«Who's there? Who is it down there?»
There was no answer at all. The boys listened with straining ears. They could distinctly hear the sound of very heavy breathing, loud and harsh.
«We can hear you breathing!» called Jack. «Do tell us who you are. We've come to rescue you.»
Still no reply. This was dreadful. Both boys were really scared. They didn't dare to go down the steps. Their legs simply refused to move downwards. Yet it seemed very cowardly to go back into the passage again.
And then another sound came to them – the sound of low voices somewhere! Then came the sound of a key being turned in a lock – and a door being opened!
Jack clutched Peter in a panic. «It's those men I heard last night. They're back again. Quick – we must hide before they find us here.»
The two boys, strange little figures in white, stood for a moment, not knowing where to go. Then Peter stripped off his white sheet and cap. «Take yours off, too», he whispered to Jack. «We shan't be so easily seen in our dark overcoats, if we slip into the shadows somewhere.»
They threw their things into a corner and then slipped into the hall. They crouched there in a corner, hoping that the men would go straight down into the cellar.
But they didn't. «Better see if that old caretaker is asleep», said a voice, and two men came into the hall to open the caretaker's door.
And then one of them caught sight of Peter's whitewashed face, which gleamed queerly out of the middle of the dark shadows. Peter had forgotten his face was white!
«Good gracious – look there – in that corner! Whatever is it?» cried one of the men. «Look – over there, Mac.»
The men looked towards the corner where the two boys were crouching. «Faces! White faces!» said the other man. «I don't like it. Here, switch on your torch. It's just a trick of the moonlight or something.»
A powerful torch was switched on, and the two boys were discovered at once! With a few strides the man called Mac went over to them. He picked up both boys at once, gave them a rough shake and set them on their feet.
«Now then – what's the meaning of this – hiding here with your faces all painted up like that! What are you doing?»
«Let go my arm. You're hurting», said Jack, angrily. «The thing is – what are you up to?»
«What do you mean?» said the man roughly.
The thudding noise began again, and the two boys looked at the men.
«That's what I mean», said Jack. «Who's down there? Who are you keeping prisoner?»
Jack got a clout on the head that made him see stars. Then he and Peter were dragged to a nearby cupboard and locked in. The men seemed furiously angry for some reason or other. Peter put his ear to the crack and tried to hear what they were saying.
«What are we going to do now? If those kids get anyone here, we're done.»
«Right. Keep the kids here too, then. Put them down with Kerry Blue! We'll fetch him tomorrow night and clear off, and nobody will know anything. The job will be done by then.»
«What about the kids?»
«We'll leave them locked up here – and send a card to the old caretaker to tell him to look down in his cellar the day after tomorrow. He'll get a shock when he finds the kids prisoners there! Serve them right, little pests.»
Peter listened. Who was Kerry Blue? What a peculiar name! He trembled when he heard the men coming to the door. But they didn't unlock it. One of them called through the crack.
«You can stay there for a while. Teach you to come poking your noses into what's no business of yours!»
Then began various curious noises. Something seemed to be brought into the scullery. The boys heard the crackling of wood as if a fire was being lighted. Then a nasty smell came drifting through the cracks of the door.
«Oooh! They're boiling something. Whatever is it?» said Peter. «Horrible smell!»
They couldn't think what it was. They heard a lot of squealing again, and some snorting, and a thundering noise like muffled hooves thudding on stone. It was all very, very extraordinary.
The cupboard, made to take a few coats, was small and cold and airless. The two boys were very uncomfortable. They were glad when one of the men unlocked the door and told them to come out.
«Now, you let us go», began Peter, and got a rough blow on his shoulder at once.
«No cheek from you», said one of the men and hustled the boys to the cellar door. He thrust both of them through it, and they half-fell down the top steps. The door shut behind them. They could hear it being locked. Blow, blow! blow! Now they were prisoners too! A noise came from below them. Oh dear – was Kerry Blue down there, whoever he was?
«Switch your torch on», whispered Jack. «For goodness sake let's have a look at the prisoner and see what he's like!»
11 – The Prisoner
Peter switched on his torch, his hand trembling as he did so. What were they going to see?
What they saw was so surprising that both boys gave a gasp of amazement. They were looking down on a beautiful horse, whose pricked ears and rolling eyes showed that he was as scared as they were!
«A horse!» said Jack, feebly. «It's a horse!»
«Yes – that squealing was its frightened whinny – and thudding was its hooves on the stone floor when it rushed about in panic», said Peter. «Oh, Jack – poor, poor thing! How wicked to keep a horse down here like this! Why do they do it!»
«It's such a beauty. It looks like a racehorse», said Jack. «Do you suppose they've stolen it? Do you think they're hiding it here till they can change it to another colour, or something – horse thieves do do that, you know – and then sell it somewhere under a different name.»
«I don't know. You may be right», said Peter. «I'm going down to him.»
«Aren't you afraid?» said Jack. «Look at his rolling eyes!»
«No, I'm not afraid», said Peter, who was quite used to the horses on his father's farm, and had been brought up with them since he was a baby. «Poor thing – it wants talking to and calming.» Peter went down the steps, talking as he went. «So you're Kerry Blue, are you? And a beautiful name it is, too, for a beautiful horse! Don't be frightened, beauty. I'm your friend. Just let me stroke that velvety nose of yours and you'll be all right!»
The horse squealed and shied away. Peter took no notice. He went right up to the frightened creature and rubbed his hand fearlessly down its soft nose. The horse stood absolutely still. Then it suddenly nuzzled against the boy and made queer little snorting sounds.
«Jack, come on. The horse is friendly now», called Peter. «He's such a beauty. What brutes those men are to keep a horse down in a dark cellar like this. It's enough to make it go mad!»
Jack came down the steps. He stroked the horse's back and then gave an exclamation. «Ugh! He feels sticky and wet!»
Peter shone his torch on to the horse's coat. It gleamed wetly. «Jack! You were right! Those men have been dyeing him!» cried Peter. «His coat's still wet with the dye.»
«And that's the horrid smell we smelt – the dye being boiled up ready to use», said Jack. «Poor old Kerry Blue! What have they been doing to you?»
The horse had a mass of straw in one corner and a rough manger of hay in another. Oats were in a heavy pail. Water was in another pail.
«Well, if we want a bed, we'll have to use the straw», said Peter. «And have oats for a feed!»
«We shan't need to», said Jack. «I bet old Colin and George will come and look for us soon. We'll shout the place down as soon as we hear them!»
They settled down on the straw to wait. Kerry Blue decided to lie down on the straw too. The boys leaned against his warm body, wishing he didn't smell so strongly of dye.
Up in the field, where the snow was now rapidly melting, Colin and George had been waiting impatiently for a long time. They had seen Jack and Peter disappear over the gate, and had had a difficult time holding Scamper back, because he wanted to follow them. They had stood there quietly for about half
an hour, wondering whenever Peter and Jack were coming back, when Scamper began to growl.
«He can hear something», said Colin. «Yes – a car – coming down the lane. I do hope it's not those men again. Jack and Peter will be caught, if so!»
The car had no trailer-van behind it this time. It stopped at the gate of the old house and two men got out. Scamper suddenly barked loud, and was at once cuffed by Colin. «Idiot!» hissed Colin. «Now you've given us away!»
One of the men came to the field gate at once. He gazed at the six snowmen. «Come and look here!» he called to the other man, who went to stand beside him. How Colin and George trembled and quaked!
«What? Oh, we saw the snowmen there last night. Don't you remember?» he said. «Some kids have been messing about again today and built a few more. Come on. That dog we heard barking must be a stray one about somewhere.»
The men left the gate and went up the drive to the house. Colin and George breathed freely again. That was a narrow escape! Thank goodness for their white faces, caps and sheets. Thank goodness Scamper was in white, too.
For a long time there was no sound at all. Colin and George got colder and colder and more and more impatient. WHAT was happening? They wished they knew. Were Jack and Peter caught?
At last, just as they thought they really must give up and go and scout round the house themselves to see what was happening, they heard sounds again. Voices! Ah, the men were back again. There was the sound of a car door being shut quietly. The engine started up. The car moved down the lane to turn in at the field gate again, go round in a circle and come out facing up the lane. It went by quickly, squelching in the soft, melting snow.
«They're gone, said Colin. «And we were awful mutts not to have stolen up to the gate and taken the car's number! Now it's too late.»
«Yes. We could have done that», said George. «What shall we do now? Wait to see if Peter and Jack come out?»
«Yes, but not for too long», said Colin. «My feet are really frozen.»
They waited for about five minutes, and still no Peter or Jack came. So, sloshing through the fast-melting snow, the two boys went to the gate. They climbed over. Soon they were in the drive of the old house, hurrying up to the front door, with Scamper at their heels.
«But, of course, they couldn't get in there, nor in the other doors either. And then, like Jack and Peter, they discovered the open window! In they went. They stood on the kitchen floor and listened. They could hear nothing at all.
They called softly. «Jack! Peter! Are you here?» Nobody answered. Not a Sound was to be heard in the house. Then Scamper gave a loud bark and ran into the passage between the scullery and the kitchen. He scraped madly at a door there. The boys followed at once, and no sooner had they got there than they heard Peter's voice.
«Who's there? That you, Colin and George? Say the password if it's you!»
«Weekdays! Where are you?» called George.
«Down here, in the cellar. We'll come up», said Peter's voice. «We're all right. Can you unlock the door – or has the key been taken?»
«No, it's here», said Colin. «Left in the door.»
He turned the key and unlocked the door. He pushed it open just as Jack and Peter came up to the top of the cellar steps!And behind them came somebody else – somebody whose feet made a thudding sound on the stone steps – Kerry Blue! He wasn't going to be left behind in the dark cellar, all alone! He was going to keep beside these nice kind boys.
Colin and George gaped in astonishment. They stared at Kerry Blue as if they had never seen a horse in their lives before. A horse – down in the cellar – locked up with Peter and Jack. How extraordinary!
«Have the men gone?» asked Peter, and Colin nodded.
«Yes. Away in their car. That's why we came to look for you. They saw us in the field because Scamper barked – but they thought we were just snowmen! I say – what happened here?»
«Let's get out of the house», said Peter. «I just can't bear being here any longer.»
He led Kerry Blue behind him, and Colin was surprised that the horse made so little noise on the wooden floor of the kitchen. He looked down at the horse's hooves and gave an exclamation. «Look! What's he's got on his feet?»
«Felt slippers, made to fit his great hooves», said Peter, with a grin. «That explains the curious prints we saw in the snow. I guess he had those on so that he wouldn't make too much noise down in the cellar! My word, he was scared when we found him. Come on – I'm going home!»
12 – The End of the Adventure
Six figures went up the snowy lane – two boys in dark anoraks, two in curious white garments and caps, a dog in a draggled white coat, and a proud and beautiful horse. All the boys had gleaming white faces and looked extremely queer, but as they didn't meet anyone it didn't matter.
Peter talked hard as he went, telling of all that had happened to him and Jack. Colin and George listened in astonishment, half-jealous that they, too, had not shared in the whole of the night's adventure.
«I'm going to put Kerry Blue into one of the stables at our farmhouse», said Peter. «He'll be all right now. What sucks for the men to find him gone! And tomorrow we'll tell the police. Meet at half-past nine – and collect Pam and Barbara on the way, will you? This really has been a wonderful mystery, and I do think the Secret Seven have done well! Goodness, I'm tired. I shall be asleep in two shakes of a duck's tail!»
They were all in bed and asleep in under half an hour. Janet was fast asleep when Peter got in. He had carefully stabled Kerry Blue who was now quite docile and friendly.
In the morning, what an excitement! Peter told his father and mother what had happened and his father, in amazement, went to examine Kerry Blue.
«He's a very fine racehorse», he said. «And he's been dyed with some kind of brown stuff, as you can see. I expect those fellows meant to sell him and race him under another name. Well, you've stopped that, you and your Society, Peter!»
«What about getting on to the police now?» said the children's mother, anxiously. «It does seem to me they ought to be after these men at once.»
«There's a meeting of the Secret Seven down in the shed at half-past nine», said Peter. «Perhaps the police could come to it.»
«Oh, no – I hardly think the police would want to sit on your flower-pots and boxes», said Mummy. «You must all meet in Daddy's study. That's the proper place.»
So, at half-past nine, when the Seven were all waiting in great excitement, and Scamper was going quite mad, biting a corner of the rug, the bell rang, and in walked two big policemen. They looked most astonished to see so many children sitting round in a ring.
«Good morning», said the Inspector. «Er – what is all this about? You didn't say much on the phone, sir.»
«No. I wanted you to hear the story from the children», said Peter's father. He unfolded the morning paper and laid it out flat on the table. The children crowded round.
On the front page was a big photograph of a lovely horse. Underneath it were a few sentences in big black letters.
KERRY BLUE STOLEN.
FAMOUS RACEHORSE DISAPPEARS. NO SIGN OF HIS HIDING-PLACE.
«I expect you saw that this morning», said Peter's father. «Peter, tell him where Kerry Blue is.»
«In our stables!» said Peter, and thoroughly enjoyed the look of utter amazement that came over the faces of the two policemen.
They got out notebooks. «This is important, sir», said the Inspector to Peter's father. «Can you vouch for the fact that you've got the horse?»
«Oh, yes – there's no doubt about it», said Peter's father. «You can see him whenever you like. Peter, tell your story.»
«We're going to take it in turns to tell bits», said Peter. He began. He told about how they had made snowmen in the field. Then Jack went on to tell how he had gone to look for his Secret Seven badge in the field, and how he had seen the car and its trailer-van. «Of course I know now it was a horse-box», he said. «But I didn't
know then. I couldn't think what it was – it looked like a small removal van, or something. I couldn't see any proper windows either.»
So the story went on – how they had interviewed the caretaker and what he had said – how they had tracked the car down to the field gate and up the lane again. Then how four boys had dressed up as snowmen with Scamper and gone to watch.
Then came the exciting bit about Peter and Jack creeping into the house to find the prisoner – and being caught themselves. And then Colin and George took up the tale and told how they in their turn went into the old house to find Jack and Peter.
«Adventurous kids, aren't they?» said the Inspector, with a twinkle in his eye, turning to Peter's mother.
«Very», she said. «But I don't at all approve of this night-wandering business, Inspector. They should all have been in bed and asleep.»
«Quite», said the Inspector. «I agree with you. They should have told the police, no doubt about that, and left them to solve the mystery. Wandering about at night dressed up as snowmen – I never heard anything like it!» He spoke in such a severe voice that the three girls felt quite alarmed. Then he smiled and they saw that actually he was very pleased with them. «I'll have to find out the name of the owner of the old house», he said, «and see if he knows anything about these goings-on.»
«It's a Mr. Holikoff, 64, Heycom Street, Covelty», said George at once. «We – Pam and I – found that out.»
«Good work!» said the Inspector, and the other policeman wrote the address down at once. «Very good work indeed.»
«I suppose they don't know the number of the car, do they?» asked the second policeman. «That would be a help.»
«No», said Colin, regretfully. «But the other two girls here know something about the horse-box, sir. They took the measurements of the tyres and even drew a copy of the pattern on them – it showed in the snow, you see.»
«Janet did that», said Barbara, honestly, wishing she hadn't laughed at Janet for doing it. Janet produced the paper on which she had drawn the pattern and taken the measurements.