23 a few surprises
jack stayed at the window, shivering. if only the man would get up – then he could see if it wasone of the men he knew at the castle. but how dare he get into the house like that!
jack made up his mind to creep into the house and peep through the crack in the kitchen door.
then he would be able to see who it was sitting in the armchair. so, still shivering, as much withexcitement as with cold, he stole round to the other side of the house, where his bedroom windowwas. if it was open, jack knew he could climb the tree near by and slip inside.
it was open – just a crack. but jack remembered that the catch was very loose, and he couldprobably put in his hand and jiggle it off the iron peg that held it down. it was a casement windowand would open very wide to let him in.
he stumbled over a bucket or something outside a door, and stopped still, wondering if the maninside had heard anything. then on he went to the tree, and climbed it quickly.
he slipped his hand inside the crack of the window and jiggled the catch. it dropped, and thewindow swung open. jack cautiously climbed inside, and stood there, hardly daring to breathe.
he made his way into the dark little passage between the bedrooms, and stood there, waiting fora moment before he ventured down the rather creaky, winding stairs. then he began to go down,one step at a time, hoping to goodness they wouldn’t creak too loudly.
there was a bend in one place, and jack meant to stand there quietly before he went on – but nosooner had he got there than someone leapt on him, caught his arms, and jerked him violentlydown the last four stairs! he fell, and all the breath was bumped out of his body.
whoever had jumped on him stood up and then pulled him roughly to his feet. then he waspropelled swiftly into the lighted kitchen, and he looked at once to the armchair to see who wasthere.
but it was empty! whoever had sat there must have heard him, and lain in wait for him. jackturned to face his captor, wriggling, fully expecting to see one of the men from the tower.
the two stared at one another in the very greatest surprise, and stepped backwards inamazement.
‘bill smugs!’
‘jack! what on earth are you doing creeping in like this? i thought you must be a burglar!’
‘golly! you’ve bruised me properly,’ said jack, rubbing himself. he began to shiver violentlyagain. bill looked at his soaking clothes and pale face, and pulled him to the fire, on which a kettlewas boiling merrily.
‘what have you been up to? you’re dripping wet! you’ll get a frightful chill. where are theothers? when i arrived today to ask mrs mannering if she could put me up for a night or two, thehouse was shut, and there was no one here!’
‘well, how did you get in, then?’ asked jack, enjoying the warmth of the fire.
‘oh, i have my ways,’ said bill. ‘i thought you must all have gone picnicking, so i waited andwaited for you to come back – but you didn’t. so i decided to spend the night here by myself, andmake enquiries somewhere tomorrow to see what had happened to you all. then i heardmysterious sounds, decided it was a burglar – and caught you!’
‘well, i looked in at the window, and couldn’t see who was sitting in that chair, so i thought i’dcreep in and have a squint round,’ said jack. ‘oh, bill, i’m glad to see you. we’re in danger!’
‘what do you mean?’ said bill, astonished. ‘where are the girls? and philip?’
‘it’s a long story, but i must tell you from the very beginning,’ said jack. ‘what about a hotdrink whilst we are talking, bill. i could do with one. that kettle’s on the boil.’
‘i was about to make the same remark myself,’ said bill. ‘hot cocoa and biscuits for you, ithink! i’m glad you’ve stopped shivering. by the way, where’s mrs mannering? don’t tell meshe’s in danger too!’
‘oh no – she’s gone off to look after philip’s aunt polly, who is ill again,’ said jack. ‘she’s allright.’
bill made a jug of hot cocoa and milk, found some biscuits, and gave them to jack, who wasnow feeling a lot warmer. he had stripped off his wet things, and was sitting in a dressing-gown.
‘i don’t feel i ought to waste time like this, really,’ he said, ‘as the others are in danger. but i’llhave to tell you the whole story, and then leave it to you what to do.’
‘go ahead,’ said bill.
so jack began, and bill listened in the greatest interest and astonishment. he burst into laughterat philip’s idea of hiding in the suit of armour.
‘just like old philip! what a good idea! the men would never guess anyone was hiding there.’
he grew serious as the tale went on. he pulled at his pipe and kept his eyes fixed on jack. hisruddy face grew even redder in the fire-light, and the bald top of his head gleamed and shone.
‘this is an extraordinary tale, jack,’ he said at last. ‘there is a lot more in this than you know.
what were those men like? describe them. was there a man with a scar right across his chin andneck?’
‘no,’ said jack, thinking. ‘not one of them as far as i know. i took a jolly good snap of oneman, though – when they were at the eagles’ nest. you know i told you i had my camera pokingout of the gorse bush to snap the eagles. well, i snapped him when one of the eagles flew at him. isnapped both men, as a matter of fact, but one unfortunately had his face turned away.’
‘have you got those snaps?’ said bill eagerly.
‘i’ve got the films,’ said jack, and he pointed to the tightly rolled up sou’wester on the table.
‘they’re in there. they’re not developed yet, bill.’
‘well, whilst you have a good sleep, i’ll develop them,’ said bill. ‘i see you’ve got a littledarkroom fixed up for yourself off the hall there, where you meant to do developing – you’ve goteverything necessary there, haven’t you?’
‘but – but – oughtn’t we go right back and rescue the girls?’ asked jack.
‘i shall have to drive over to the town where you met me the other day,’ said bill, ‘and collect afew men, and arrange a few things. if these men are doing what i think they are, then we stand agood chance of roping them all in together. i don’t think they will harm the girls at all.’
‘what are the men doing?’ asked jack curiously. ‘are they anything to do with the job you saidyou were on, bill?’
‘can’t tell you yet,’ said bill. ‘i hardly think so – but i shall soon know.’ he paused and lookedat jack.
‘what children you are for falling headlong into adventures!’ he said. ‘i never knew anyone likeyou for that! it seems to me i’d better stick close to you all the year round, and then i shall have agood chance of sharing them!’
he put jack on the sofa, arranged rugs over him, turned down the lamp, and went off into thelittle darkroom with the films. jack had shown him which roll contained the snap of the man.
jack slept peacefully, for he was tired out. how long he slept he didn’t know, but he wasawakened by bill coming into the room in the greatest excitement, holding a film.
‘sorry to wake you, jack – but this is a marvellous thing!’ he said, and held up the film to thedaylight, which was now coming in at the window. ‘you have snapped this man perfectly – everydetail is as clear as could be. he’s the man with the beard – but just look here! he is holding hishead up, and the whole of his neck is exposed from chin to chest, because his collar has flappedopen. what can you see?’
‘a mark – like a long scar,’ said jack, sitting up.
‘quite right!’ said bill. he took out a notebook from his pocket, slipped a snap from it andshowed it to jack. ‘look there – see that scar on that man’s chin and neck?’
jack saw a clean-shaven man in the photograph, his chin and neck disfigured by a terrible scar.
‘that’s the same man, though you wouldn’t think it, because in your snap he wears a blackbeard, which he has probably grown lately. but the scar on the neck still gives him away, if hiscollar happens to be open – and it was, in your snap! now i know for certain what those men inthe castle are up to. i’ve been looking for this fellow for six months!’
‘who is he?’ asked jack curiously.
‘his name, his real name is mannheim,’ said bill, ‘but he is known as scar-neck. he is a verydangerous spy.’
‘golly!’ said jack, staring. ‘were you after him?’
‘well, i was detailed to keep an eye on him and watch his movements,’ said bill. ‘i wasn’t tocapture him because we wanted to know what he was up to this time, and who his friends were.
then we hoped to rope in the whole lot. but scar-neck is a very clever fellow with an absolutegift for disappearing. i traced him to the town where you met me – and then i lost himcompletely.’
‘he went to the castle!’ said jack. ‘what a wonderful hiding-place!’
‘i should rather like to know the real history of that castle,’ said bill thoughtfully. ‘i mustenquire into its ownership. do you know what is on the other side of the hill, jack?’
‘no,’ said jack, puzzled. ‘we’ve never been there. why?’
‘i just wondered if you had heard anyone talking,’ said bill. ‘i can’t tell you any more now. myword, i am glad i bumped into you the other day, and came on here to look you up!’
‘so am i, bill,’ said jack. ‘i simply didn’t know what i was going to do! now you’re here, and ican leave the whole thing to you.’
‘you can,’ said bill. ‘now i’m off in the car to the town, to do a little reporting on the telephonethere, and to collect a few friends, and one or two necessary things. you go to sleep again till icome back. i promise you i won’t be a minute longer than i can help.’
jack settled back on the sofa again. ‘i don’t think i’ve caught a chill after all,’ he said. ‘what alucky thing for me you had a fire, bill!’
‘well, there was nothing else to boil a kettle with!’ said bill. ‘so i had to light one. no, i don’tthink you’re going to get a chill either. you’ll be able to go up to the castle with me when i comeback, and show me the way.’
‘but how will we get in!’ called jack, as bill went out to get his car. there was no reply exceptthe sound of the car being started up.
‘i can leave everything to bill,’ thought jack. ‘golly, i wonder what will happen now!’
