Free Mystery of Tally-Ho Cottage by Enid Blyton Page B

morning, though goodness knows how he found out I was staying there,’ said Ern. ‘And he took me into the wood-shed and shut the door. I was that scared I could hardly stand! I thought he was going to take a stick to me.’
    ‘Poor Ern!’ said Daisy.
    ‘Well, he didn’t,’ said Ern. ‘He was as sweet as sugar. Kept patting me on the shoulder, and telling me I wasn’t such a bad kid after all - and then he said he wanted to keep me out of any unpleasantness, so he wanted me to promise I’d not say a word about how I discovered the Indian yesterday, nor a word about me shadowing him…’
    Fatty laughed suddenly. ‘Gosh! He’s so proud of this Indian business that he wants everyone to think he discovered him, tackled him and shadowed him! He doesn’t want you to figure in this show at all, Ern.’
    ‘Oh - so that’s it, is it?’ said Ern. ‘Well, my Aunt Woosh got a paper this morning, and when I saw all about you in it, Fatty - well, about the foreigner, I mean - I got the shock of my life. I was all of a tremble when my Uncle Goon came in - and I was worse when I saw him. I’m all of a tremble now, even when I think of it.’
    ‘Have a sweet?’ said Pip. ‘It’s good for trembles.’
    Ern took one. ‘Phew!’ he said. ‘I wasn’t half glad when my uncle let me go. I promised I wouldn’t say a word to anyone - and I was never so glad to promise anything in my life! Never!’
    Fatty heaved a sigh of relief. ‘Good old Ern,’ he caid, with much feeling. ‘You’ve taken a load off my mind. If Goon goes about saying he discovered the Indian, and tackled him, and then shadowed him, I’m all right. Though he shouldn’t really say anything, if he’s on a case.’
    ‘Suppose one of the reporters from the papers finds out from Larkin that the Indian gave him the name of Mr. Hoho-Ha of Bong Castle,’ said Pip. ‘Won’t he smell a rat?’
    ‘No. I don’t think so,’ said Fatty, considering the matter. ‘He’ll probably think the Indian was just spoofing the old fellow. I hope Superintendent Jenks doesn’t hear that, though - he’ll know it’s the sort of idiotic name I’d think up myself.’
    ‘You are a one!’ said Ern, round-eyed. ‘How you dare! Coo, Fatty, I never knew it was you! You don’t even walk like yourself when you’re in disguise. You ought to be on the stage!’
    ‘Good gracious, no!’ said Fatty. ‘Be on the stage when I could be a detective? Not on your life!’
    ‘We’d better lie low for a day or two, hadn’t we?’ said Daisy. ‘Not go anywhere near Tally-Ho House. Once this new excitement has died down, things will be all right - but Fatty oughtn’t to risk anything at the moment.’
    ‘You’re right, Daisy,’ said Fatty. ‘But personally I’m beginning to think that the next thing we’ll hear is that the Lorenzos have managed to get out of the country - with the picture - and that will be that.’
    ‘Oh, I hope not!’ said Pip. ‘This is a most annoying mystery - there’s nothing to get hold of - no clues, no suspects -’
    ‘Except the Indian,’ said Larry, with a grin.
    ‘Well - let’s drop the whole thing for a couple of days,’ said Fatty. ‘Then we’ll see if anything further has happened. We’ll know by the papers.’
    ‘Shan’t I keep watch from my treehouse?’ said Ern, disappointed.
    ‘Oh yes - no harm in that,’ said Fatty. ‘Do those twin cousins of yours still enjoy themselves up there?’
    ‘Oooh yes - they’ve got all their dolls up there now,’ said Ern, sounding rather disgusted. ‘There’s nowhere to sit except on dolls - and one squeaks like anything if you tread on it. Gave me a real fright, I can tell you!’
    They all laughed. ‘Well, you let the twins sit up there as much as they like, and report to you if they see anything,’ said Fatty. ‘I wish I’d known I could be so easily seen from that tree when I wandered in yesterday. I forgot all about it! Those cousins of yours must have been keeping a pretty sharp lookout.’
    ‘They’re not bad,’ said Ern. ‘I’ve got them properly under my thumb now. They think