chapter 19 an exciting plan

after fifteen minutes they had six towns on their list, all of which could have been reached in abouthalf-an-hour from big twillingham, which was two miles away from the fair.

'and now what do you propose to do, ju?' asked dick. 'bike over to all the towns and ask if anyonehas seen the car?'

'no. we can't possibly do that,' said julian. 'i'm going down to the garage to see our friend jim, andget his help! i'm going to ask him to ring up any friends he has in the garages in those towns, and askif they've seen the car passing through.'

'won't he think it's a bit funny?' asked anne.

'yes. but he won't mind how funny it is if we pay the telephone-calls and give him fifty pence for histrouble!' said julian, folding up the map. 'and what's more he won't ask any questions either. he'llprobably think it's some silly bet we've got on with one another.'

jim was quite willing to ring up the garages for them. he knew boys working in main garages in fourof the towns, and he knew the hall-porter of a hotel in the fifth town. but he knew no one in the sixth.

'that don't matter!' he said. 'we'll ring up the garage in the high street there, and just ask whoevercomes to the phone.'

jim rang up the garage in hillingford, and had a rather cheeky conversation with his friend there.

he put the receiver down. 'no go,' he said. 'he says no car like that came through hillingford, or he'dhave noticed it that time of day. i'll ring up jake at green's garage in lowington now.'

'that's no go, either,' he said, after a minute's telephone conversation. 'i'll try my hall-porter now.

he's a cousin of mine.'

the hall-porter had some news. 'yes!' jim kept saying. 'yes, that's the one! yes, yes! you heard himsay that, did you? thanks most awfully.'

'what is it?' asked dick, eagerly, when jim at last put down the receiver.

'pat - that's the hall porter - says he was off duty this afternoon, and went to buy some cigarettes at alittle shop in the main street of graysfield, where his hotel is - and as he stood talking to the fellow inthe shop an enormous car drew up at the kerb - silver-grey, with blue wings - an american car, left-hand drive and all.'

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'yes - what next?' said julian, eagerly.

'well, the driver got out to get some cigarettes at the shop. he had dark glasses on, and a big goldring on his finger - pat noticed that...'

'that must be the man who asked about us at the tea-shop in kirrin!' said julian, remembering.

'go on, jim - this is wonderful!'

'well, pat's interested in big cars, so he went out and had a good look at it,' said jim. 'he said the carhad its blinds drawn down at the back, so he couldn't see inside. the fellow with the dark glassescame out and got into the driver's seat again. he called out to whoever was behind and said 'whichway now?' '

'yes, yes - did he hear the answer?' said julian.

'somebody called back and said, 'not far now. into twining, turn to the left, and it's the house on thehill.' '

'well! of all the luck!' said dick. 'would that be where g ...' he stopped at a sharp nudge fromjulian, and remembered that he mustn't give too much away to the helpful jim.

julian passed over fifty pence to the pleased garage boy, who pocketed it at once, grinning.

'now, you just come along to me if you want to know about any more cars,' he said. 'i'll phone allover the place for you! thanks a lot!'

they sped back to kirrin cottage, too excited even to talk. they flung their bicycles against the walland ran in to tell anne and joan. timmy and sally sensed their excitement and danced round, barkingloudly.

'we know where george is!' cried dick. 'we know, we know!'

joan and anne listened eagerly. 'well, master julian,' said joan, in admiration, 'it was really smart ofyou to make jim phone up like that. the police couldn't have done better. what are you going to donow? ring up that sergeant?'

'no,' said julian. 'i'm so afraid that if the police get moving on this now, they'll alarm gringo and he'llspirit george away somewhere else. dick and i will go to this place tonight, and see if we can't gethold of george and bring her back! after all - it's only an ordinary house, i imagine -and as gringo doesn't suspect that anyone knows where george is, he won't be on the look out!'

'good!' said dick. 'good, good, good!'

'i'm coming too,' said jo.

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'you are not,' said julian, at once. 'that's flat - you are not coming, jo. but i shall take timmy, ofcourse.'

jo said no more, but looked so sulky that anne laughed. 'cheer up, jo. you can keep me and sallycompany. oh julian - wouldn't it be wonderful to find george and rescue her!'

there was more map- reading as the boys decided which was the best way to bicycle over tograysfield. 'look out the best torches we've got, anne, will you?' said dick. 'and let me see -how can we bring george back once we've got her? on my bike-step, i think, though i know it's notallowed. but this is very urgent. we can't very well take a third bike with us. gosh, isn't thisexciting!'

'we really ought to ring up the police,' said joan, who kept saying this at intervals.

'joan, you sound like a parrot!' said julian. 'if we're not back by morning you can ring up all thepolice in the country if you want to!'

'there's been another phone-call from your aunt today, master julian - i nearly forgot to tell you,'

said joan. 'your uncle is better and they are coming home as soon as possible.'

'not this evening, i hope,' said julian, in alarm. 'did they tell you anything about mr. elbur wright -berta's father?'

'oh, he's hanging on to his secrets quite happily now that he knows it isn't berta who is kidnapped,'

said joan. 'i don't know if the kidnappers even know they've got the wrong girl yet.

it's all very hush-hush. even your uncle and aunt are having to obey the police. your poor aunt is soterribly upset about george.'

'yes. she must be frightfully worried,' said julian, soberly. 'we've had so much excitement today thati've almost forgotten to worry. and anyway when you're able to do something, things don't seem sobad.'

'you be careful you don't go and do too much and land yourself in trouble,' said joan, darkly.

'i'll be careful!' said julian, winking at dick. 'i say - isn't it nearly supper-time? i feel awfully hungry.'

'well, we haven't had any tea,' said dick. 'how extraordinary to have forgotten about tea. no wonderwe're hungry.'

'would you like bacon and eggs for a treat?' said joan, and there was a chorus of approval at once.

timmy and sally wagged their tails as if joan's question applied to them too!

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'we'll set off as soon as it's dark,' said julian. 'jo, you'd better go home after supper. they'll beworrying about you.'

'all right,' said jo, pleased to have been asked to supper, but still sulky at being forbidden to go withjulian and dick that night.

jo disappeared after supper, with many messages to berta from dick, julian, anne and sally.

'and i bet she doesn't give a single one of them!' said dick. 'now, let's have a game before we set off,julian. just to take our minds off the excitement. i'm getting all worked-up!'

joan went up to bed at ten because she was tired. anne stayed up to see the boys off. 'you will becareful,' she kept saying. 'you will be careful, won't you? oh dear, i think it's almost worse to staybehind and wonder what's happening to you, than to go with you and find out!'

at last the time came for the boys to go. it was a quarter to twelve and, except for a small moon, wasa dark night, with great clouds looming up, often hiding the moon.

'come on, timmy,' said dick. 'we're going to find george.'

'woof!' said timmy, delighted. sally wuffed too, and was most disappointed at being left behind.

the boys wheeled their bicycles to the front gate.

'so long, anne!' said dick. 'go to bed - and hope to see george when you wake up!'

they set off on their bicycles, with timmy loping along beside them. they soon arrived at the fieldwhere the fair was, and went swinging away to the east, following the road the silver-grey car hadgone that afternoon.

they knew the way by heart, for they had studied the map so well. as they passed the signposts theyfelt their excitement beginning to mount. 'graysfield next,' said dick at last. 'soon be there, timmy!

you're not getting tired, are you?'

they came into graysfield silently. the town was asleep, and not a single light showed in anywindow. a policeman suddenly loomed up out of the shadows, but when he saw two boys cycling, hedid not stop them.

'now - into twining village, turn to the left - and look for the house on the hill!' said dick.

they rode through the tiny, silent village of twining, and took the lane to the left. it led up a steep,narrow lane. the boys had to get off and walk because the hill was too much for them.

'there's the house!' said julian, suddenly whispering. 'look - through those trees. my word, it looks adark and lonely one!'

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they came to some enormous iron gates, but when they tried to open them, they found them locked.

a great wall ran completely round the grounds. they followed it a little way, leaving their bicyclesagainst a tree by the gate, but it was soon certain that nobody could climb a wall like that!

'blow!' said julian. 'blow!'

'what about the gates?' whispered dick. then he glanced round him nervously, hearing a twig crack.

'did you hear that? there's nobody following us, is there?'

'no! don't get the jitters, for goodness' sake!' said julian. 'what was it you were saying?'

'i said 'what about the gates?' ' said dick. 'i don't see why we can't climb over them, do you?

nobody would do that in the daytime, they'd be seen - but i can't see why we can't do it now -they didn't look too dificult - just ordinary wrought-iron ones.'

'yes! of course!' said julian. 'that's a brain-wave. come on!'