Five Are Together Again Part 10

'I've hidden them,' said George. 'They're not very far away. You didn't think I'd be silly enough to come along to you with them in my hands when I saw your light and knew that people were here, did you? No - I've hidden them somewhere on the sh.o.r.e - where you won't find them. Now you just clear off, both of you!'

'A very brave and determined young lady!' said Mr Wooh, bowing solemnly to George.

'Do you mean to tell me that's a girl!' said the other man, amazed. 'Well! She's a plucky kid, I must say! Look here, kid, if you've got those papers, hand them over, and I'll give you a whole lot of money which you can give to Professor Hayling with my best wishes.'

'Come and get them,' said George, turning as if to go. The two men looked at one another, eye-brows raised. Mr Wooh nodded, and then winked. If George had seen his face she would have known what that wink meant. It meant, 'Let's humour this silly kid, follow her - see the hiding-place, s.n.a.t.c.h the papers and clear off in our boat without paying a penny! But LOOK OUT for the dog!'

George led the way, Timmy walking between her and the two men. He was growling all the time, deep down in his throat, as if to say, 'Just you lay a finger on George and I'll bite it off!' The men took care not to go too near him! They shone the lantern on him all the time, making sure that he was not going to leap at them.

George led them to the sh.o.r.e, to the place where they had left their boat. Mr Wooh gave a cry. 'Where's our boat? It was tied to that rock!'

'Is this it over this ridge?' called George, climbing up a steep bank that overhung the water, which was now quite deep with the surging tide.

The men went to look - and then George gave them the surprise of their lives! She ran at Mr Wooh and gave him such a push that he fell right over the high bank into the sea below, landing with a yell and a terrific splash. George shouted a command to Timmy, who was now very excited, and the big dog did the same to the other man, leaping at him and pushing him over. He too shot over the ridge and fell into the sea with a splash. Timmy stood on the little cliff and barked madly, as excited as George.

'You'll have to swim to the sh.o.r.e of the mainland if you want to escape!' yelled George. 'The tide has taken away your boat - I set it loose! You'd better not get back on my island yet - Timmy's on the watch for you - and he'll fly at either of you if you try to set a foot on it again!'

Both men could swim, though not very well, and both were exceedingly angry and very frightened. They were sure they could never swim to the mainland - but how to get on the island to safety, they didn't know. That great, fierce dog was there, barking as if he wanted to bite them into small bits. Their boat had been set loose, there was no way to escape. They swam round in circles, not knowing what to do!

'I'm going back to the mainland now!' yelled George, climbing into her boat. 'I'll send the police to rescue you in the morning. You can get on my island now - but you're in for a VERY cold night! Goodbye!'

And off went George in her boat, with Timmy standing at the back, watching to make sure those men didn't swim after them. He gave George an admiring lick. She wasn't afraid of ANYTHING! He'd rather belong to her than to anyone else in the world.

WOOF, WOOF, W-O-O-F!

Chapter Seventeen

AND AT LAST THE MYSTERY IS SOLVED!

George couldn't help singing loudly as she rowed back to the sh.o.r.e in her boat. Timmy joined in with a bark now and again. He was glad that George was so happy. He stood in the prow of the boat, wishing it was not night-time, so that he could see clearly where he was going. The moon clouded over, and the sea looked endless in the dark. Very few lights showed on the mainland at that time of night - just one or two from houses where people were still up.

Wait, though - what was that bright light suddenly shining out from the mainland? Was it someone trying to pick out their boat? Timmy barked at the light, and George, who, of course, was rowing with her back to the sh.o.r.e, shipped her oars for a moment and looked round.

'It's someone on the quay,' she said. 'Maybe a late fisherman. Good! He'll be able to help me drag my boat up out of the way of the tide!'

But it wasn't a fisherman. It was Julian and d.i.c.k. They had arrived about five minutes ago, and had looked at once for George's boat, and hadn't found it.

'Blow! We're too late to stop her, then. She's gone over to the island!' said Julian and began to examine all the other tied-up boats to see if he could find one that he could borrow, belonging to a friend. Somehow they must get over to Kirrin Island, and rescue George. He felt sure she would be in danger of'some kind.

Then suddenly the two boys heard the sounds of oars splashing not far out to sea. Well, if that was a fisherman coming home, maybe Julian could ask him to lend him his boat to go to Kirrin Island in. He could tell him that he was afraid his cousin might be in need of help.

Timmy, in George's boat, suddenly recognised the two boys when the moon swam out from a cloud, and gave a delighted volley of barks. George, wondering if it was Julian and d.i.c.k, rowed as quickly as she could. She came into sh.o.r.e, jumped out and began to drag in her boat. The boys were beside her at once, and the boat was soon in its usual place, carefully made safe in case the tide was a high one.

'George!' said Julian, so overjoyed to see his cousin safe and sound that he couldn't help giving her a bear-hug. 'You wicked girl! You went to the island - just what I said you weren't to do. You might have found the thieves on the island, and then you would have been in trouble!'

'I did find them - but it's they who are in trouble, not me!' said George. 'I saw a light over there, took my boat and went over to the island - and there they were - Mr Wooh the Magician and another man - ON MY ISLAND! Did you ever hear such cheek? They asked me for the papers at once!'

'Oh, George - did you give them to the men?' asked d.i.c.k.

'Of course not! I'd already hidden them where those men couldn't possibly find them. I wasn't idiotic enough to take them over to hide on the island when I saw somebody was there - probably waiting for me - and for the papers!' said George.

'But, George - if you knew somebody was there, why on earth did you risk going over to Kirrin Island then?' asked Julian, puzzled. 'It was a very dangerous thing to do.'

'I wanted to turn off whoever it was, of course,' said George. 'As if I'd allow just anyone on my island! It's mine, my very own, and I only allow people on it that I like. You know that.'

'I just NEVER know what you'll do next, George,' said Julian, patting Timmy on the head. 'How did you dare to go and tackle those men? Oh, I know Timmy was with you, but even so... and why in the world didn't the men row after you, and ram your boat?'

'Well, you see, they couldn't,' said George. 'I found their boat, untied it, and set it adrift on the tide. It's probably half a mile away by now!'

The boys were so astonished that they couldn't even laugh at first. But then, when they thought of the two men marooned on Kirrin Island, their boat gone goodness knows where, they laughed till tears came into their eyes!

'George, I don't know how you can think of doing such things!' said Julian. 'Weren't the men furious?'

'I don't know,' said George. 'I didn't tell them about their boat. I pretended that I'd take them to where I'd hidden the papers - and then when we got on to a nice high ridge overlooking the sea, they looked over it to see if their boat was all right, and I gave Mr Wooh a jolly good push, and Timmy leapt at the man with him - and in they went - SPLASH! SPLASH!'

Julian really had to sit down and have another bout of laughing till the st.i.tch in his side grew so bad that he was forced to get up and walk about. George suddenly saw the funny side of it all too, and she began to laugh as heartily as Julian. d.i.c.k joined in as well, and Timmy barked madly, enjoying the fun.

'Oh dear!' said Julian, feeling weak with laughter, 'And then I suppose you said a polite farewell and left them to their fate?'

'Well, actually I yelled out to tell them I'd send the police to rescue them in the morning,' said George. 'I'm afraid they'll both spend a very uncomfortable night - they were soaking wet, you see!'

'George - I'm beginning to think it was a good thing you went with the papers to the island, and not me, after all,' said Julian. 'I should never have thought of doing all the things you did - pushing the men into the sea - really, how could you and Timmy dare to do such things? And setting their boat loose! What on earth will the police say when we tell them?'

'I don't think we'd better tell them, had we?' said George. 'I mean - they might think I'd gone too far. Anyway, why not let the two men kick their heels on the island all night, and we'll decide what to do about the police in the morning. It's funny - I suddenly feel awfully tired.'

'I bet you do!' said d.i.c.k. 'Come on, let's get our bikes. Oh, and those precious papers - where are they?'

'Under the tarpaulin in Fisherman Connell's boat,' said George, and suddenly gave the most enormous yawn. 'I hid them there.'

'I'll get them,' said Julian. 'Then off we go back to Big Hollow House. The others will be getting awfully worried by now!'

He found the papers in the fishing-boat and then the three of them rode off quickly along the road from Kirrin to Big Hollow, Timmy running behind them, Julian kept laughing to himself. George should have been a boy not a girl - the things she did! Fancy tackling those two fellows like that - pushing them into the water, and setting their boat adrift. Julian was sure he would never have thought of doing such daring things himself!

At last they were back at the tents, and the others crowded round them to hear what had happened. Anne looked very white. Jenny was with her, comforting her - she had just made up her mind to telephone the police, and was most relieved to see George again.

'We'll tell you all the details in the morning,' said Julian. 'But all I'll say now is that the papers are safe all right, here in my pocket - the thieves were probably Mr Wooh and another man. They were on the island tonight, waiting for George. They had overheard what she said in the tent! However, George and Timmy pushed them both into the water and set their boat adrift, so things are settling down nicely! They will have to spend the night on the island, cold and wet through!'

'George did all that!' said Jenny, amazed. 'Well! I never knew she was so dangerous! Good gracious! I feel right down scared of her! Settle down to sleep in your tent, dear - you look tired out!'

George was glad to flop down on her rugs. Now that the excitement was all over, she felt too sleepy for words! She fell asleep at once - but Julian and d.i.c.k didn't. They lay awake for some time, chuckling over George's deeds of daring. What a cousin to have!

When they were up at the house at breakfast next morning, Jeremy came up the garden and put his head in at the dining-room window. 'I say!' he said.

'Mr Wooh's not in his tent this morning! He's disappeared! And poor old Charlie the Chimp is too miserable for words.'

'Ah - we can tell you exactly where Mr Wooh is,' said Julian. 'But - wait a bit, Tinker, where are you going? You haven't finished your...'

But Tinker had gone off with Jeremy at top speed! He was very fond of Charlie. Oh dear, would the chimpanzee weep for his master and refuse to take his food? Tinker called Mischief and they both ran down to the fence with Jeremy and climbed over it. Tinker went straight to Charlie's cage. The chimpanzee sat with his head in his hands, rocking himself to and fro, making sad, crying noises.

'Let's get into the cage with him,' said Tinker. 'He'll like to be comforted. He must be missing Mr Wooh very, very much.'

They crawled into the cage and sat down in the straw, each putting an arm round the sad chimpanzee. Old Grandad was very surprised to see them both there.

'Don't know what's happened to Mr Wooh,' he said. 'Didn't come home last night! Here, Jeremy, you come on out. I can't spare you to cry over Charlie all morning. He'll soon perk up. You can stay with him, Tinker, if you like.'

Jeremy crawled out of the cage and went off crossly. Tinker sat with his arm round Charlie, wishing he didn't look so terribly sad. As he sat there, he heard a funny little noise going on all the time. Tick - tick - tick - ticka - ticka - tick - tick - tick - tick - ticka - ticka - tick. 'Sounds like a watch or something,' said Tinker, and scrabbled about in the straw. Perhaps Mr Wooh's big gold watch had fallen into Charlie's cage?

His hand felt something small and round and smooth at the bottom of the cage. He rifled away the thick straw, and drew out the object underneath it. He stared and stared at it in the utmost surprise. Charlie saw him looking at it, s.n.a.t.c.hed it away and hid it in the straw again. He made a few growly noises as if he were angry.

'Charlie, where did you get that little clock?' said Tinker. 'Oh, CHARLIE! Well, as you're so sad this morning, I'll give it to you for your very own. Just to cheer you up. But oh, Charlie, I am surprised at you!'

He slid out of the cage and went back over the fence and into his own garden. Up the path he ran and burst into the dining-room, where the others were still finishing their breakfast.

'What's up?' said d.i.c.k.

'Listen! I know who the thief was who climbed in at the tower window... I KNOW WHO HE WAS!' cried Tinker, almost shouting in his excitement.

'WHO?' said everyone, in amazement.

'It was CHARLIE the CHIMP!' said Tinker. 'Why didn't we think of him before? He can climb anything! It would be quite easy for him to swing himself up that rough-stoned tower wall, hanging on to the bits of creeper here and there - and to the uneven stones - and climb through the window into the tower room, collect all the papers he could hold - and climb down again - slither down again, probably...'

'THAT must have been the slithering sound I heard!' said Jenny. 'I told you I heard a queer slithering noise!'

'And the whispering you heard must have been Mr Wooh trying to make him go up the tower wall and into the window!' said Julian. 'Gosh - I bet poor old Charlie's been taught to get into all sorts of windows and take whatever he sees. Mr Wooh must have known Tinker's father worked out all his ideas up in the tower.'

'Wooh could easily teach him to take papers,' said Julian. 'But there were, of course, too many for old Charlie in the tower room. He wouldn't be able to carry them all in his front paws, for he needed all his paws to climb down that steep wall - so he must have crammed as many as he could into his mouth - and dropped the rest under the table! CHARLIE the CHIMP - well! Who would have thought he could be the thief!'

'Wait a bit - how on earth do you know it was Charlie?' said d.i.c.k. 'n.o.body saw him. It was at night.'

'Well, I do know it was Charlie,' said Tinker. 'You remember that dear little clock on the tower room mantelpiece? Well, it disappeared on the night when those papers were stolen - and I found it hidden in the straw in Charlie's cage this morning! He s.n.a.t.c.hed it away from me, and almost cried - so I let him keep it! It was ticking loudly just like it always did. It was the loud ticking that told me it was there in the cage!'

'Who wound it up at nights, to keep it going?' said Julian, at once, most astonished.

'Charlie, I suppose,' said Tinker. 'He's very clever with his paws! The clock was quite safe, hidden in his cage. n.o.body would be likely to get into the chimp's cage and sit there with him - but I did this morning, and that's how I found it. I heard it ticking, you see. I bet old Charlie was clever enough to pop his precious clock into his mouth when he saw any of the men coming to clean out his cage!'

'Well, I'm blessed!' said Jenny. 'How was it that Mr Wooh never saw him bringing it along with the papers that night, when he stole them?'

'Well, as Tinker told you - my guess is that old Charlie must have put the little clock in his mouth then, along with the papers,' said d.i.c.k. 'He needed all his four paws, climbing - or rather slithering down that wall - and he's got a jolly big mouth! You should see what a lot of food he can stuff into it!'

'Yes. And Mr Wooh would take the papers, of course - Charlie would just take them from his mouth and hand them to him - but he'd be artful enough to keep his precious new toy hidden in his mouth! Poor old Charlie! Can't you see him listening to the clock, and cuddling it - like a child with a new toy!' said George.

'He sounded exactly as if he were crying this morning,' said Tinker. 'I couldn't bear it. Poor old Charlie! He couldn't understand why Mr Wooh didn't go and see him today. He was so miserable!'

'I think we'll have to get the police along now,' said Julian. 'Not only to catch Mr Wooh and his friend, left so conveniently marooned by George on her island - but also because Mr Wooh should be charged with stealing your father's irreplaceable charts and diagrams, Tinker. Goodness knows what else he has taught poor old Charlie to steal. I bet he's sent the chimp into a lot of houses, and up many walls, and into many windows.'

'Yes. There's probably been a trail of robberies wherever the circus went,' said Jenny. 'And many innocent people must have been suspected.'

'What a shame!' said Anne. 'But oh dear - if Mr Wooh goes to prison, whatever will become of poor old Charlie the Chimp?'

'I bet Jeremy will take him,' said Tinker. 'He loves him, and old Charlie adores Jeremy! He'll be all right with Jeremy and old Grandad!'

'Well, Tinker, I think you'd better go and tell your father all this,' said Jenny. 'I know he's busy - he always is - but this is a thing he ought to deal with and n.o.body else. If you'd like to fetch him, George could tell him the whole story - and then I rather guess he'll ring up the police - and Mr Wooh will find himself in a whole lot of trouble.'

So there goes Tinker, with Mischief on his shoulder, to find his father, down the hall - up the stairs - along the landing - into his father's bedroom... r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r! Tinker, you sound like a motor-scooter going up a steep hill! PARP -PARP! Don't hoot like that, you'll make your father so angry that he won't listen to a word you say!

But the Professor did listen - and soon Jenny heard him telephoning the police. They're coming straight away, and that means that Mr Wooh the Magician is in for a most unpleasant time, and his magic won't help him at all! He'll have to give back the papers that he made Charlie steal - and plenty of other things, too! There he is, marooned on the island, quite unable to escape, waiting fearfully with his companion, for the police!

'Another adventure over!' said George, with a regretful sigh. 'And a jolly exciting one too! I'm glad you solved the mystery, Tinker - it was clever of you to find the little tower room clock. I bet Mr Wooh wouldn't have let Charlie keep it, if he'd known he'd taken it from the tower room! Poor old Charlie the Chimp!'

'I'm just wondering if Dad would let me keep Charlie here, while Mr Wooh is in prison,' began Tinker, and stopped as Jenny gave a horrified shriek.

'Tinker! If you so much as mention that idea to your father, I'll walk straight out of this house and NEVER COME BACK!' said Jenny. 'That chimp would be in my kitchen all day long - oh yes, he would - and things would be disappearing out of my larder, and my cupboards, and my drawers, and he'd dance up and down and scream at me if I so much as said a word, and...'

'All right, dear, dear Jenny, I won't ask for Charlie, honest I won't,' said Tinker. 'I do love you a bit more than I'd love a chimp - but think what a companion he would be for Mischief!'

'I'm not thinking anything of the sort!' said Jenny. 'And what about you taking a bit of notice of that monkey of yours - bless us all if he hasn't helped himself to half that jar of jam - just look at his sticky face! Oh, what a week this has been, what with chimps and monkeys and children and robberies, and George disappearing, and all!'

'Dear old Jenny,' said George, laughing as she went off into the kitchen. 'What an exciting time we've had! I really did enjoy every minute of it!'

So did we, George. Hurry up and fall into another adventure. We are longing to hear what you and the others will be up to next. How we wish we could join you! Good-bye for now - and take care of yourselves, Five. Good luck!