Five Get Into a Fix (9 page)

Al but Anne thought this was a very good idea. She said nothing, and Dick looked at her.

“She"s scared of going up Old Towers Hill!” he said. “Are you afraid of the big, big dog, Anne, who lies under it and growls at night, or of the lank-haired witches that sit on the hil and make their smoky spel s?”

“Don"t be sil y,” said Anne, cross with Dick for reading her thoughts. She didn"t believe in either dog or witches, but somehow she did not like that hil ! “I"m coming too, of course!”

So she toiled up the opposite hil with the others, quite ready to enjoy the lovely run down, and to end half-way up their own hil .

“Look - you can see Old Towers quite clearly now,” said George to Julian. She was right.

There, not far off, was the great old house, set with towers, built cosily into the side of the steep hil .

They stood stil and looked at it. “We can even see down into a few of the rooms,” said Julian. “I wonder if the old lady is stil there - Mrs. Thomas - the one that Aily"s mother used to go and work for?”

“Poor old thing - I"m sorry for her if she is,” said George. “Seeing nobody - keeping out al her friends! I wish we could go and enquire at the house for something - pretend we"ve lost our way, and snoop round a bit. But there"s that fierce dog.”

“Yes - we don"t want any more fights,” said Julian. “Now - we"re almost at the top. We"ll wait for the others and then have a race. What a wonderful slope!”

“Julian - look - is that someone at one of the tower windows - the one to the right?” said George suddenly, as they stood waiting, looking down at the big old house some way off below them. Julian looked at the tower at once, just in time to see someone disappear.

“Yes. It was someone! ” he said. “Someone staring at us, I think. I expect no one ever comes near this hil , and it must have been a surprise to look out and see us! Did you make out if it was a man or a woman?”

“A woman, I think,” said George. “Could it have been old Mrs. Thomas, do you think? Oh, Ju - you don"t suppose she"s being kept prisoner in that tower, do you - while her horrid son and his friends gradually steal everything? You know we heard that vans went up to the house in the middle of the night.”

“Hallo, you two!” said Dick, labouring up with Anne. “What a climb! Stil , the run down wil be worth it. I simply must have a rest first, though!”

“Dick, George and I thought we saw someone at the tower window there - the one on the right,” said Julian. “When we get back we"l get our field-glasses and train them on to that window. We might possibly see some sign of anyone there!”

Dick and Anne stared hard at the tower window - and as they looked, someone drew the curtains swiftly across!

“There - we"ve been seen - and we"re not going to be encouraged to look at the old place!” said Julian. “No wonder there are queer stories about it! Come on, now - let"s start our run down!”

They set off together, each taking a different line. Whooooooosh! The wind blew in their faces as they flew down the white slope, gasping in delight at their speed. Julian and Anne slid swiftly all the way down the first slope and half-way up the next - but Dick and George were not so fortunate. They both caught their skis in something, and shot into the air and then down into the soft snow. They lay there breathless, almost dazed with the sudden stoppage.

“Whew!” said Dick, at last. “What a shock! Is that you, George? Are you all right?”

“I think so,” said George. “One ankle feels a bit queer - no, I think it"s all right! Hal o, here"s Tim! He must have seen us fall, and come rushing down to help. It"s all right, Tim. We"re not hurt. It"s al part of the fun!”

As they lay there, getting their breath, half-way down the first slope, a loud voice shouted in the distance.

“Hey there! You keep off this slope!”

Dick sat up straight at once. He saw a tall fel ow wading through the snow towards them, from the direction of Old Towers, looking angry.

“We"re only skiing!” shouted back Dick. “And we"re not doing any harm! Who are you?”

“I"m the caretaker,” shouted the man, nodding his head towards Old Towers. “This field belongs to the house. So keep off it! ”

“We"ll come and ask permission of the owners,” yelled Dick, standing up, thinking this might be a good way of having a look at the house.

“You can"t. There"s no one else here but me!” shouted back the man. “I"m the caretaker, I tel you. I"l set my dog on you all, if you don"t do what I say!”

“That"s funny,” said Dick to George, as the man waded back through the snow. “He says he"s the only one in the house - and yet we saw someone in the right-hand tower only a few minutes ago! The caretaker wouldn"t have had time to have got here from the tower

- so he isn"t the only one in the house. There is someone in the tower as well. Queer, isn"t it?”

George had held Timmy by the collar al the time the man was speaking. Timmy had growled at the man"s angry voice, and George was afraid he might fly at him. Then, if the other dog appeared, there might be a fight! That would be dreadful! Timmy might get bitten again.

She and Dick tried their skis to see if they were stil properly fixed, after their fal - and then went smoothly gliding off again. The others were waiting at the top of the hil for them.

“Who was that man? What was he shouting about?” demanded Julian. “Did he actual y come from Old Towers?”

“Yes - and a surly fellow he was, too,” said Dick. “He ordered us to keep off that slope -

said it belonged to Old Towers and he was the caretaker - and when we said we"d go and ask permission from the owners, he said he was the only one in the house! But we know different.”

“Yes. We do,” said Julian, puzzled. “Why should it matter to anyone if we ski down that particular slope? Are they afraid we might see something in the house - as we did! And why tell a lie and say there was no one else there? Did he sound like a caretaker?”

“Well - he didn"t sound Welsh!” said George. “And I should have thought that any owners would have chosen someone trustworthy from the vil age, someone Welsh, wouldn"t you?

This is all rather mysterious!”

“And if you add to it all the strange noises and things, it"s extremely curious,” said Dick. “In fact, I feel it might be worth enquiring into!”

“No,” said Anne. “Don"t let"s spoil our holiday. It"s such a short one.”

“Well - I don"t see how we can enquire into the matter,” said George. “I"m certainly not going to that house while the dog is there - and there"s no other way of making enquiries -

even if they would get us anywhere, which I"m pretty sure they wouldn"t!”

“I say - do you know that it"s almost one o"clock?” said Anne, pleased to change the subject. “Isn"t anybody hungry?”

“Yes - I"m ravenous!” said Julian. “But as I thought it was only about half-past eleven, I didn"t like to mention it! Let"s go in and have dinner. I vote we finish up that ham!”

They went to the hut, and there, standing in the snow outside it, were two quart bottles of milk, and a large parcel which Timmy at once went to, wagging his tail eagerly. He gave a little bark.

“He says it"s meat, so it must be for him,” said George with a laugh.

Julian tore off the paper and laughed too. “Well, Timmy"s right,” he said. “ It"s a big piece of cold roast pork. No ham for me, then. I"l have some of this!”

“Pity we haven"t any apple sauce,” said Dick. “I love it with pork.”

“Well, if you like to wait while I make some on the stove, with a few of the apples we brought...” began Anne. But the others refused at once. No one was going to wait one minute longer for their meal than they could help, apple sauce or not!

It was a merry meal, and certainly the pork was good. Timmy had a piece and thought that George was very mean not to give him the rest of the joint when they had finished with it.

“Oh no, Tim!” said George, as he put an enquiring paw on her knee. “Certainly not. We"re going to finish it up tomorrow! You shall have the bone then.”

“There"s more snow coming,” said Julian, looking out of the window. “I say - who brought the meat and the milk here, do you think?”

“The shepherd, I should imagine, on his way back,” said Dick. “Jolly nice of him. I wonder where that kid Aily is? I"d be scared of her getting caught in the snow, and having to sleep on the hil s in it.”

“I expect she"l look after herself al right and her lamb and dog!” said Julian. “I"d like to see her again - but unless she"s hungry, I don"t expect we shall!”

“Talk of an angel and hear the rustle of her wings!” said Anne. “Here she is!” And sure enough, there was Aily, looking in at the window, holding up her lamb for him to take a peep too!

“Let"s get her in and feed her - and ask her if she knows who lives in Old Towers,” said George. “She might have seen someone in that right-hand tower too, as we did!”

“Right. I"l call her in,” said Julian, going to the door. “She might know something - always scouring round about the countryside!”

He was right! Aily did know something - something that interested everyone very much!

Aily was not shy this time. She did not run away when Julian opened the door. She was stil dressed in the same few clothes, but her face glowed, and she certainly didn"t look cold!

“Hallo, Aily!” said Julian. “Come along in. We"re having dinner - and there is plenty for you!”

The dog ran right up to the door and into the room, when he smelt the dinner there.

Timmy looked most surprised, and gave a very small growl.

“No, Tim, no - he"s your guest,” said George. “Remember your manners, please!”

The smal dog wagged his tail vigorously. “There, Timmy! He"s tel ing you not to be afraid of him; he won"t hurt you!” said Anne, which made everyone laugh. Timmy wagged his tail vigorously, too, and the pair were friends at once.

Aily came in then, the lamb in her arms, in case Timmy might object to him. But Timmy didn"t. He was very interested in the little creature, and when Aily set him down and let him run about the room, Timmy ran sniffing after him, his tail stil wagging fast.

Anne offered the untidy little girl some of the meat but she shook her head and pointed at the cheese. “Aily like,” she said, and looked on in delight as Anne cut her a generous piece. She sat down on the floor to eat it, and the lamb came along and nibbled at it too. It real y was a dear little thing.

“Fany bach!” said the child, and kissed his little nose.

“„Bach" is Welsh for „dear", isn"t it?” said Anne. She touched Aily on the arm. “Aily bach!”

she said, and the child smiled a sudden sweet smile at her.

“Where did you sleep last night, Aily?” asked George. “Your mother was looking for you.”

But she had spoken too quickly, and Aily didn"t understand. George repeated her words slowly.

Aily nodded. “In the hay,” she said. “Down at Magga Farm.”

“Aily, listen - who lives at Old Towers?” asked Julian, speaking as slowly and clearly as he could.

“Many peoples,” said Aily, pointing to the cheese, to show that she wanted another piece. “Big mans, little mans. Big dog, too. More big than him!” and she pointed at Timmy.

The others looked at one another in surprise. Many men! Whatever were they doing at Old Towers?

“And yet that caretaker fel ow said he was the only one there!” said George.

“Aily, listen - is there - an - old - lady - there?” asked Julian, slowly. “An - old - lady?”

Aily nodded her head. “Yes - one old lady I see her high up in tower - sometime she not see Aily. Aily hide.”

“Where do you hide?” asked Dick, curiously.

“Aily not tell, never not tell,” said the child, looking through half-closed eyes at Dick, as if she kept her secrets behind them.

“Did you see the old lady when you were in the fields?” asked Julian. Aily considered this, and shook her head.

“Well, where then?” asked Julian. “Look - you shall have some of this chocolate if you can tell me.” He held the bar of chocolate just out of her reach. She looked at it with bright eyes. Obviously chocolate was a rare treat for her. She reached out suddenly for it, but Julian was too quick for her.

“No. You tell me what I ask you,” he said. “Then you shall have the chocolate.”

Aily suddenly hit out with her hands and gave him a good punch in the chest. He laughed and took both her smal hands in his big one.

“No, Aily, no. I am your friend. You do not hit a friend.”

“I know where you were, when you saw the old lady!” said Dick, slyly. “Aily - you were in the grounds - in the garden!”

“How you know?” cried Aily. She dragged her hands out of Julian"s hand, and leapt to her feet, facing Dick, looking furious and frightened.

“Here - don"t get so upset,” said Dick, astonished.

“How you know?” demanded Aily again. “You not tell no one?”

“Of course I"ve told no one,” said Dick, who had only just thought of the idea that very moment. “Aha! So you get into the grounds of Old Towers, do you? How do you get in?”

“Aily not tell,” said the little girl, and suddenly burst into tears. Anne put her arm round her to comfort her, but the child pushed it roughly away. “He - Dave - went there, not me, not Aily. Poor Dave - big dog bark, wuff-wuff, like that - and... and...”

“And so you went in to get Dave, didn"t you?” said Dick. “Good little Aily, brave Aily.”

The little girl rubbed her tears away with a grubby hand, and left black streaks down her cheeks. She smiled at Dick, and nodded. “Good Aily!” she repeated, and took the little dog on her knee and hugged him. “Poor Dave bach!”

“So she got into the grounds, did she?” said Julian, in a low voice to Dick. “I wonder how?

Through the hedge perhaps. Aily - we want to see this old lady. Can we get through the hedge round the garden?”

“No,” said Aily, shaking her head vigorously. “Fence there - big high fence that bites.”

Everyone laughed at the idea of a biting fence. But George guessed what she meant.

“An electric fence!” she said. “So that"s what they"ve put round. My word - the place is like a fort! Locked gates, a fierce dog, an electric fence!”