Wings Over Witchend, page 14
"David! Do you realize that we didn't ask that detective about Donald Gibbs? I expect that was the very same car he went off in, but of course it was too far away on the Portway for me to notice anything special about it. I wish I'd asked them why they whisked him off like that."
Mr. Morton got up and knocked the ashes from his pipe.
"I can't really blame you, David, but this gang might be dangerous. They're risking a lot and I doubt if they're the sort to take any interference from you and Peter - or Tom or Dickie and Mary either," he added hurriedly as he saw, out of the corner of his eye, the expression on the faces of the twins.
"The trouble about this adventure," Dickie burst out, "is that it doesn't get anywhere, and that's because Mary an' me aren't doing anything special in it."
"Acksherley," Mary added, with a sidelong glance at her mother, "Dickie an' me are having an utterly miserable holiday. We're not feeling so very well and some people are unkind to us."
"Selfish," Dickie said. "Thoughtless and selfish. Just not thinking about us an'------"
"Thank you, twins," their father said. "We understand. You mean that we're all selfish... What I was going to say, David, was that so long as you and Peter and Tom keep out of the way of this gang, I don't see why you shouldn't help by watching from the tower one night, but let's see whether we get a message from the foresters or the police first. I'll go down and see Ingles presently."
Peter was feeling much happier now and smiled encouragingly at Tom who was obviously getting very impatient.
"Sorry we hadn't time to call you, Tom," she said. "We did think about you and talk about you too, but we didn't dare to wait any longer. What's your news? Something about Jenny?"
"First thing is that our telephone is mended. Uncle was telling us what he thought about the post office people at breakfast, and what he thought this morning was different from what he thought yesterday only more exciting, and then the bell rang. They'd mended it without telling us. Anyway, I answered it and it was Jenny. You could have knocked me down, but it was Jen and she's coming over here to-day."
Jenny Harman was a member of the Lone Pine Club and a special friend of Tom's. Her father kept the Post Office and General Store in the village of Barton Beach over by the Stiperstones. They were all very fond of redheaded Jenny, who had a step-mother with whom she did not get on very well.
"She talks so fast on the telephone and asks so many questions I can't keep up with her," Tom admitted, "but there's some chap in Barton coming in to Stretton by car to-day and he's promised to come through Plowden and Onnybrook and drop her at the end of the lane. Said she'd be along 'bout half-past eleven. Seems a good show, doesn't it?"
They agreed that it did, and then as Peter took her breakfast things out to Agnes in the scullery with a very special "thank you" they heard the engine of a car outside and a shout of greeting
Tom had left the Witchend gate open and their visitor was Alf Ingles who had driven up in his Land Rover.
"Morning all," he roared. "Morning, Mrs. Morton. Nice to see you up here again... Got some special news for you, Morton. Hardwick, the chief forester chap, has just rung up. Wants us both to go up to a meeting of volunteers. They're in real trouble, it seems. Donald Gibbs, his second-in-command, has disappeared and the police know nothing about him. I reckoned you'd come up with me this afternoon and meet them. We'll have to do something to help over this business... Pinching trees right under our noses and these forestry people going to pieces... I told Hardwick we'd get this matter settled for him by tonight... Never heard such nonsense."
He paused for breath and Peter said, "But the police must know where Donald is. He went off in one of their cars. I saw him."
"No you didn't," David said suddenly. "Sorry, Pete, but you told me you weren't sure. You said you thought it was a police car, but you didn't actually see any policemen, did you?"
She sat down suddenly as they all stared at her.
"No, I didn't. That's true enough. You mean I just thought it was the police because it was black and had an aerial and because we expected it to be a police car."
"That's it. You said you were surprised that Donald went off without saying anything to you. Perhaps he couldn't help it, Pete? P'raps he was tricked, into the car."
"But why should anybody want to take him off like that?" Peter puzzled. "I can't understand it, can you, Mr. Morton?"
"I'm not so sure. I don't like the look of this. I don't want any of you youngsters to go too far from here today. Thanks for telling us about this, Ingles, and of course I'll come up with you. If you're going down to the village now to get some volunteers I'll come along too. I'd like to have a talk, anyway."
Mr. Ingles nodded and suddenly pounced on Mary and whirled her up to the ceiling.
"Come down and see your Aunt Betty soon," he roared. "They're always welcome at the farm, Mrs. Morton. Always welcome, and if any time you want a bit o' peace and quiet, send these twins down to us. They liven us up proper."
"I'll say they do," Tom agreed fervently. "Too much life sometimes. Who's coming along with me to meet Jenny?"
Peter and David said at once that they would but the twins were silent. Mr. Morton and the farmer went out together, and then Mrs. Morton and Agnes went up to do the beds. As soon as the grown-ups had gone Dickie and Mary stood in front of the door.
"Now listen to us," Mary said. "Just you listen, and don't interrupt. You know jolly well that we all belong to our Secret Lone Pine Club. Now we'll tell you what we think you big ones are doing. You're not taking any notice of us. We followed Primrose and found the secret road up to the forest, and now you're planning to help the forester men and climb up towers and you never think of us at all..."
She paused for breath and Dickie took over.
'That's right and you know it is. And last night when David asked us not to make a fuss and to keep guard when he went off with Peter, that's just what we did. And does anybody say 'Thank you, twins'. No, they don't. You're all just selfish. Here we are at Witchend and we haven't even had a meeting of the Club to decide what we're going to do an' Mary an' me are jolly well FED UP... Now Jenny is coming and we like her very much because she likes secret things, and we say that we ought to go up to our camp now and have a proper meeting so that we can have a proper adventure without leaving us behind every time... And if you jolly well don't do this we're going to do something you don't all like... See? You're the Captain, David. Are we going to have a proper meeting or not? That's all we ask 'cos we're FED UP."
The others looked at each other in silence. Then Tom, never very sympathetic to the twins, opened his mouth to speak and then saw Dickie brush away a tear with his hand. Peter noticed too and said quickly:
"Of course we want you in our adventure, twins. It's just that you haven't been able to do all the things that we've done. Let's have a Club meeting just as soon as Jenny comes, and if that detective turns up he'll have to wait until we come down from the camp. We'll keep a look-out from the tree. You agree, David?"
"All right. Let's do that. We haven't meant to leave you out of everything, Dickie. It's just the way things happened and you've been jolly useful to the Club ever since we came up here. And thanks again for being so sensible last night. Here's what I suggest. You two go and ask Agnes for some potatoes and food and go straight up to the camp and start a fire. We'll meet Jenny and bring her along to the camp. What do you think, Tom?"
As Tom was sure that Jenny would almost certainly enjoy a meeting of the Club he just nodded and said, "O.K. then. Let's go and meet Jen and get a bit of peace."
So, half an hour after Peter, David and Tom had gone off to meet Jenny, the twins and Macbeth left Witchend and made their way up the side of the larch wood towards the Lone Pine camp.
The sky was dull and although it was not snowing, a strong, cold wind was now blowing from the north. Dickie was carrying his knapsack full of food and stopped once or twice on the steep climb to cough.
"It's not fair," he gasped, scarlet in the face. "It's jolly well not fair. I do this more often than you do."
"Never mind about our cough, Dickie. Have you noticed Mackie? He's excited and sniffing about all over the place. Come here, Mackie. Tell Mother what's worrying you."
The little dog ran back to her side and looked at her with his head on one side and one paw raised. He looked as if he longed to tell them what he suspected. All he could do was to whine and wag his tail and then dart ahead up the steep path.
Dickie dumped the knapsack on the ground and sat on it.
"Selfish they are," he gasped. "It's what we said and it's true. We're the smallest an' they just leave us to carry everything... Mackie can smell that somebody has been here. Somebody strange, I mean. A spy, Mary. A spy of the thieves. A spy who's found our camp and sits there like a spider in its web, if you know what I mean, watching us all in Witchend. S'pose he's got a space gun or something pointing at our house all the time?"
"Don't be silly, twin. You know he couldn't have a space gun... All the same," she added quietly, "don't let's make a noise when we get near."
Slowly they toiled up the steep path. Mackie knew where they were going and disappeared down the tunnel through the gorse which was an uncomfortable short cut to the camp.
"If there's anybody there now he'll bark his squeaky, excited bark," Mary whispered. "We'll soon know."
But there was no warning bark and soon Mackie was back again but still wildly excited. When they came down into the clearing round the sentinel pine tree they saw why. Somebody had been in the camp. There was an empty cigarette packet on the ground and some cigarette ends too. The rope to help them up the tree was hanging loose and not coiled round the trunk, and where a little snow had drifted there were footmarks and other disturbances.
"I hate this," Dickie said suddenly. "This place is ours and it's private. It's the most important and secret place we've ever had and now some spy has made it dirty."
Mary wasn't so upset.
"We can't do anything about it, Dickie, except to keep a very special look-out. The others will soon be here, so let's get the fire going. We can show them all these clues when they come. You start the fire while I go up the tree and see if I can see them coming up the lane."
Dickie emptied his pockets of dry larch cones and got the fire going while Mary was in the tree. Mackie sniffed at the empty cigarette packet and growled his displeasure. He seemed to be pleased with himself.
"I can't see them," Mary called. "I expect they're coming up through the wood. Let's go back and pick up some more sticks and cones and then I expect we'll meet them. Empty the rations on the ground and bring the rucksack."
So after a final look down to Witchend which showed no sign of life but for a streak of blue smoke above the chimney, they went back to the wood. It wasn't long before they heard Tom's peewit whistle, so Mary - who couldn't whistle - put her hand to her mouth and called a reply.
"Come on, Dickie. Let's run and meet them. Jenny will be there... Call the signal again so that we know which way to go, though I should think they can hear us in Onnybrook."
There was a rough track through the larch wood from Ingles which was rather difficult to find, but by exchanging calls they soon met and Jenny ran forward to meet them.
Jenny Harman was small for fifteen. She was red-headed, freckled and snub-nosed, and to-day she was wearing a belted blue raincoat, a thick woolly scarf and a bright green beret.
"Oh, hullo twins. Isn't this absolutely wonderful? I never thought it could happen. Never. Only about two nights ago I had a dream. I always have dreams but this was most puzzling 'cos I was eating a steak and kidney pudding by myself in Buckingham Palace... And you needn't laugh, David. It's not funny. I'm just telling them about my dream. Well, I looked it up in a dream book I borrowed from the shop. I'll have to buy it soon 'cos I use it a lot and it's getting a bit grubby 'cos sometimes I take it to bed with me. What was I saying?"
"Steak and kidney pud in the palace," Tom said. "Jolly good. Wish I could dream like that. What are you trying to tell us, Jenny?"
She flashed him a smile and then put an arm round the twins' shoulders.
"Don't let's take any notice of him. Anyway I looked up Buckingham Palace but it wasn't in the dream book and I s'pose that's because not many people dream about it. Only the Queen perhaps? Anyway, steak and kidney was there, and what do you think it means?"
"Indigestion," Tom said rudely, and Dickie said, "What do you mean - what does it mean? I can't think why we're talking about steak pud."
Jenny sighed and turned to Peter.
"You know what I mean, don't you? What you dream about means something. Steak and kidney pudding being eaten in a dream means a journey over the sea and here I am to-day. A terrific surprise and I can't tell you how wonderful it is for poor little lonely me to see you all like this."
"But you didn't come over the sea, did you, Jen?" David laughed.
"Of course I didn't, but that doesn't matter. I had a dream about a journey and here I am. Yesterday Mr. Jenks from the garage told me he'd got to come in to Stretton and would I like a lift. And here I am and here you are, and it's just about the most wonderful thing that's ever happened to me just before Christmas, and I just rang Tom up and he told me about you all because nobody ever writes to me... Now let's go to our camp," she finished triumphantly.
'There's been a spy in it," Dickie said, and then added proudly, "P'raps we're observed."
"We mean it, David," Mary said when she saw the expression on her brother's face. "It's true. There are clues and Mackie knew a stranger had been there too. Come and see."
When they all reached the camp, the fire was burning up well and, as usual, potatoes were thrust into the embers. Jenny had been told most of the story already, but seemed to be much more interested in what they had all been doing and why they hadn't all written to her once a week, than in Christmas tree thieves.
But somehow this was not a good day for the twins. Although they had been the first to discover that the camp had been visited, and although they had carried up the food and started the fire, the others did not take much notice of them. Jenny became more and more interested when Peter told her about the disappearance of Donald Gibbs and how it now seemed that she had misjudged him. Then David and Tom discussed what they would take with them up the fire tower if they were asked to go. Time and again the twins tried to gain the attention of the others who were so absorbed in themselves that not even Peter, who was always their champion, could be persuaded to include them in any of their plans.
"Will you listen to us," Dickie yelled when Tom was describing the view from the top of the fire tower. "David told us once about that stupid view. This isn't a proper meeting of the Club 'cos you're not letting us be in it. Somebody ought to be in the tree keeping a look-out. How do we know we're not being spied on? We're not even trying to find out about the man who's been here. None of you seem to care!"
"But, twins, we do care," Jenny said. "Of course we do. But don't you see that you know far, far more about all this than I do. I'm just utterly ignorant of all your adventures. I'm sure we all know you've been wonderful. You always find out things for us. We couldn't do without you, could we, David?"
"You try to," Mary said quickly. "That's just it. Now you're all so busy telling each other things that you've forgotten to post a sentry, and don't you jolly well ask us to go now because we're not going up the tree again. We lugged all your food up here and we found sticks and cones and lit the fire and now you jolly well think that------"
"You're not often kept out of things," David interrupted. "So stop making a fuss. If you're fed up why don't you go and get your sledges and have a game."
Dickie went scarlet with rage.
"Come on, Mary. We'll show them sledges. Leave 'em alone and they can clear up for a change and just go on telling each other how clever they are. We know they're not, but they like being told they are."
"We brought some paper chains," Mary said coldly. "They're at the bottom of the rucksack which please return." She drew herself up to her full height and stood beside her twin. "It was our intention to decorate this camp for Christmas. We're sorry we're not welcome. We wish you a very pleasant afternoon."
"Good afternoon," Dickie went on. "Come with us, Mackie."
And so they made their dignified exit. They didn't even look round when they heard Tom say, "Little idiots. Let 'em go."
"Don't take any notice, Dickie," Mary puffed as they climbed the steep slope out of the camp. "He's always like that about us. It's just that he pretends to be grown up. But Peter is different. At least, she always used to be. I thought she'd be more on our side."
"Didn't you hear her say that she wants to go up that fire tower with Tom and David? That's all she's thinking about now and so is Jenny. She said that she wanted to go too, if Tom was going, didn't she?"
"Oh yes! Said she was going to ask Mrs. Ingles if she would telephone her father to ask if she could stay overnight. I s'pose she wouldn't say that she was going to spend it up that tower."
''Even if we wanted to go up there to-night, there's not going to be much room," Dickie laughed. "What shall we do now, twin? I want to show them that they can't do without us."
By now they were half-way through the wood on the track which led to Ingles. Mackie was scampering ahead as usual but came back to Mary when she called and leaned against a tree.
"What could we do, twin? Let's go where none of them have been and see whether we can find a clue. There must be clues... Let's go down to the road where Peter found the Christmas tree in the ditch. Things happen on a road. We might see something or somebody. Let's do that."
There was nobody about at the farm so they hurried on down the lane and stopped at the road junction. This spot had always been important to them because it was the turning to Witchend and the highest part of the road from which they got their first view of the Mynd. They stood on the crest of the hill and looked back to where the long, smooth line of the mountain, patched with snow, stretched across the sky. It was still cold and grey, and the cold wind was shaking the powdery snow from the branches of the trees at the side of the road. Two crows flapped slowly up from the ricks behind which David and Peter hid last night. Traffic had worn tracks like black glass in the roadway but the snow was still thick on the verges.
