chapter 7 out in the night

before the children had finished their high tea, the big kitchen-sitting-room was quite dark.

thunder clouds had moved up from the west, gathering together silently, frowning and sinister.

then, from far off, came the first rumble of thunder.

the little scottie came and cowered against mrs. penruthlan's skirts. he hated storms. the farmer'swife comforted him, and her big husband gave a little unexpected snort of laughter. he saidsomething that sounded like 'oose'.

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'he's not as timid as a mouse,' said his wife, who was really marvellous at interpreting her husband'speculiar noises. 'he just doesn't like the thunder. he never did. he can sleep with us in our roomtonight.'

there were a few more sounds from mr. penruthlan to which his wife listened anxiously. 'very well,if you have to get up and see to jenny the horse in the night, i'll see benny doesn't bark the housedown,' she said. she turned to the children. 'don't worry if you hear him barking,' she said.

'it will only be mr. penruthlan stirring.'

the thunder crashed and rumbled again, this time a little nearer, and then lightning flashed. thendown came the rain. how it poured! it rattled and clattered on the roof in enormous drops, and thensettled down into a steady downpour.

the four children got out their cards and played games by the light of the oil lamp. there was noelectricity at tremannon. timmy sat with his head on george's knee. he didn't mind the thunder buthe didn't particularly like it.

'well, i think we'd better go to bed,' said julian at last. he knew that the penruthlans liked to go tobed early because they got up so early, and as they did not go upstairs until after the children did,julian saw to it that they, too, went early.

they said good night and went up to their bare little rooms. the windows were still open and thesmall curtains drawn back, so that the hills, lit now and again by lightning, showed up clearly.

the children went and stood there, watching. they all loved a storm, especially dick. there wassomething powerful and most majestic about this kind of storm, sweeping over hills and sea,rumbling all round, and tearing the sky in half with flashes of lightning.

'julian, is it possible to go up to that place the shepherd showed us and see if the light flashestonight?' said george. 'you only laughed when i asked you before.'

'well, i laugh again!' said julian. 'of course not! we'd be drenched, and i don't fancy being out in thislightning on those exposed hills, either.'

'all right,' said george. 'anyway, i don't feel quite such an urge to go now that it's so pitch dark.'

'just as well,' said julian. 'come on, dick, let's go to bed.'

the storm went on for some time, rumbling all round the hills again, as if it were going round in acircle. the girls fell asleep, but the boys tossed about, feeling hot and sticky.

'dick,' said julian, suddenly, 'let's get up and go out. it's stopped raining. let's go and see if that lightis flashing tonight. it should be just the night for it, according to old grandad.'

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'right,' said dick, and sat up, feeling for his clothes. 'i simply can't go to sleep, even though i feltreally sleepy when i undressed.'

they pulled on as few clothes as possible, for the night was still thundery and hot. julian took historch and dick hunted for his.

'got it,' he said at last. 'are you ready? come on, then. let's tiptoe past the penruthlans' door, or wemay wake that dog scottie! he's sleeping there tonight, don't forget.'

they tiptoed along the passage, past the penruthlans' door and down the stairs. one stair creakedrather alarmingly, and they stopped in dismay, wondering if ben the scottie would break out into astorm of barking.

but he didn't. good! down they went again, switching on their torches to see the way. they came tothe bottom of the stairs. 'shall we go out by the front door or back door, ju?' whispered dick.

'back,' said julian. 'the front door's so heavy to open. come on.'

so they went down the passage to the back door that led out from the kitchen. it was locked andbolted, but the two boys opened it without too much noise.

they stepped out into the night. the rain had now stopped, but the sky was still dark andoverclouded. the thunder rumbled away in the distance. a wind had got up and blew coolly againstthe boys' faces.

'nice cool breeze,' whispered dick. 'now - do we go through the farm-yard? is that the shortest wayto the stile we have to climb over into that first field?'

'yes, i think so,' said julian. they made their way across the silent farm-yard, where, in the daytime,such a lot of noise went on, clucking, quacking, grunting, clip-clopping, and shouting!

now it was dark and deserted. they passed the barns and the stables. a little 'hrrrrrrumphing'

came from one of the stables. 'that's jenny, the horse that's not well,' said julian, stopping. 'let's justhave a look at her and see if she's all right. she was lying down feeling very sorry for herself when isaw her last.'

they flashed their torch over the top half of the stable door, which was pulled back to let in air.

they looked in with interest.

jenny was no longer lying down. she was standing up, munching something. goodness, she must bequite all right again! she whinnied to the two boys.

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they left her and went on. they came to the stile and climbed over. the rain began drizzling again,and if the boys had not had their torches with them they would not have been able to see a step infront of them, it was so dark.

'i say, ju - did you hear that?' said dick, stopping suddenly.

'no. what?' said julian, listening.

'well, it sounded like a cough,' said dick.

'one of the sheep,' suggested julian. 'i heard one old sheep coughing just like uncle quentin doessometimes, sort of hollow and mournful.'

'no. it wasn't a sheep,' said dick. 'anyway, there aren't any in this field.'

'you imagined it,' said julian. 'i bet there's nobody idiotic enough to be out on a night like this, exceptourselves!'

they went on cautiously over the field. the thunder began again, a little nearer. then came a flash,and again the thunder. dick stopped dead once more and clutched julian's arm.

'there's somebody a good way in front of us, the lightning just lighted him up for half a second.

he was climbing over that stile, the one we're making for. who do you suppose it is on a night likethis?'

'he's apparently going the same way that we are,' said julian. 'well, i suppose if we saw him he'squite likely to have seen us!'

'not unless he was looking backwards,' said dick. 'come on, let's see where he's going.'

they went on cautiously towards the stile. they came to it and climbed over. and then a handsuddenly clutched hold of dick's shoulder!

he jumped almost out of his skin! the hand gripped him so hard and so fiercely that dick shouted inpain and tried to wriggle away from the powerful grip.

julian felt a hand lunge at him, too, but dodged and pressed himself into the hedge. he switched offhis torch at once and stood quite still, his heart thumping quickly.

'let me go!' shouted dick, wriggling like an eel. his shirt was almost torn off his back in hisstruggles. he kicked out at the man's ankles and for one moment his captor loosened his grasp.

that was enough for dick. he ripped himself away and left his shirt in the man's hand!

he ran up the lane into which the stile had led and flung himself under a bush in the darkness,panting. he heard his captor coming along, muttering, and dick pressed himself farther into the bush.

a torchlight swept the ground near him, but missed him.

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dick waited till the footsteps had gone and then crawled out. he went quietly down tht lane.

'julian!' he whispered, and jumped as a voice answered almost in his ear, just above his head!

'i'm here. are you all right?'

dick looked up into the darkness of a tree, but could see nothing. 'i've dropped my torch somewhere,'

he said. 'where are you, ju? up in the tree?'

a hand groped out and felt his head. 'here i am, on the first branch,' said julian. 'i hid in the hedgefirst and then climbed up here. i daren't put on my torch in case that fellow's anywhere around andsees it.'

'he's gone up the lane,' said dick. 'my word, he nearly wrenched my shoulder off. half my shirt'sgone! who was he? did you see?'

'no, i didn't,' said julian, clambering down. 'let's find your torch before we go home. it's too good tolose. it must be by that stile.'

they went to look. julian still didn't like to put on his torch, so that it was more a question of feelingfor dick's torch, not looking! dick suddenly trod on it and picked it up thankfully.

'listen, there's that fellow coming back again, i'm sure!' said dick. 'i heard the same dry little cough!

what shall we do?'

'well, i don't now feel like going up to the shepherd's hill to see if that light is flashing from thetower,' said julian. 'i vote we hide and follow this chap to see where he goes. i don't think anyonewho is wandering out tonight can be up to any good.'

'yes. good idea,' said dick. 'squash into the hedge again. blow, there are nettles here! just my luck.'

the footsteps came nearer, and the cough came again. 'i seem to know that cough,' whispered dick.

'sh!' said julian.

the man came up to the stile, and they heard him climbing over it. after a short time both boysfollowed cautiously. they couldn't hear the man's footsteps across the grass, but the sky had cleared alittle and they could just make out a moving shadow ahead of them.

they followed him at a distance, holding their breath whenever they kicked against a stone orcracked a twig beneath their feet. now and again they heard the cough.

'he's making for the farm,' whispered julian. he could just see the outline of the big barns against thesky. 'do you think he's one of the labourers? they live in cottages round about.'

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the man came to the farm-yard and walked through it, trying to make as little sound as possible.

the boys followed. he went round the barns and into the little garden that mrs. penruthlan tendedherself. still the boys followed.

round to the front door went the man, and the boys held their breath. was he going to burgle thefarmhouse? they tiptoed nearer. there came the sound of a soft click, and then of bolts being shothome! after that there was silence.

'he's gone in,' said julian in amazement.

'don't you know who it was? can't you guess now?' said dick. 'we both ought to have known whenwe heard that cough! it was mr. penruthlan! no wonder he almost dislocated my shoulder with hisstrong hand!'

'mr. penruthlan - gosh, yes, you're right,' said julian, astonished, almost forgetting to speak in awhisper. 'we didn't notice that the front door was undone because we went out the back way. so itwas he we followed. how silly! but what was he doing out on the hills? he didn't go to see the horse,she wasn't ill.'

'perhaps he likes a walk at night,' suggested dick. 'come on, let's go in ourselves. i feel a bit chillywith practically no shirt on!'

they crept round to the back door. it was still open, thank goodness! they went inside, bolted andlocked it, and tiptoed upstairs. they heaved sighs of relief when they were safely in their room again.

'switch on your torch, julian, and see if my shoulder is bruised,' said dick. 'it feels jolly painful.'

julian flashed his torch on dick's shoulder. he gave a low whistle. 'my word, you've got a wonderfulbruise all down your right shoulder. he must have given you an awful wrench.'

'he did,' said poor dick. 'well, i can't say we had a very successful time, followed our host throughthe night, got caught by him, and followed him all the way back here. not very clever!'

'well, never mind. i bet no light flashed in that tower,' said julian, getting into bed. 'we haven't lostmuch by not going all the way to see!'