Free Mystery of the Strange Messages by Enid Blyton Page B

dismounted yet?"
    Bets glanced behind. "Yes, he has He's standing still, mopping
his head. Poor Goon! We'll soon shake him off"
    They came to the top of Cockers Hill, sailed down it thankfully,
and then made their way back to the road in which Fairlin Hall stood. There was
no sign of Goon anywhere. They put their bicycles against the wall, and stood
at the gate entrance, looking into the drive.
    "See what I mean," said Daisy, eagerly "Isn't that
smoke from one of the chimneys right at the back of the house?"
    "Yes. I rather think it is," said Fatty. "What an
ugly old place! Look at those great pillars at the front door—and those heavy
stone balconies. It must have been empty for years "
    He went to look at the "For Sale" board, and noted the
House Agent's name on it. "Paul and Ticking," he said. "It
wouldn't be a bad idea to go and ask them for
    particulars of this place—we might find out if it had ever been
called 'The Ivies'."
    "Yes. That's a good idea!" said Pip. "Well—shall we
snoop round the place and see if anyone's about? We must find out if that
smoking chimney belongs to the house."
    "Yes," said Fatty. "I'll go with Bets. You stay
here, you three, out of sight, with Buster. Bets and I will go round to the
back of the house, calling Buster, as if we'd lost him, and if anyone is there,
they'll probably come out to us When we've stopped yelling for Buster, you can
let him go, and he'll come to us."
    "Right," said Larry, catching hold of the little Scottie
by the collar Fatty and Bets made their way down the overgrown drive, Fatty
calling "Buster, Buster, where are you?" at the top of his voice
Buster nearly went mad trying to follow, and was extremely angry with Larry for
hanging on to his collar. He almost choked himself, trying to get away.
    Fatty peeped into the windows he passed. The house was as dismal
inside as it was outside Great empty rooms, dirty and dreary, with filthy
windows, and faded paint—Bets shivered, and turned her face away
    They rounded a corner and came to the kitchen end There was a line
across the yard, with clothes blowing on it—aha, there was certainly someone
here, then! Fatty nudged Bets and glanced upwards. Bets did the same and saw a
chimney above, smoking. Daisy had been right.
    "Buster, Buster, where are you, you naughty dog!"
shouted Fatty, and whistled piercingly.
    An oldish woman came out of the kitchen door, thin and
sad-looking, but with a kindly, rather sweet old face. "Have you lost your
dog?" she said.
    "He's somewhere about," said Fatty truthfully. "I
do hope I didn't disturb you. Isn't this place empty? I saw a 'For Sale' notice
outside "
    "That's right," said the woman, pulling her shawl round
her. "We're caretakers. The house was left quite
    empty for years, but tramps kept breaking in—so the agents put in
caretakers. We've been here for fifteen years now—and we hope the place won't be sold, because we don't want to be turned out!"
    Buster suddenly came rushing round the corner, and barked madly
when he saw Fatty. He was most indignant at being held so long by Larry, who,
of course, had let him go as soon as Fatty had stopped calling him.
    "Ah—there's your dog," said the old woman. "He
couldn't have been far away. I sometimes wish we had a dog. Three times
since we've been here there's been burglars—though what they expect to find in
an empty house, I don't know!"
    A voice called her from indoors, and then someone coughed long and
painfully. "That's my poor husband," said the old woman. "He's
ill. I suppose you aren't going back to the village, are you? I ought to go to
the chemist and get him some more medicine, but I don't really like leaving him."
    "Of course we'll leave a message at the chemist for you—or
better still we'll pop down and get the medicine ourselves and bring it back!”
said Fatty. "We've got our bicycles."
    "Well, that would be real kind of you," said the old
lady. "I'll just get the bottle," and she hurried indoors.
    "Wonder if their