chapter 12 a good hiding-place

the five spent quite a pleasant day, but when late afternoon came, they decided that it was time tocarry out their plan and pack as if they were leaving.

'i imagine someone is spying on our doings,' said dick. 'and won't he be pleased to see us apparentlyon the point of leaving!'

'how can anyone be spying?' asked anne, looking all round as if she expected to see someone behinda bush. 'timmy would be sure to sniff out anyone in hiding.'

'oh, he won't be near enough for timmy to smell out,' said dick. 'he'll be a long way off.'

'then how can he possibly see us - or know that we're leaving?' asked anne.

'anne - i don't know if you've heard of field-glasses,' began dick, solemnly. 'well, they're things thatcan spot anything half a mile away...'

anne went red and gave dick a punch. 'don't be an ass! of course - that's it! field-glasses used bysomeone on a hillside somewhere - trained on the old cottage.'

'actually i think i know where the someone is,' said dick. 'i've caught sight of a little flash every nowand again on the hill yonder - the kind of flash that is made by the sun on glass - and i somehow thinkthat our spy is sitting near the top of the hill, watching us carefully.'

anne turned to look at the hill, but julian at once spoke sharply. 'no - don't stand and stare up there,anyone. we don't want the watcher to know that we know we are being watched.'

they went on with their packing, and soon began to stagger out with their bundles. george was toldto strap her things to her bicycle, and stand well out in the open as she did so, so that the watcher onthe hill would be able to observe all her doings.

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julian was in the midst of carefully folding up his things to go into his knapsack, when anne gave asudden exclamation.

'someone's coming!'

everyone looked round, imagining that they would see a sinister-looking foreigner, or someonepeculiar in some way.

but all they saw was a country-woman hurrying along, a shawl over her head, and a basket under herarm. she wore cheap glasses, had no make-up on, and her hair was pulled straight back under theshawl. she stopped when she saw the five.

'good afternoon,' said julian, politely. 'isn't it glorious weather!'

'beautiful,' said the woman. 'are you camping out - you've chosen a good time!'

'no - actually we're packing,' said julian. 'we've been sleeping in the old cottage, but we've decidedto move out. is it very, very old?'

'oh yes - and it's supposed to have queer things happening in it at nights,' said the woman.

'we know that!' said julian. 'my word - we were pretty scared last night, i can tell you - weird noisesand horrible, ghastly lights. we decided not to stay there any longer.'

'that's right,' said the woman. 'don't you stay! you get as far from this place as you can! i can tellyou, i wouldn't come by it at night. where are you going?'

'well, our home is at kirrin,' said julian, evading the question. 'you know - on kirrin bay.'

'ah yes - a fine place,' said the woman. 'well, don't you stay another night! good-bye!'

she hurried off, and was soon lost to sight.

'go on packing,' said julian to the others.

'the watcher is still up in the hills. i caught sight of a flash again just then.'

'julian - why did you tell all that to the woman?' asked anne. 'you don't usually say so much whenwe are in the middle of something queer!'

'my dear, unsuspecting anne - do you mean to say that you thought that woman was really what shepretended to be - a woman from a nearby farm?' said julian.

'well - wasn't she?' said anne surprised. 'she looked like one - no make-up - and that old shawl -and she knew all about the old cottage!'

'anne - farm-women don't have gold fillings in their teeth,' said julian. 'didn't you notice them whenshe smiled?'

'and her hair was dyed,' said george. 'i noticed it was blonde at the roots and black above.'

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'and what about her hands?' said dick. 'a farmer's wife does a great deal of hard, rough work, andher hands are never white and smooth - they are rough and brown. this woman's hands were as whiteas a princess's!'

'well yes - i did notice them,' said anne. 'and i did notice too that she sometimes spoke like acountry-woman and sometimes not.'

'well, there you are!' said julian. 'she's one of the unpleasant gang that tried to scare us last night- and when the watcher on the hill reported that we appeared to be packing up and going, she wastold to go and make sure. so she pretended to be a country woman and came by - but unfortunatelywe weren't quite so stupid as she thought we would be!'

'you certainly stuffed her up well!' said dick, with a grin. 'the gang will be down here tonight,digging up all the big stones they can find. you and i will have a marvellous time, snooping roundthem.'

'you'll be careful they don't see you, won't you?' said anne. 'where will you hide?'

'we haven't planned that yet,' said dick. 'now - come on and we'll make a new camp somewhere thatwon't be easily seen. you and george and timmy can sleep there tonight, and ju and i will come andwatch here.'

'i want to come too,' said george at once. 'anne will be all right with timmy.'

'you aren't joining us this time, george,' said ju. 'the fewer people watching, the better. sorry, oldthing - but you'll have to stay with anne.'

george scowled and looked sulky at once. julian laughed and slapped her on the shoulder. 'what alovely scowl! one of your best! i haven't seen it for quite a long time. keep it up, george - go on,scowl a bit harder, it suits you!'

george grinned unwillingly, and pulled herself together. she hated being left out of anything -but she did see that it was no use having a crowd of people watching that night. all right - she wouldstay with anne and keep her company.

it seemed as if the watcher on the hills must have gone, because there were no more sudden flashessuch as came when he lifted his field-glasses to watch the five.

'that disguised country-woman has convinced the watcher that we're going! any ideas, anyone,where we can go? not too far away - but somewhere where the watcher can't follow us with hisglasses, if he's still up there.'

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'i know a place,' said george. 'there's a simply colossal gorse-bush on the other side of the spring.

and underneath it is all hollow and dry. it's almost like a kind of gorse-cave.'

'sounds all right,' said julian. 'let's go and find it.'

george led the way, trying to remember exactly where it was. timmy followed, still in his enormouscardboard collar, which was now rather the worse for wear. george stopped when they had gone alittle way past the spring.

'it was somewhere here,' she said. 'i know i could still hear the sound of the spring when i found thehollow under the bush. ah - there's the bush!'

it certainly was a great bush, green and spiky outside, with a few yellow blooms on it still. under itwas a big hollow place, where the ground was soft and fine, scattered with dry old prickles.

the main trunk - for it was almost a trunk that supported the big bush - was not quite in the middle,so there was a good bit of room. julian caught hold of the branches that hid the hollow, using afolded sheet of brown paper to hold them by, for the bush was very prickly.

'this is fine,' he said. 'plenty of room for you two girls - and timmy. my word, he'll have difficultywith his collar though, won't he - squeezing in and out!'

'take it off!' said dick. 'his ear really is practically healed now. even if he scratches it, he can't domuch damage. dear old timmy, we simply shan't know you without your collar.'

'right,' said george. she took a quick look at the ear. it was still covered by a piece of elastoplast, butit was quite obvious that the ear was healthy. she cut the thread that bound the two ends of thecircular collar - and then bent it so that it came off.

they all stared at timmy, who looked most surprised. he wagged his tail gently as if to say'well - so you've taken off that thing - i wonder why?'

'oh tim - you look sort of undressed without that collar now!' said anne. 'it is nice to see youwithout it, though. good old tim! you'll guard me and george tonight won't you? you know thatwe're in the middle of something again, don't you?'

'woof,' said timmy, wagging his tail violently. 'woof!' yes - he knew all right!