so much that I feel I really can’t get up and walk.
Jack remembered Jo-Jo, and wondered if the black man was watching for them. He got up to see.
He peeped out of a window that looked on to the hotel’s main entrance. He saw Jo-Jo sitting patiently down at the bottom of the steps. Jack went back to the others, grinning.
Is there a back entrance to this hotel? he asked Bill Smugs. Bill looked surprised.
Yes, he said. Why?
Because dear Jo-Jo is sitting outside the hotel entrance waiting for us, said Jack. Bill nodded, understanding.
Well, we’ll depart quietly by the back entrance, he said. Come on. It’s time we went, anyway. Got all you wanted from the shops?
Yes, said the children, and trooped out after him. He led them to the back of the hotel, and out of a door there into a quiet street. He took them to where he had parked his car, and they all got in, happy at having had such a lovely day.
They sped back to the coast, and got out of the car at the nearest point to Craggy-Tops. They hurried over the cliff, eager to get back before Jo-Jo did.
Jo-Jo did not arrive until about an hour later, looking dour and grim. He put away the car and went to the house. The first thing he saw was the group of four children playing down on the rocks. He stood and stared in angry astonishment.
There was a mystery somewhere. And Jo-Jo meant to find out what it was. He wasn’t going to be puzzled and defeated by four children. Not he!
Chapter 13
JO-JO IS TRICKED AGAIN
jo-jo thought about the mystery of the children being in the town, with, as far as he knew, no possible way of getting there except by walking, and this they had not had time to do. He came to the conclusion that they must know someone who gave them a lift there.