chapter 7 richard tells a queer tale

julian and george had managed to find a little farm-house tucked away in a hollow. a trio of dogs setup a terrific barking as they drew near. timmy growled and the hair rose up on his neck.

george put her hand on his collar.

'i won't go any nearer with timmy,' she said. 'i don't want him to be set on by three dogs at once!'

so julian went down to the farm-house by himself. the dogs made such a noise and looked so fiercethat he paused in the farm-yard. he was not in the least afraid of dogs, but these looked mostunpleasant, especially one big mongrel whose teeth were bared in a very threatening manner.

a voice called out to him. 'clear off, you! we don't want no strangers here. when strangers come oureggs and hens go too!'

'good evening,' called julian, politely. 'we are four children camping out in the woods for the night.

could you let us have any food? i'll pay well for it.'

there was a pause. the man pulled his head in at the window he was shouting from, and wasevidently speaking to someone inside.

he stuck it out again. 'i told you, we don't hold with strangers here, never did. we've only got plainbread and butter, and we can give you some hardboiled eggs and milk and a bit of ham.

that's all.'

'that'll do fine,' called julian, cheerily. 'just what we'd like. shall i come and get it?'

'not unless you want to be torn to pieces by them dogs,' came back the voice. 'you wait there. i'll beout when the eggs is done.'

'blow,' said julian, walking back to george. 'that means we'll have to kick our heels here for a while.

what an unpleasant fellow! i don't think much of his place, do you!'

28

george agreed with him. it was ill-kept, the barn was falling to bits, rusty bits of machinery lay hereand there in the thick grass. the three dogs kept up a continual barking and howling, but they did notcome any nearer. george still kept her hand firmly on timmy. he was bristling all over!

'what a lonely place to live in,' said julian. 'no house within miles, i should think. no telephone.

i wonder what they'd do if somebody was ill or had an accident and needed help.'

'i hope they'll hurry up with that food,' said george, getting impatient. 'it'll be dark soon. i'm gettinghungry too.'

at last somebody came out of the tumble-down farmhouse. it was a bearded man, stooping and old,with long untidy hair and a pronounced limp. he had a grim and ugly face. neither julian nor georgeliked him.

'here you are,' he said, waving his three dogs away behind him. 'get back, you!' he aimed a kick atthe nearest dog, and it yelped with pain.

'oh don't!' said george. 'you hurt him.'

'he's my dog, ain't he?' said the man, angrily. 'you mind your own business!' he kicked out atanother dog and scowled at george.

'what about the food?' said julian, holding out his hand, anxious to be gone before trouble camebetween timmy and the other dogs. 'george, take timmy back a bit. he's upsetting the dogs.'

'well, i like that!' said george. 'it's those other dogs that are upsetting him.'

she dragged timmy back a few yards, and he stood there with all his hackles up on his neck,growling in a horrible way.

julian took the food which was done up carelessly in old brown paper. 'thanks,' he said. 'howmuch?'

'five pounds,' said the old man, surprisingly.

'don't be silly,' said julian. he looked quickly at the food. 'i'll give you twenty-five pence for it, andthat's more than it's worth. there's hardly any ham.'

'i said five pounds,' said the man, sullenly. julian looked at him. 'he must be mad!' he thought.

he held out the food to the ugly old fellow.

'well, take it back,' he said. 'i haven't got five pounds to give you for food. twenty-five pence is themost i can spare. good night.'

29

the old man pushed the food back, and held out his other hand in silence. julian fished in his pocketand brought out twenty-five pence. he placed them in the man's dirty hand, wondering why on earththe fellow had asked him for such a ridiculous sum before. the man put the money in his pocket.

'clear off,' he said, suddenly, in a growling voice. 'we don't want strangers here, stealing our goods.

i'll set my dogs on you if you come again!'

julian turned to go, half-afraid that the extraordinary old man would set his dogs on him. the fellowstood there in the half-dark, yelling abuse at julian and george as they made their way out of thefarm-yard.

'well! we'll never go there again!' said george, furious at their treatment. 'he's mad as a hatter.'

'yes. and i don't much fancy his food, either,' said julian. 'still, it's all we'll get tonight!'

they followed timmy back to the woods. they were glad they had him, because otherwise theymight have missed the way. but timmy knew it. once he had been along a certain route timmyalways knew it again. he ran on now, sniffing here and there, occasionally waiting for the others tocatch him up.

then he stiffened and growled softly. george put her hand on his collar. somebody must be coming.

somebody was coming! it was richard on his way to find them. he was still shouting and yelling,and the noise he made had already come to timmy's sharp ears. it soon came to julian's, andgeorge's too, as they stood there waiting.

'julian! where are you? where's timmy? i want timmy! they're after me, i tell you; they're afterme.'

'listen - it sounds like richard? said julian, startled. 'what in the world is he doing here? - andyelling like that too! come on - we must find out. something's happened. i hope dick and anne areall right.'

they ran up the path as fast as they could in the twilight. soon they met richard, who had nowstopped shouting, and was stumbling along, half-sobbing.

'richard! what's up?' cried julian. richard ran to him and flung himself against him. timmy did notgo to him, but stood there in surprise. george stared through the twilight, puzzled. what in the worldhad happened?

'julian! oh julian! i'm scared stiff,' panted richard, hanging on to julian's arm.

30

'pull yourself together,' said julian, in the calm voice that had made a good effect on richard. 'i betyou're just making a silly fuss. what's happened? did you find your aunt was out or something? andcome racing after us?'

'my aunt's away,' said richard, speaking in a calmer voice. 'she . . .'

'away!' said julian, in surprise. 'but didn't your mother know that when she said you could . . .?'

'i didn't ask my mother's permission to come,' cried richard. 'i didn't even go back home when youthought i did! i just biked straight to croker's corner and waited for you. i wanted to come with you,you see - and i knew my mother wouldn't let me.'

this was said with a great air of bravado. julian was disgusted.

'i'm ashamed of you,' he said. 'telling us lies like that!'

'i didn't know my aunt was away,' said richard, all his sudden cockiness gone when he heard julian'sscornful voice. 'i thought she'd be there - and i was going to tell her to telephone my mother and sayi'd gone for a trip with you. then i thought i'd come biking after you and - and . .

.'

'and tell us your aunt was away, and could you come with us?' finished julian, still scornfully. 'adeceitful and ridiculous plan. i'd have sent you back at once; you might have known that.'

'yes, i know. but i might have had a whole night camping out with you,' said richard, in a smallvoice. 'i've never done things like that. i . . .'

'what i want to know is, what were you scared of when you came rushing along, yelling and crying,'

said julian, impatiently.

'oh julian - it was horrible,' said richard, and he suddenly clutched julian's arm again. 'you see -i biked down back to my aunt's gate - and out into the lane - and i was just going along the way tomiddlecombe woods when a car met me. and i saw who was in the car!'

'well, who?' said julian, feeling as if he could shake richard.

'it was - it was rooky!' said richard, in a trembling voice.

'who's he?' said julian, and george gave an impatient click. would richard never tell his storyproperly?

'don't you remember? - i told you about him. he was the fellow with thick lips and a huge nose thatmy father had for a bodyguard last year - and he chucked him out,' said richard. 'he always sworehe'd have his revenge on my father - and on me too because i told tales about him to dad 31and it was because of that he was sacked. so when i caught sight of him in the car i was terrified!'

'i see,' said julian, seeing light. 'what happened then?'

'rooky recognized me, and turned the car round and chased me on my bike,' said richard, beginningto tremble again as he remembered that alarming ride. 'i pedalled for all i was worth -and when i got to middlecombe woods i rode into the path there, hoping the car couldn't follow.

it couldn't, of course - but the men leapt out - there were three of them, two i didn't know - and theychased me on foot. i pedalled and pedalled, and then i ran into a tree or something and fell off. ichucked my bike into a bush, and ran into the thick undergrowth to hide.'

'go on,' said julian, as richard paused. 'what next?'

'the men split up then - rooky went one way to find me, and the other two went another way. iwaited till i thought they were gone, then i crept out and tore down the path again, hoping to findyou. i wanted timmy, you see, i thought he'd go for the men.'

timmy growled. he certainly would have gone for them!

'two of the men must have been hiding, waiting to hear me start up again,' went on richard.

'and as soon as i began to run, they chased after me. i put them off the trail, though - i dodged andhid and hid and dodged - and then i came to dick! he was mending a puncture. but you weren't withhim - and it was you and timmy i wanted - i knew the men would soon be catching me up, you see,so i tore on and on - and at last i found you. i've never been so glad in my life.'

it was a most extraordinary story - but julian hardly paused to think about it. an alarming thoughthad come into his head. what about dick and anne? what would have happened to them if the menhad suddenly come across them?

'quick!' he said to george. 'we must get back to the others! hurry!'