chapter 13 a horrid shock

julian was not very happy to hear that his aunt and uncle were staying away for a week. he picked upthe telegram. it was addressed to george, but joan had opened it.

'not returning for a week,' it said. 'complications have arisen, hope all goes well. love frommother.''

there was no address. how annoying! now julian couldn't even let them know that he was feelinguneasy. he made up his mind to guard berta every minute! thank goodness they had timmy.

nobody would dare to do any kidnapping under timmy's eye!

he thought it was a good idea to put timmy in joan's room that night with berta. in fact, if georgewould agree, it would be best to do that each night. he thought it would not be wise to ask georgenow, though, because he could see that she was half sorry she had made the offer to joan!

julian was quite fussy that evening. he insisted on the blinds being drawn when they sat down toplay cards after their supper. he would not let berta take sally out for a run, but took her himself,watching for any strange person as he went down the lane.

'you're making me feel quite scared!' said anne with a laugh. 'oh ju, it's so hot in this room. do, dolet's have the blind up for a few minutes and let some air in. i shall begin to sizzle if we don't.

timmy would soon growl if there was anyone outside.'

'all right,' said julian and drew up the blind. it was dark outside now, and the light streamed out.

'that's better,' said anne, mopping her wet forehead. 'now, whose turn is it? yours, george.'

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they sat round the table, playing. julian and berta sat side by side, as julian was helping her in a newgame of cards. she looked exactly like a very earnest little boy, with her straight close-cut fair hair.

george sat opposite the window with dick on one side of her and anne on the other.

'your turn, dick,' said george. 'do buck up, you're slow tonight.' she sat and waited, looking out ofthe window into the darkness.

then suddenly she slammed down her cards and leapt up, shouting. everyone jumped almost out oftheir skins.

'what is it, what is it, george?' cried julian.

'out there - look - a face! i saw a face peeping in at us - the light of the window just caught it!

timmy, timmy! quick, go after him!'

but timmy wasn't there! nor was sally. george called frantically again. 'timmy! come here,quickly. oh, blow him, that fellow will get away. tim!'

timmy came bounding up the hall and into the sitting-room, barking. sally followed behind.

'where were you! fathead!' cried george furiously. 'jump out of the window - go on - chase him, findhim!'

timmy leapt out of the window and sally tried to do the same, but couldn't. she barked and yelped,trying again and again to jump out. joan came running in, panic-stricken, wondering what washappening.

'listen,' said julian, suddenly. 'shut up, sally, listen!'

they were all suddenly quiet, sally too. there was the sound of a car being revved up down the lane,and then the sound died down as the car sped away.

'he's got away, whoever he was,' said dick, and sat down suddenly. 'gosh, i feel as if i'd beenrunning a mile. you nearly scared the life out of me when you slammed down your cards like that,george, and yelled in my ear.'

timmy leapt in at the window at that moment and dick almost jumped out of his skin again. so dideveryone else, including sally, who fled behind the sofa in panic.

'what's all this about?' said joan, quite fiercely. 'really!'

george was in a tearing rage - with timmy of all things! she shouted at the surprised dog and he puthis tail down at once.

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'where were you? why did you slink out of the room into the kitchen? how dare you leave me andgo off like that? just when we needed you! i'm ashamed of you, timmy - you could have caught thatfellow easily!'

'oh don't,' said berta, almost in tears. 'poor timmy! don't george!'

then george turned on berta. 'you just let me scold my own dog if he needs it! and you go andscold yours too. i bet timmy followed your horrid little woolly pet out into the kitchen - it was herfault, not his!'

'shut up, george,' said julian. 'your temper gets us nowhere. calm down and let's hear what you saw.

calm down, i say.'

george stared at him, about to retort with something defiant. then timmy gave a small whimper- his heart was almost broken to hear george - george, his beloved mistress - rave at him in suchanger. he had no idea what he had done to displease her.

the whimper brought george to her senses. 'oh timmy!' she said, and knelt down and flung her armsround his neck. 'i didn't mean to shout at you. i was so angry because we missed our chance ofgetting that man who was peeping in at us. oh timmy, it's all right, it really is.'

timmy was extremely glad to hear it. he licked george lavishly, and then lay down by her verysoberly. he wished he knew what all the excitement was about.

so did joan. she thumped on the table to get everyone's attention, and at last got julian to explaineverything to her. she stared out of the window, half-thinking that she could see faces in the darknessoutside. she drew the blind down sharply.

'we'll go to bed,' she said. 'all of us. i don't like this. i shall ring up the police and warn them.

master lesley, you come with me straightaway now.'

'i think perhaps you're right, joan,' said julian. 'i'll lock up everywhere. come on, girls.'

timmy was astonished and upset to find himself handed over to joan and berta. was george stillcross with him then? it was a very, very long time since he had slept away from her at night.

he cheered up a little when he saw that sally was going to be with him, and trotted rather mournfullyup the attic stairs to joan's room.

joan soon got berta into bed, and then undressed herself. she fastened the window and locked thedoor. she gave timmy a rug in a corner, and sally jumped up on berta's bed as usual.

'now we ought to be quite safe!' said joan, and settled creakingly into her bed.

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on the floor below the two boys followed the same procedure, and so did anne and george.

doors were locked and windows fastened, though it was a hot night and they were all sure theywould be melted by the morning. george couldn't bear to think of timmy with berta and joan -especially as she had been so very cross with him. she lay in bed, full of remorse. dear, kind, faithfultimmy - how could she have shouted at him like that?

'do you suppose timmy is feeling very upset?' she said, when she and anne were in bed.

'a bit, perhaps,' said anne. 'but dogs are very forgiving.'

'i know. that somehow makes it worse,' said george.

'well, you really shouldn't get into such tempers,' said anne, seizing the opportunity to tell george afew home truths. 'i thought you were getting over the tantrums you used to have. but these holsyou've been pretty bad. because of berta, i suppose.'

'i wish i could go up and say good night to timmy,' george began again, after a few minutes'

silence.

'oh for goodness' sake george!' said anne, sleepily. 'do be sensible. you can't go and bang on joan'sdoor and ask for timmy - you'd scare them to death!'

anne fell asleep, but george didn't. then suddenly she heard the sound of a door being unlocked, andsat up. it sounded as if it came from the attic. was it joan unlocking her door?

what did she want?

a cautious little knock came at george's door. 'who is it?' said george.

'me. joan,' said joan's voice. 'i've brought sally down, miss george. timmy keeps trying to get up onmiss berta's bed to be with sally, and she simply can't go to sleep, her camp-bed is too small to holdall three of them. so will you have sally, please?'

'oh blow!' said george, and went to open her door. 'how's timmy?' she said, in a low voice.

'all right,' said joan. 'he'll be annoyed i've taken sally away. i'm glad to have him up here tonightwith all these goings on!'

'is he - is he happy, joan?' asked george, but joan had turned away and didn't hear. george sighed.

why had she offered to let joan and berta have timmy tonight of all nights, when she had scoldedhim so unfairly? now she had got to have this silly little sally instead!

sally whimpered. she didn't like being away from berta, and she was not fond of george. shewriggled out of george's arms and ran round the room, still whimpering.

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anne woke up with a jump. 'whatever's going on?' she said. 'why - it's sally in the room! how didshe get here?'

george told her, sounding very cross. 'well, i hope she'll settle down,' said anne. 'i don't want her towhimper and run round the bedroom all night long.'

but sally wouldn't settle down. her whimpering became louder, and when she took a flying jump onto george's bed and landed right on george's middle, the girl had had enough of it. she sat up andspoke in a fierce whisper.

'you little idiot! i'm jolly well going to take you downstairs and put you into timmy's kennel!'

'good idea,' said anne, sleepily. george picked up the lively little poodle and went out of the room,shutting the door softly. anne promptly went to sleep again.

george crept down the stairs and went to the garden door. she undid it and walked out in dressing-gown and pyjamas, her curly hair all tousled, carrying the whimpering little dog.

suddenly she felt sally stiffen in her arms, and growl. grrrrrrr! george stood quite still. what hadsally heard?

then things happened very suddenly indeed. a torch was flashed in her face, and before she couldcry out, a cloth was thrown over her head so that she could not make a sound.

'this is the one!' said a low voice. 'the one with curly hair! and this is her dog, the poodle. put himin that kennel, quick, before he barks the place down.'

sally, too scared even to growl, was pushed into the kennel and the door shut on her. george,struggling and trying vainly to call out, was lifted off her feet and carried swiftly down to the frontgate.

the garden door swung creaking to and fro in the night wind. sally whimpered in her kennel.

but no one heard either door or dog. everyone in kirrin cottage was sound asleep!