Timmy’s tail thumped softly on the floor. George ran out of the room and joined the others on the landing. They were having a fine game with Block, who was yelling and wriggling and struggling for all he was worth.
He was wrapped up in the blanket like a caterpillar inside a cocoon. His head was completely covered and he could see nothing.
Suddenly Mr. Lenoir appeared in the hall below, with a very scared Mrs. Lenoir beside him. ‘What’s all this?’ thundered Booty’s stepfather. ‘Have you gone mad? How dare you behave like this at this time of night?’
‘Sir, we’ve caught a robber and tied him up,’ panted Sooty.
Mr. Lenoir ran up the stairs two steps at a time, amazed. He saw the kicking figure on the ground well-tied up in the heavy curtains. ‘A robber! Do you mean a burglar? Where did you find him?’
‘He was hiding behind the curtains, sir!’ said Julian. ‘We managed to get hold of him and tie him up before he could escape. Could you call the police sir?’
An anguished voice came from inside of the curtains. ‘Let me go! I’ve been bitten! Let me go!’
‘Good heavens! You’ve got Block tied up there!’ said Mr. Lenoir, in amazement and anger. ‘Untie him, quickly.’
‘But, sir – it can’t be Block. He was hiding behind those curtains at the window,’ protested Sooty.
‘Do as you’re told,’ commanded Mr. Lenoir, getting angry. Anne looked at the tip of his nose. Yes, it was turning white, as usual!
The boys reluctantly undid the ropes. Block angrily parted the curtains that enfolded him, and looked out, his usually blank face crimson with rage and fright.
‘I won’t stand this sort of thing!’ he raged. ‘Look here, at my leg, sir! I’ve been bitten. Only a dog could have done that. See my leg?’
Sure enough there were the marks of teeth on his leg,
slowly turning purple. Timmy had taken a good nip, and almost gone through the skin.
‘There’s no dog here,’ said Mrs. Lenoir, coming timidly up the stairs at last. ‘You couldn’t have been bitten by a dog, Block.’
‘Who bit him, then?’ demanded Mr. Lenoir, turning fiercely on poor Mrs. Lenoir.
‘Do you think 7 could have bitten him, sir, in my excitement?’ suddenly said Sooty, to the enormous surprise of the others, and to their immense amusement. He spoke very seriously with a worried look on his face. ‘When I lose my temper, sir, I hardly know what I do. Do you think I bit him?’
‘Pah!’ said Mr. Lenoir, in disgust. ‘Don’t talk nonsense, boy! I’ll have you whipped if I think you go about biting people. Get up, Block. You’re not badly hurt.’
‘My teeth do feel a bit funny, now I come to think of it,’ said Sooty, opening and shutting his mouth as if to see if they were all right. I think I’d better go and clean them, sir. I feel as if I’ve got the taste of Block’s ankle in my mouth. And it isn’t nice.’
Mr. Lenoir, driven to fury by Sooty’s impudence, reached out swiftly to box the boy’s ears. But Sooty dodged and ran back up the passage. ‘Just going to clean my teeth!’ he called, and the others tried to keep from laughing. The idea of Sooty biting anyone was absurd. It was quite obvious, however, that neither Mr. nor Mrs. Lenoir guessed what had bitten Block.
‘Go to bed, all of you,’ ordered Mr. Lenoir. ‘I hope I shall not have to complain of you to your father tomorrow when he comes – or your uncle, as it may be. I don’t know which of you are his children, and which not. I’m surprised at you making such a nuisance of yourselves
in somebody else’s house. Tying up my servant! If he leaves, it will be your fault!’
The children hoped fervently that Block would leave. It would be marvellous to have the deaf, blank-faced fellow out of the house. He was on the watch for Timmy, they felt sure. He would snoop about till he got Timmy-or one of them into trouble.
But Block was still there next morning. He came into the schoolroom with the breakfast, his face almost as blank as usual. He gave Sooty an evil look.
‘You look out for yourself,’ he said, in a curiously soft voice. ‘You look out. Something’s going to happen to you one of these days. Yes – and that dog too! I know you’ve got a dog, see? You can’t deceive me.’
The children said nothing, but looked at one another. Sooty grinned, and rapped out a gay little tattoo on the table with his spoon.
‘Dark, dire, dreadful threats!’ he said. ‘You look out for yourself too, Block. Any more snooping about, and you’ll find yourself tied up again – yes, and I might bite you again too. You never know. My teeth feel quite ready for it this morning.’
He bared his teeth at Block, who made no reply at all, but merely looked as if he had not heard a word. The man went out, and closed the door softly behind him.
‘Nasty bit of work, isn’t he?’ said Sooty. But George felt rather alarmed. She feared Block. There was something cold and clever and bad about those narrow eyes of his. She longed with all her heart to get Timmy out of the house.
She got a terrible shock that morning! Sooty came to her, looking agitated. I say! What do you think? Your father’s going to have my room. I’ve got to sleep with Julian and Dick. Block is taking all my things from my
room to theirs this very minute, with Sarah. I hope we shall have a chance to get him out all right, before your father comes!’
‘Oh Sooty!’ said George, in despair. ‘I’ll go and see if I can get him at once.’
She went off, pretending to go to Marybelle’s room for something. But Block was still in Booty’s room. And there he stayed, cleaning it all morning!
George was very worried about Timmy. He would wonder why she hadn’t fetched him. He would miss his walk. She hovered about the passage all morning, getting into Sarah’s way as she carried clothes from Sooty’s old room to Julian’s.
Block gave George some curious looks. He walked with a limp to show that his leg was bad from the bite. He left the room at last and George darted in. But Block returned
almost at once and she dashed back into Marybelle’s room. Again Block left and went down the passage, and again the desperate little girl rushed into Sooty’s room.
But Block was back before she could even open the cupboard door. ‘What are you doing in this room?’ he said, roughly. ‘I haven’t cleaned it all morning to have children in here messing it up again! Clear out of it!’
George went – and then once more waited for Block to go. He would have to see to the luncheon soon! He went at last. George rushed to the door of Sooty’s room, eager to get poor Timmy.
But she couldn’t open the door. It was locked – and Block had taken the key!
Chapter Thirteen POOR GEORGE!
BY now George was in despair. She felt as if she was in a nighI’mare. She went to find Sooty. He was in Julian’s room, next to hers, washing his hands ready for lunch.
‘Sooty! I shall have to get into the secret passage the way you first took us in,’ she said. ‘Through that little study-room of your father’s – you know, where the sliding panels are.’
‘We can’t,’ said Sooty, looking rather alarmed. ‘He uses it now, and he’d half-kill anyone who went in there. He’s got the records of all his experiments there, and he’s put them ready to show your father.’
‘I don’t care,’ said George, desperately. ‘I’ve got to get in there somehow. Timmy may starve!’
‘Not Timmy! He’ll live on the rats in the passages!’ said Sooty. ‘Timmy could always look after himself, I bet!’
‘Well, he’d die of thirst then,’ said George, obstinately. ‘There’s no water in those secret passages. You know that!’
George could hardly eat any lunch because she was so worried. She made up her mind somehow to get into that little study-room, and see if she could open the entrance into the wall behind the panels. Then she would slip in and get Timmy. She didn’t care what happened; she was going to get Timmy.
‘I shan’t tell the others, though,’ she thought. ‘They would only try and stop me, or offer to do it themselves, and I don’t trust anyone but myself to do this. Timmy’s my dog, and I’m going to save him!’
After lunch, everyone went to Julian’s room to discuss things. George went with them. But after a few minutes she left them. ‘Back in a minute,’ she said. They took no notice and went on discussing how to rescue Timmy. It really did seem as if the only way was to raid the study, and try and get into the secret passage without being seen.