Five Go Off In A Caravan Part 28

'Well, I will,' said the Inspector, and took another slice of bread, spreading it with the yellow honey. It looked as if there wouldn't even be enough left for Pongo to lick out! Anne thought it was nice to see a grown-up enjoying bread and honey as much as children did.

'You know, that fellow Lou did some very remarkable burglaries,' said the Inspector. 'Once he got across from the third floor of one house to the third floor of another across the street - and n.o.body knows how!'

'That would be easy for Lou,' said n.o.bby, suddenly losing his fear of the big Inspector. 'He'd just throw a wire rope across, la.s.so something with the end of it, top of a gutter-pipe, perhaps, draw tight, and walk across! He's wonderful on the tight-rope. There ain't nothing he can't do on the tight-rope.'

'Yes - that's probably what he did,' said the Inspector. 'Never thought of that! No, thanks, I really won't have any more honey. That chimpanzee will eat me if I don't leave some for him to lick out!'

Pongo took away the jar, sat himself down behind one of the caravans, and put a large pink tongue into the remains of the honey. When Timmy came running up to see what he had got, Pongo held the jar high above his head and chattered at him.

'Yarra-yarra-yarra-yarra!' he said. Timmy looked rather surprised and went back to George. She was listening with great interest to what the Inspector had to tell them about the underground caves.

They're very old,' he said. The entrance to them used to be some way down the hill, but there was a landslide and it was blocked up. n.o.body bothered to unblock it because the caves were not particularly interesting.'

'Oh, but they are,' said Anne, 'especially the one with the gleaming walls.'

'Well, I imagine that quite by accident one day Dan and Lou found another way in,' said the Inspector. The way you know - a hole going down into the hill. They must have thought what a fine hiding-place it would make for any stolen goods - perfectly safe, perfectly dry, and quite near the camping-place here each year. What could be better?'

'And I suppose they would have gone on burgling for years and hiding the stuff if we hadn't just happened to put our caravan over the very spot!' said Julian. 'What a bit of bad luck for them!'

'And what a bit of good luck for us!' said the Inspector. 'We did suspect those two, you know, and once or twice we raided the circus to try and find the goods - but they must always have got warning of our coming and got them away in time - up here!'

'Have you been down to the camp, mister?' asked n.o.bby suddenly.

The Inspector nodded. 'Oh, yes. We've been down already this morning - seen everyone and questioned them. We created quite a stir.'

n.o.bby looked gloomy.

'What's the matter, n.o.bby?' said Anne.

'I shan't half cop it when I get back to the camp,' said n.o.bby. They'll say it's all my fault the coppers going there. We don't like the bobbies round the camp. I shall get into a whole lot of trouble when I go back. I don't want to go back.'

n.o.body said anything. They all wondered what would happen to poor n.o.bby now his Uncle Dan was in prison.

Then Anne asked him: 'Who will you live with now in the camp. n.o.bby?'

'Oh, somebody will take me in and work me hard,' said n.o.bby. 'I wouldn't mind if I could be with the horses - but Rossy won't let me. I know that. If I could be with horses I'd be happy. I love them and they understand me all right.'

'How old are you, n.o.bby?' asked the Inspector, joining in the talk. 'Oughtn't you to be going to school?'

'Never been in my life, mister,' said n.o.bby. 'I'm just over fourteen, so I reckon I never will go now!'

He grinned. He didn't look fourteen. He seemed more like twelve by his size. Then he looked solemn again.

'Reckon I won't go down to the camp today,' he said. 'I'll be proper set on by them all - about you going there and snooping round like. And Mr Gorgio, he won't like losing his best clown and best acrobat!'

'You can stay with us as long as you like,' said Julian. 'We'll be here a bit longer, anyway.'

But he was wrong. Just after the Inspector had left, taking his policeman with him, Mrs Mackie came hurrying up to them with a little orange envelope in her hand.

'The telegraph boy's just been up,' she said. 'He was looking for you. He left this telegram for you. I hope it's not bad news.'

Julian tore the envelope open and read the telegram out loud.

'AMAZED TO GET YOUR LETTER ABOUT THE EXTRAORDINARY HAPPENINGS YOU DESCRIBE. THEY SOUND DANGEROUS. COME HOME AT ONCE. DADDY.'

'Oh dear,' said Anne. 'Now we shall have to leave. What a pity!'

'I'd better go down to the town and telephone Daddy and tell him we're all right,' said Julian.

'You can 'phone from my house,' said Mrs Mackie, so Julian thought he would. They talked as they went along and suddenly a bright idea struck Julian.

'I say - I suppose Farmer Mackie doesn't want anyone to help him with his horses, does he?' he asked. 'He wouldn't want a boy who really loves and understands them and would work hard and well?'

'Well, now, I dare say he would,' said Mrs Mackie. 'He's a bit short-handed now. He was saying the other day he could do with a good lad, just leaving school.'

'Oh, do you think he'd try our friend n.o.bby from the circus camp?' said Julian. 'He's mad on horses. He can do anything with them. And he's been used to working very hard. I'm sure he'd do well.'

Before Julian had left the farmhouse after telephoning to his amazed parents, he had had a long talk with Farmer Mackie - and now he was running back with the good news to the caravans.

'n.o.bby!' he shouted as he got near. 'n.o.bby! How would you like to go and work for Farmer Mackie and help with the horses? He says you can start tomorrow if you like - and live at the farm!'

'Jumping Jiminy!' said n.o.bby, looking startled and disbelieving. 'At the farm? Work with the horses? Coo - I wouldn't half like that. But Farmer Mackie wouldn't have the likes of me.'

'He will. He says he'll try you,' said Julian. 'We've got to start back home tomorrow, and you can be with us till then. You don't need to go back to the camp at all.'

'Well - but what about Growler?' said n.o.bby. 'I'd have to have him with me. He's my dog. I expect poor old Barker's dead. Would the farmer mind me having a dog?'

'I shouldn't think so,' said Julian. 'Well, you'll have to go down to the camp, I suppose, to collect your few things - and to get Growler. Better go now, n.o.bby, and then you'll have the rest of the day with us.'

n.o.bby went off, his face shining with delight. 'Well, I never!' he kept saying to himself. 'Well, I never did! Dan and Lou gone, so they'll never hurt me again - and me not going to live in the camp any more - and going to have charge of them fine farm horses. Well, I never!'

The children had said good-bye to Pongo because he had to go back with n.o.bby to the camp. He belonged to Mr Gorgio, and n.o.bby could not possibly keep him. Anyway, it was certain that even if he could have kept him, Mrs Mackie wouldn't have let him live at the farm.

Pongo shook hands gravely with each one of them, even with Timmy. He seemed to know it was good-bye. The children were really sorry to see the comical chimpanzee go. He had shared in their adventure with them and seemed much more like a human being than an animal.

When he had gone down the hill a little way he ran back to Anne. He put his arms round her and gave her a gentle squeeze, as if to say: 'You're all nice, the lot of you, but little Anne's the nicest!'

'Oh, Pongo, you're really a dear!' said Anne, and gave him a tomato. He ran off with it, leaping high for joy.

The children cleared up everything, put the breakfast things away, and cleaned the caravans, ready for starting off the next day. At dinner-time they looked out for n.o.bby. Surely he should be back soon?

They heard him whistling as he came up the track. He carried a bundle on his back. Round his feet ran two dogs. Two!

'Why - one of them is Barker!' shouted George in delight. 'He must have got better! How simply marvellous!'

n.o.bby came up, grinning. They all crowded round him, asking about Barker.

'Yes, it's fine, isn't it?' said n.o.bby, putting down his bundle of belongings. 'Lucilla dosed him all right. He almost died - then he started to wriggle a bit, she said, and the next she knew he was as lively as could be - bit weak on his legs at first - but he's fine this morning.'