chapter 15 maggie - and dirty dick

they watched the couple in the distance, and thought quickly. julian had been expecting them, so hewas not surprised. dick was looking at dirty dick, recognizing the broad, short man, with hishunched-up shoulders and shock of hair. he didn't like the look of him any more than when he hadseen him up at the old cottage!

anne and george didn't like the look of the woman either! she was wearing trousers and had a 60jacket draped round her shoulders. she was also wearing sunglasses, and smoking a cigarette.

she walked quickly and they could hear her voice. it was sharp and determined.

'so that's maggie,' thought julian. 'well, i don't like her. she looks as hard as nails - a goodcompanion for nailer!'

he moved cautiously towards the other three. george had her hand on timmy's collar, afraid that hemight show himself.

'listen,' said julian. 'you're none of you to turn a hair! we'll just walk out into the open, talkingcheerfully together and let them see us. if they ask us what we're doing, you all know what to say.

chatter nonsense as much as you like - put them off and make them think we're a bunch of harmlesskids. if there are any leading questions asked us - leave me to answer them. ready?'

they nodded. then julian swung out from the bushes and walked into the open, calling to dick.

'here we are again - there's the old house! my word, it looks worse than ever this morning!'

george and timmy came bounding out together, and anne followed, her heart beating fast. shewasn't as good as the others at this sort of thing!

the man and the woman stopped abruptly when they saw the children. they said a few words to oneanother very rapidly. the man scowled.

the children went towards them, chattering all the time as julian had ordered. the woman calledsharply to them.

'who are you? what are you doing here?'

'just hiking,' said julian, stopping. 'it's our half-term.'

'what do you want to come here for then?' asked the woman. 'this is private property.'

'oh no,' said julian. 'it's only a burnout ruin. anyone can come. we want to explore this queer lake -it looks exciting.'

the man and the woman looked at one another. it was clear that the idea of the children exploring thelake was surprising and annoying to them. the woman spoke again.

'you can't explore this lake. it's dangerous. people are forbidden to bathe in it or use a boat.'

'we weren't told that,' said julian, looking astonished. 'we were told how to get here, and no one saidthe lake was forbidden. you've been told wrongly.'

'we want to watch the moor-hens, you see,' put in anne, suddenly seeing a moor-hen on the water.

'we're fond of nature.'

'and we've been told there are deer near here,' said george.

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'and wild ponies,' said dick. 'we saw some yesterday. they were really lovely. have you seen any?'

this sudden burst of chatter seemed to annoy the man and the woman more than julian's answers.

the man spoke roughly.

'stop this nonsense. people aren't allowed here. clear out before we make you!'

'why are you here, then, if people aren't allowed?' asked julian, and a hard tone came into his voice.

'don't talk to us like that.'

'you clear off, i say!' cried the man, suddenly shouting loudly as he lost his temper. he took two orthree steps towards them, looking very threatening indeed. george loosed her hold on timmy'scollar.

timmy also took two or three steps forward. his hackles went up and he emitted a most fearsomegrowl. the man stopped suddenly, and then retreated.

'take hold of that dog's collar,' he ordered. 'he looks savage.'

'then he looks what he is,' said george. 'i'm not taking hold of his collar while you're about.

don't think it!'

timmy took two or three more steps forward, growling loudly, walking stiffly and menacingly.

the woman called out at once.

'it's all right, children. my friend here just lost his temper for a moment. call your dog back.'

'not while you are about,' said george. 'how long are you staying?'

'what's that to do with you?' growled the man, but he didn't say any more because timmy at oncegrowled back.

'let's come and have something to eat,' said julian, loudly, to the others. 'after all, we have as muchright to be here as these people have. we don't need to take any notice of them - and we shan't be intheir way!'

the four children marched forward. timmy was still loose. he barked savagely once or twice as hecame close to the unpleasant couple, and they shrank back at once. timmy was such a big dog and helooked so very powerful! they eyed the children angrily as they went by, and watched them go intothe ruined house.

'on guard, timmy,' said george, as soon as they were in, pointing to the ruined doorway. timmyunderstood at once, and stood in the doorway, a menacing figure with hackles up and snarling mouth.

the children went down to the cellar room. they looked round to see if anyone had been 62there while they were away, but nothing seemed to have been moved.

'they probably haven't even noticed the cellars,' said julian. 'i hope there's plenty of bread left.

i'm hungry. i wish to goodness we were going to have a dinner like the one we had yesterday! i say -what an unpleasant pair maggie and dick are!'

'yes. very,' said dick. 'i can't bear maggie. horrid common voice and hard face. ugh!'

'i think dirty dick is worse,' said anne. 'he looks like a gorilla or something with his broad hunched-up body. and why doesn't he cut his hair?'

'fancies himself like that, i expect,' said george, cutting a loaf of bread. 'his surname ought to begolliwog. or tarzan. i'm jolly glad we've got timmy.'

'so am i,' said anne. 'good old timmy. he hated them, didn't he? i bet they won't come near thedoorway with timmy there!'

'i wonder where they are,' said dick picking up a great hunk of bread and butter and potted meat.

'i'm going to look.'

he came back in half a minute. 'they've gone to the boat-house, i think,' he said. 'i just caught a sightof one of them moving in that direction. looking for saucy jane, i expect.'

'let's sit down and eat and talk over what we'll do next,' said julian. 'and what we think they will donext! that's quite important. they may be able to read the clues on that paper better than we can ifwe watch what they do it may give us a guide as to what we must do.'

'that's true,' said dick. 'i imagine that the plan nailer sent must mean something to dirty dick andmaggie, just as the message did.' he chewed at his bread, thinking hard, trying once more to fathomthe meaning of that mysterious piece of paper.

'i think on the whole we will follow out our original plan for this afternoon,' said julian, after a littlesilence. 'we'll get out that raft and go on the lake with it. it's a harmless looking thing to do.

we can examine the banks as we go - and if maggie and dick are out in a boat too, we can keep aneye on them as well.'

'yes. good idea,' said george. 'it's a heavenly afternoon anyway. i'd love to paddle about on the lakewith that raft. i hope it's good and sound.'

'sure to be,' said dick. 'the wood it's made of is meant to last. pass the cake, george - and don't savetimmy any. it's wasted on him.'

'it isn't!' said george. 'you know he loves it.'

'yes. but i still say it's wasted on him,' said dick. 'good thing we got such an enormous cake!

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are there any biscuits left?'

'plenty,' said anne. 'and chocolate too!'

'good,' said dick. 'i only hope our food will last us out. it won't if george has her usual colossalappetite.'

'what about yours?' said george, indignantly, rising every time to dick's lazy teasing.

'shut up, you two,' said julian. 'i'm going to fill the water jug and have some orangeade. give mesomething to take to old tim.'

they spent about half an hour over their lunch. then they decided to go and tackle the raft in theboathouse, and see if they could possibly launch it on the lake. it would be heavy, they knew.

they left the old house and went off to the boathouse. julian suddenly caught sight of something outon the lake.

'look!' he said, 'they've got one of the boats out of the boat-house - the one that wasn't half-sunk, isuppose! dirty dick is rowing hard. i bet they're looking for the saucy jane!'

they all stood still and watched. dick's heart sank. would maggie and dirty dick get there first, andfind what he and the other three were looking for? did they know where the saucy jane was?

'come on,' said julian. 'we'd better get going if we want to keep an eye on them. they may berowing to where the saucy jane is hidden!'

they climbed in through the wooden side of the boat-house and went to the raft. julian saw at oncethat one of the boats had gone - merry meg. it was the only boat that was fit to take.

the four began to man-handle the big raft. they took it to the edge of the ledge. it had rope-handleson each side which the children held on to.

'now - ease her gently,' said julian. 'gently does it. down she goes!'

and down she went, landing with a big splash in the water. she bobbed there gently, a strong soundraft, eager to go out on the lake!

'get the paddles,' said julian. 'then we'll be off.'