“Buster!” he called. “Come on. I’ll put you in my bike-basket. You’ll be a grease-spot if you have to run all the way home.”
Buster came slowly up, his tongue out as usual. He saw the cook’s cat in the hedge nearby, but he felt quite unable to chase it. It was just as well, because the cat felt quite unable to run away.
Fatty lifted Buster up and put him in his basket. Buster was quite used to this. He had travelled miles in this way with Fatty and the others.
“You’ll have to take some of your fat off, Buster,” said Fatty, as he cycled down the drive. “You’re getting too heavy for words. Next time you see Goon you won’t be able to dance round him, you’ll only waddle!”
A bell rang in Pip’s house. “Lunch,” said Pip sitting up slowly. “Come on—I hope it’s salad and jelly—that’s about all I want. Don’t let’s forget to ask Mother about a picnic tea for this afternoon. She’ll probably be glad to get rid of us.”
She was! “That’s a good idea!” she said. “Tell Cook what you want—and if you take drinks please leave some ice in the frig. You took it all last time. Yes—certainly a picnic is a very good idea—I shall have a lovely peaceful afternoon!”
At the Gymkhana
The five children, and Buster of course, met in Petter’s Field about three o’clock. The gymkhana had already begun, and horses were dashing about all over the place. Buster kept close to Fatty. He didn’t mind passing the time of day with one or two horses in a field, but thirty or forty galloping about were too much.
“Anyone seen the Inspector?” asked Daisy, coming up with a big basket of food and drink.
“No, not yet,” said Fatty, getting out of the way of a colossal horse ridden by a very small boy. “Is there any place in this field where there aren’t horses tearing about? Buster will have a heart attack soon.”
“Look over there,” said Bets, with a giggle. “See the woman who’s in charge of that hoopla stall, or whatever it is? She might be Fatty dressed up!”
They all looked. They saw what Bets meant at once. The stall-woman had on a big hat with all kinds of flowers round it, a voluminous skirt, very large feet and a silk shawl pinned round her shoulders.
“Fatty could disguise himself like that beautifully!” said Daisy. “Is she real—or somebody in disguise?”
“Inspector Jenks in disguise!” said Bets, with a giggle, and then jumped as somebody touched her on the shoulder.
“What’s that you’re saying about me?” said a familiar voice. All five of them swung round at once, their faces one big smile. They knew that voice!
“Inspector Jenks!” said Bets, and swung on his broad arm. “We knew you were coming!”
“Good afternoon, sir,” said Fatty, beaming. “I say, before anyone else gets hold of you—would you care to have a picnic tea with us—and bring your god-daughter too, of course. We’ve brought plenty of food.”
“So it seems,” said Inspector Jenks, looking at the three big baskets. “Well, I wondered if I should see you here. Yes, I’d love to have tea with you—and so would Hilary—that’s my small god-daughter. Well, Find-Outers—any more mysteries to report? What exactly are you working on now?”
Fatty grinned. “Nothing, sir. Not a mystery to be seen or heard in Peterswood just now. Four weeks of the hols gone and nothing to show. Awful waste of time.”
“And Goon is away, isn’t he?” said the Inspector.
“So you can’t bait him either—life must indeed be dull for you. You wait till he comes back though—he’ll be full of beans. He’s been taking some kind of refresher course, I believe.”
“What’s a refresher course?” asked Bets.
“Oh—rubbing up his police knowledge, refreshing his memory, learning a few new dodges,” said the Inspector. “He’ll be a smart fellow when he comes back—bursting to try out all he’s learnt. You look out, Frederick!”
“It does sound funny when you call Fatty by his right name,” said Bets. “Oooh, Fatty—let’s hope we don’t have a mystery after all, in case Mr. Goon solves it instead of us.”
“Don’t be silly,” said Pip. “We can always get the better of Mr. Goon. It’s a pity something hasn’t happened while he’s been away—we could have solved it before he came back, without any interruptions from him.”
“Here’s my small god-daughter,” said the Inspector, turning round to smile at a small girl in jodhpurs and riding jacket. “Hallo, Hilary. Won any prizes yet?”
Hilary sat on a fat little pony that didn’t seem able to stand still. Buster kept well out of the way.
“Hallo, Uncle,” said Hilary. “I’m going to ride now. I haven’t won anything yet. Do you want to come and watch?”
“Of course,” said the Inspector. “Let me introduce you to five friends of mine—who have helped me in many a difficult case. They want you and me to have a picnic tea with them. What about it?”
“Yes, I’d like to,” said Hilary, trying to stop her pony from backing on to an old gentleman nearby. “Thank you.”
The pony narrowly missed walking on Buster. He yelped, and the restless little animal reared. Hilary slapped him and he tossed his head and knocked off the Inspector’s trilby hat.
“Oh—sorry,” said Hilary, with a gasp. “Sonny’s a bit fresh, I’m afraid.”
“I quite agree,” said the Inspector picking up his hat before Bonny could tread on it. “All right, Hilary—I’ll come and watch you ride now—and we’ll all have tea together when you’ve finished.”
Hilary cantered off, bumping up and down, her hair flying out under her jockey cap. Buster was most relieved to see her go. He ventured out from behind Fatty, saw a friend he knew and trotted over to pass the time of day; but what with horses of all sizes and colours rushing about he didn’t feel at all safe.
It was really a very pleasant afternoon. The policeman who had replaced Goon while he was on holiday stood stolidly in a shady corner, and didn’t even recognize the Inspector when he passed. It is true that Inspector Jenks was in plain clothes, but Bets felt that she would recognize him a mile off even if he was wearing a bathing costume.
“Afternoon, Tonks,” said the Inspector, as they passed the stolid policeman. He leap to attention at once, and after that could be seen walking about very busily indeed. The Inspector there! Was there anything up? Were there pick-pockets about—or some kind of hanky-panky anywhere? Tonks was on the look-out at once, and forgot all about standing comfortably in the shade.
Hilary didn’t win a prize. Bonny really didn’t behave at all well. He took fright at something and backed heavily into the judges, which made them look at him with much dislike and disfavour. Hilary was very disappointed.
She met them in a shady corner for tea, bringing Bonny with her. Buster growled. What—that awful horse again! Bonny nosed towards him and Buster hastily got under a tent nearby, squeezing beneath the canvas.
Hilary was very shy. She would hardly say a word. She kept Bonny’s reins hooked round one arm, which was just as well, as Bonny was really a very nosey kind of horse. Daisy kept a sharp eye on the baskets of food.
The Inspector talked away cheerfully. The children were disappointed that he had no cases to offer them, and no mystery to suggest.
“It’s just one of those times when nothing whatever happens,” said Inspector Jenks, munching an egg-and-lettuce sandwich hungrily. “No robberies, no swindlings, no crimes of any sort. Very peaceful.”
He waved his sandwich in the air as he spoke and it was neatly taken out of his hand by Bonny. Everyone roared at the Inspector’s surprised face.
“Robbery going on nearby after all!” said Daisy. Hilary scolded Bonny, who backed away into the next picnic party. Buster put his nose out from under the tent canvas, but decided not to come out and join the party yet.
It was while all this was going on that the next mystery loomed up in the very middle of the picnic tea! Nobody expected it. Nobody realized it at first.
Pip happened to be looking down the field, where Mr. Tonks, the policeman, was standing beside the Red Cross Tent, having seen to somebody who had fainted in the heat. He stood there, mopping his forehead, probably feeling that he would be the next one to faint, when a man came quickly up to him. He looked like a gardener or handyman.
He spoke to Mr. Tonks, who at once took out his black note-book, licked his thumb and flicked over the pages till he came to an empty one. Then he began to write very earnestly.
Pip saw this, but he didn’t think anything of it. But then Tonks walked over to where Inspector Jenks was sitting with the Five Find-Outers and Hilary.