Mystery of the Burnt Cottage - Blyton Enid - Страница 9

"We needn't do that, silly," said Larry. "Have you forgotten our clues?"

"What do you mean?" asked Daisy.

"Well — we've only got to find out what size shoes he wears, and if they've got rubber soles, criss-crossed with markings underneath, and if he wears a grey flannel coat," said Larry.

"He doesn't wear a grey flannel coat/, said Fatty. "I told you — he wore an old mackintosh."

The others were silent for a moment. "Well, he might have a grey flannel coat underneath," said Daisy. "He might have taken his mackintosh off for a moment,".

The others thought this was rather feeble, but they had no better suggestion.

"Time enough to worry about grey flannel coats and mackintoshes when we've found the tramp," said Pip. "That is going to be a problem, I must say!"

"Hark — isn't that old Buster barking?" said Fatty suddenly. "I bet that's Bets coming back. Yes — she's calling to Buster. I say — haven't we got a lot of news for her?"

The sound of Bets' running feet was heard up the drive, and then down the garden path to the summer-house. The four big ones went to the door to welcome her, Buster shot up to them, barking madly.

"Bets! We've got such a lot of news!" called Larry.

"We've had a most exciting time!" cried Daisy.

But Bets didn't listen. Her eyes were shining brightly, her cheeks were red with running, and she could hardly get her words out, she was so excited.

"Pip! Larry! I've got a glue! Oh, I've got a glue!"

"What?" asked the other four together.

"I've found the tramp!" panted the little girl. "Do say he's the biggest glue we've found!"

"Well — he's really a suspect, not a clue," began Larry, but the others interrupted him.

"Bets! Are you sure you've found the tramp?" asked Pip excitedly. "Golly — we thought that would be almost impossible."

"Where is he?" demanded Fatty, ready to go after him immediately.

"How do you know it's the tramp? " cried Daisy.

"Well, he was wearing a dirty old mackintosh and a terrible old hat with a hole in the crown," said Bets. "Just like Fatty said."

"Yes — the hat did have a hole in the crown," said Fatty. "Bets, where is this fellow?"

"Well, I went for a walk with Buster, as you know," said Bets, sinking down on the grass, tired out with running. "He's a lovely dog to take for a walk, because he's so interested in everything. Well, we went down the lane and into the fields, and along by the river, ever so far. We came to a field where sheep and lambs were, and there was a hay-rick nearby."

Buster barked a little, as if he wanted to tell about it all too. Bets put her arm round him. "It was Buster who found the tramp — wasn't it, darling? You see, I was walking along — and suddenly Buster went all stiff — and the hairs rose up along the back of his neck — and he growled."

"Ur-r-r-r-rrr!" said Buster obligingly.

"He honestly understands every word, doesn't he?" said Bets. "Well, Buster went all funny, like that, and then he began to walk stiffly towards the hay-rick — you know, just as if he had bad rheumatism or something."

"Animals always walk like that when they are suspicious, or frightened or angry," said Fatty, grinning at Bets. "Go on. Don't be so long-winded."

"I went with Buster," said Bets, "as quietly as I could, thinking there might be a cat or something the other side of the rick. But it was the tramp!"

"Golly!" said Larry, and Pip whistled.

"You're a very good Find-Outer," said Fatty warmly.

"I did so badly want to find out something," said Bets. "But I suppose really and truly it was Buster who did the finding, wasn't it?"

"Well, he wouldn't have, if you hadn't taken him for a walk," said Larry. "What was the tramp doing?"

"He was asleep," said Bets. "Fast asleep. He didn't even wake when Buster sniffed at his feet."

"His feet!" said Pip. "What sort of shoes did he have on? Did they have rubber soles?"

Bets looked dismayed. "Oh! I never thought of looking. And I so easily could have seen, couldn't I, because he was fast asleep. But I was so excited at finding him that I just never thought of looking at his shoes."

"There's no time to be lost," said Pip, jumping up. "He may still be fast asleep. We'd better go and have a look at Mm and his shoes and his clothes. Fatty can tell us at once if he's the tramp he saw in Mr. Hick's garden or not."

Excited and rather solemn, the Five Find-Outers and Dog set off down the lane to the fields that ran beside the river. They went fast, in case the tramp had awakened and gone on his way. It was so marvellous that Bets should actually have found him — they couldn't possibly risk losing him!

They came to the rick. A gentle sound of snoring told them that the tramp was still there. Fatty picked up Buster and crept round the rick without making a sound.

On the other side curled up well, lay a tramp. He was an old fellow, with a stubbly grey beard, shaggy grey eyebrows, a red nose, and long, untidy hair that straggled from under a terrible old hat. Fatty took a look at him. He tiptoed back to the others.

"Yes — it's the tramp all right!" he whispered, thrilled. "But it's going to be difficult to pull aside his mackintosh to see if he's got a grey coat underneath. And he's got His feet sort of curled up underneath him. We shall have to get right down on the ground to see what sort of sole his shoes have got underneath."

"I'll go and try," said Larry. "You others keep Buster quiet here, and watch out in case any one comes."

Leaving the others on the far side of the rick, Larry crept round to the side where the tramp slept. He sat down near him. He put out his hand to pull aside the old mackintosh to see if the man wore grey underneath. The trousers appearing below the coat were so old and dirty that it was quite impossible to tell what colour they had once been.

The tramp moved a little and Larry took back His hand. He decided to try and see the underneath of the man's shoes. So he knelt down, put His head to tie ground and did his best to squint at the tramp's shoes.

The tramp suddenly opened his eyes. He stared in the greatest astonishment at Larry.

"What's bitten you?" he suddenly said, and Larry almost jumped out of his skin.

"Think I'm the king of England, I suppose, kneeling in front of me with your head on the ground like that!" said the tramp. "Get away. I can't abide children. Nasty interfering little creatures!"

He curled himself up again and shut his eyes. Larry waited for a second or two, and was about to try squinting at the man's shoes again when he heard a low whistle from the other side of the rick. That meant someone was coming. Well, they would all have to wait till the passer-by was gone. Larry crept round to join Pip and the rest.

"Someone coming?" he asked.

"Yes — old Clear-Orf!" said Fatty. Larry peeped round,the rick. The village policeman was coming up from the other direction, along a path that did not go near the rick. He would soon be gone.

But as he came along he suddenly caught sight of the old tramp sleeping by the rick. The children drew back hurriedly as Mr. Goon walked quietly and quickly over to the rick. There was a ladder leaning against the rick and Larry pushed Bets and the others up as quickly as he could.

They would be less likely to be seen on top than below. Fortunately the rick had been cut well out, when hay was taken to the various farm-animals, and it was easy to balance on the cut-out part.

The policeman crept up quietly. The children, peering over the rick, saw him take out a notebook. Fatty gave Lany such a nudge that the boy nearly fell.

"Look! Look what he's got down in his notebook! He's got a drawing of that footprint we saw! He's been cleverer than we thought!"

Clear-Orf tiptoed up to the tramp and tried His best to see what sort of shoes he had on. He, too, did as Lany had done and knelt down, the better to see. And the tramp opened His eyes!"