Sh! said Dick, at the door. Not a sound, now! Im going to open the door!
He opened it slowly. All was quiet. Now well go down the stairs, he said. Not a sound!
They went down the first flight of stairs and on to the enormous landing. Then, just as Dick put his foot on to the next stair down, he trod on something soft that yowled, spat and scratched. It was that cat!
Dick fell half-way down the stairs, and Timmy could not stop himself from chasing the cat up the landing and up the top stairs to the cistern room. Nor could he stop himself from barking!
Shouts came from two of the near-by bedrooms and two men appeared in pyjamas. One switched on the landing light, and then both of them tore down the stairs after the three children. Dick picked himself up, but he had ricked his ankle and could not even walk!
Run, George – Ill see to Dick! yelled Julian. Rut George stopped too – and in a trice the two men were on to them, catching hold of Dick and Julian, and jerking them into a near-by room.
Tim! TIM! shouted George. Help, Timmy!
But before Timmy could come pelting down the stairs from the attic George was shoved into the room too, and the door locked.
Look out for the dog! shouted one of the men. Hes dangerous!
Timmy certainly was! He came tearing towards the men, snarling, his eyes blazing, showing all his teeth.
The men darted into the room next to the one into which they had locked the children, and banged the door. Timmy flung himself against it in rage, snarling and growling in a most terrifying manner. If only he could get at those men! If only he could!
Chapter Twenty-one
MOST UNEXPECTED!
Soon there was real pandemonium in the old house! The sleepers in the rooms on the top landing awoke suddenly and found their doors locked, and began to bang on them and shout. The three children in the locked room on the ground floor shouted and banged too – and Timmy nearly went mad!
Only the men in the room next to the children were silent. They were terrified at Timmys growling and snarling. They would have liked to lock themselves in, but the key was on the other side of the door – and they certainly didnt dare to open it to get the key!
Soon the children quietened down. Dick sat on a chair, exhausted. That cat! That wretched, prowling, sly old cat! Gosh, I stepped on it and it scratched me to the bone – to say nothing of pitching me headlong down the stairs and making me wrench my ankle!
We so nearly managed to escape! groaned Julian.
I cant think what will happen now! said George. Timmys out there and cant get in to us, and we cant possibly get out to him because the doors locked – and those men wont dare to set a foot outside their door while Tims there!
And weve locked the people into their rooms upstairs! said Julian. Well, its certain that nobody can get out of their rooms to help anyone else – so it looks as if well all be here till Doomsday!
It certainly did seem a very poor lookout! The only people who were not behind locked doors were the two men, whoever they were – and they simply dared not put a foot outside their room. Timmy roamed about, occasionally whimpering and scratching outside the childrens door, but more often growling outside the next door, sometimes flinging his heavy body against it as if he would break it down.
I bet the men are shaking with fright, said Dick. They wont even dare to try and get out of a window in case they meet Timmy outside somewhere!
Serve them right, said George. Gosh, Im glad you came! Wasnt I an absolute ass to take Sally down to the kennel that night?
You were, said Julian, I agree wholeheartedly. The men were waiting for a chance to get Berta, of course, and they saw you, complete with Bertas dog, and thought you were the girl they wanted!
Yes. They flung something all over my head so that I couldnt make a sound, said George. I fought like anything, and my dressing-gown girdle must have slipped off – did you find it?
Yes, said Dick. We were jolly glad to find a few other things too – the comb – the hanky – the sweet – and of course the note!
They carried me quite a way to somewhere in the wood, said George. Then they plonked me down at the back of the car. But they had to turn it and it was difficult – and I had the bright thought of throwing out all the things in my dressing-gown pocket just in case you came along and saw them.
What about that note – with the word Gringo on? asked Julian. That was a terrific help. We wouldnt be here tonight if it hadnt been for that.
Well, I heard one of the men call the other Gringo, said George. And it was such an unusual name I thought Id scribble it on a bit of paper and throw that out too – it was just on chance I did it.
A jolly good chance! said Dick. Good thing you had a notebook and pencil with you!
I hadnt, said George. But one of the men had left his coat in the back of the car and there was a notebook with a pencil in the breast-pocket. I just used that!
Jolly good! said Julian.
Well, they whizzed me off in the car to some Fairground or other, said George. I heard the roundabout music next day. There was a horrid old witch-like woman in the caravan; she didnt seem at all pleased to see me. I had to sleep in a chair that night, and I got so wild that I yelled and shouted and threw things about and smashed quite a lot of cups and saucers. I enjoyed that.
The boys couldnt help laughing. Yes – I bet you did, said Dick. They had to move the caravan away from the Fair itself, because they were afraid people would hear you. In fact, I expect thats why Gringo decided to hide you here!
Yes. I suddenly felt a jolt, and found the caravan we were in was being towed away! said George. I was awfully surprised. I waved at the windows and shouted as we drove through the streets, but nobody seemed to notice anything wrong – in fact some people waved back to me! Then we swung in through some gates, and came here – and, as I told you, they put me up here because I made such a nuisance of myself!
Did you tell them you werent Berta? asked Dick.
No, said George. Of course not. For two reasons – I knew there would be no fear of Bertas father giving those secrets away, because hed be told by you that I had been kidnapped, not his precious Berta. So hed hang on to them. And also I thought Berta would be safe, so long as I didnt tell the men theyd got the wrong person.
Youre a good kid, George, said Julian, and slapped her gently on the back. A – very – good – kid. Im jolly proud of you. Theres nobody like our George!
Dont be a fathead, said George, but she was very pleased all the same.
Well, theres no more to tell, she said, except that the cistern room was most frightfully draughty, and I had to wrap my head up as well as my body when I lay down. And the cistern made awful noises – sort of rude noises, that made me want to say I beg your pardon! all the time! Of course I knew youd rescue me, so I wasnt awfully worried!
And we havent rescued you! said Julian. All weve done is to get ourselves locked up as well as you!
Tell me how you found out I was here, said George. So the boys told her everything and she listened, thrilled.
So Berta went to stay with Jo! she said. I bet Jo didnt like that.
She didnt, said Julian. But shes been quite a help. I only wish she was here now, and could do one of her ivy-climbing stunts, or something!
I say – Timmys very quiet all of a sudden! said George, listening. Whats happened?
They listened. Timmy was not barking or whimpering. There was no sound of him at all. What was happening? Georges heart sank – perhaps those men had managed to do something to him?
But suddenly they heard him again, whimpering – but whimpering gladly and excitedly. And then a familiar voice came to their ears.