chapter 18 hunt for richard!

mr. perton could be seen standing at the front door, outlined in the light from the lamp in the hall. hewas talking to rooky, who, apparently, was not going out. it seemed as if only mr.

perton was leaving in the car.

'good luck, richard,' julian whispered, as he and the others melted into the shadows on the other sideof the drive. they stood there in the darkness, watching mr. perton walk over to the car. he got inand slammed the door. thank goodness he hadn't wanted to put anything in the boot!

the engine started up and the car purred away down the drive. at the same time there came thegrating sound of the gate machinery being used.

'gates are opening for him,' muttered dick. they heard the car go right down the drive and out of thegateway without stopping. it hooted as it went, evidently a signal to the house. the gates had beenopened just at the right moment. they were now being shut, judging by the grinding noise going on.

the front door closed. the children stood in silence for a minute or two, thinking of richard shut upin the boot.

i'd never have thought it of him,' said george.

'no - but you just simply never know what is in anybody,' said julian thoughtfully. 'i suppose eventhe worst coward, the most despicable crook, the most dishonest rogue can find some good thing inhimself if he wants to badly enough.'

'yes - it's the "wanting-to" that must be so rare, though,' said dick. 'look - there's aggie at thekitchen-door. she's calling us in.'

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they went to her. 'you can come in now,' she said. 'i can't give you much supper, i'm afraid, becausehunchy will be here - but i'll put some cake up in your room, under the blankets.'

they went into the kitchen. it was pleasant with a log-fire and the mellow light from an oil-lamp.

hunchy was at the far end doing something with a rag and polish. he gave the children one of hisfamiliar scowls. 'take that dog out and leave him out,' he ordered.

'no,' said george.

'then i'll tell rooky,' said hunchy. neither he nor aggie seemed to notice that there were only fourchildren, not five.

'well, if rooky comes here i've no doubt timmy will bite his other hand,' said george. 'anyway- won't he be surprised to find timmy still alive and kicking?'

nothing more was said about timmy. aggie silently put the remains of a plum-pie on the table.

'there's your supper,' she said.

there was a very small piece each. as they were finishing, hunchy went out. aggie spoke in awhisper.

'i heard the wireless at six o'clock. there was a police message about one of you - called richard. hismother reported him missing - and the police put it out on the wireless.'

'did they really?' said dick. 'i say - they'll soon be here then!'

'but do they know where you are?' asked aggie, surprised. dick shook his head.

'not yet - but i expect we'll soon be traced here.'

aggie looked doubtful. 'nobody's ever been traced here yet - nor ever will be, it's my belief. thepolice did come once, looking for somebody, and mr. perton let them in, all polite-like. they huntedeverywhere for the person they said they wanted, but they couldn't find him.'

julian nudged dick. he thought he knew where the police might have found him - in the little secretroom behind that sliding panel.

'funny thing,' said julian. 'i haven't seen a telephone here. don't they have one?'

'no,' said aggie. 'no phone, no gas, no electricity, no water laid on, no nothing. only just secrets andsigns and comings and goings and threats and . . .'

she broke off as hunchy came back, and went to the big fire-place, where a kettle was slung over theburning logs. hunchy looked round at the children.

'rooky wants the one of you that's called richard,' he said, with a horrible smile. 'says he wants toteach him a few lessons.'

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all the four felt extremely thankful that richard was not there. they felt sure he wouldn't have likedthe lessons that rooky wanted to teach him.

they looked round at one another and then all round the room. 'richard? where is richard?'

'what do you mean - where's richard?' said hunchy, in a snarling voice that made timmy growl.

'one of you is richard - that's all i know.'

'why - there were five children - now there's only four!' said aggie, in sudden astonishment. 'i'veonly just noticed. is richard the missing one?'

'dear me - where's richard gone?' said julian, pretending to be surprised. he called him'richard! hey, richard, where are you?'

hunchy looked angry. 'now, none of your tricks. one of you's richard. which one?'

'not one of us is,' answered dick. 'gracious, where can richard be? do you suppose we've left him inthe grounds, ju?'

'must have,' said julian. he went to the kitchen window and swung it wide open. 'richard!' heroared. 'you're wanted, richard!'

but no richard answered or appeared, of course. he was miles away in the boot of the black bentley!

there came the sound of angry footsteps in the hall and the kitchen door was flung open. rookystood there, scowling, his hand done up in a big bandage. with a delighted bark timmy leaptforward. george caught him just in time.

'that dog! didn't i say he was to be poisoned?' shouted rooky, furiously. 'why haven't you broughtthat boy to me, hunchy?'

hunchy looked afraid. 'he don't seem to be here,' he answered sullenly. 'unless one of these herechildren is him, sir.'

rooky glanced over them. 'no - he's not one of them. where is richard?' he demanded of julian.

'i've just been yelling for him,' said julian, with an air of amazement. 'funny thing. he was out in thegrounds all day with us - and now we're indoors, he just isn't here. shall i go and hunt in thegrounds?'

'i'll shout for him again,' said dick, going to the window. 'richard!'

'shut up!' said rooky. 'i'll go and find him. where's my torch? get it, aggie. and when i find him -he'll be sorry for himself, very, very sorry!'

'i'll come too,' said hunchy. 'you go one way and i'll go another.'

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'get ben and fred too,' ordered rooky. hunchy departed to fetch ben and fred, whoever they were.

the children supposed they must be the other men who had arrived with rooky the night before.

rooky went out of the kitchen door with his powerful torch. anne shivered. she was very, very gladthat richard couldn't be found, however hard the men looked for him. soon there came the sound ofother voices in the grounds, as the four men separated into two parties, and began to search everyyard.

'where is he, the poor boy?' whispered aggie.

'i don't know,' said julian, truthfully. he wasn't going to give any secrets away to aggie, even thoughshe seemed really friendly to them.

she went out of the room and the children clustered together, speaking in low voices.

'i say - what a blessing it was richard that went off in the bentley and not one of us,' whisperedgeorge.

'my word, yes - i didn't like the look on rooky's face when he came into the kitchen just now,'

said julian.

'well, richard's got a little reward for trying to be brave,' said anne. 'he's missed some ill-treatmentfrom rooky!'

julian glanced at a clock in the kitchen. 'look - it's almost nine. there's a wireless on that shelf.

let's put it on and see if there's a message about richard.'

he switched it on and twiddled the knob till he got the right station. after a minute or two of news,there came the message they wanted to hear.

'missing from home since wednesday, richard thurlow kent, a boy of twelve, well-built, fair hair,blue eyes, wearing grey shorts and grey jersey. probably on a bicycle.'

so the message went on, ending with a police telephone number that could be called. there was ofcourse no message about julian and the others. they were relieved. that means that mother won't beworrying,' said george. 'but it also means that unless richard can get help nobody can possibly findout we're here - if we're not missed we can't be searched for, and i don't really want to be here muchlonger.'

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nobody did, of course. all their hopes were now on richard. he seemed rather a broken reed to relyon - but you never knew! he just might be successful in escaping unseen from the boot and getting toa police station.

after about an hour rooky and the others came in, all in a furious temper. rooky turned on julian.

'what's happened to that boy? you must know.'

'gr-r-r-r-r,' said timmy at once. rooky beckoned to julian to come into the hall. he shut the kitchendoor and shouted at julian again.

'well - you heard what i said - where's that boy?'

'isn't he out in the grounds?' said julian, putting on a very perturbed look. 'good gracious - what canhave happened to him? i assure you he was with us all day. aggie will tell you that - and hunchytoo.'

'they've already told me,' said rooky. 'he's not in the grounds. we've gone over every inch.

where is he?'

'well, would he be somewhere in the house, then?' suggested julian, innocently.

'how can he be?' raged rooky. 'the front door's been closed and locked all day except when pertonwent out. and hunchy and aggie swear he didn't come into the kitchen.'

'it's an absolute mystery,' said julian. 'shall i hunt all over the house? the others can help me.

maybe the dog will smell him out.'

'i'm not having that dog out of the kitchen,' said rooky. 'or any of you, either! i believe that boy'sabout somewhere, laughing up his sleeve at us all - and i believe you know where he is too!'

'i don't,' said julian. 'and that's the truth.'

'when i do find him, i'll . . . i'll . . .' rooky broke off, quite unable to think of anything bad enough todo to poor richard.

he went to join the others, still muttering. julian went thankfully back to the kitchen. he was veryglad richard was well out of the way. it was pure chance that he had gone - but what a very goodthing! where was richard now? what was he doing? was he still in the boot of the car?

how julian wished he knew!