Free Five Have a Mystery to Solve by Enid Blyton Page B

that those big ones outside were green here and there, and some had bits knocked off them. I wish we could get inside the castle and see the things there!"
    „The man at the golf-club, the one we took those lost bal s to - he said something about statues as white as snow, standing in this wood - do you remember?" said Dick.
    „Yes. They must have stood there for some time," said Julian. „I don"t feel they can be very valuable, else they would be put careful y indoors, under cover. But these little beauties - I guess they"re worth a lot of money!"
    „Who do you suppose packed them in here?" said Anne.
    „Maybe those big men we saw," said Julian. „Even smal statues like these need someone very strong indeed to carry them here to this shed, and pack them like this. Then, of course, they would have to be carried to some boat - or ship - probably to a boat first, and then rowed out to a waiting ship. But I don"t think those guards are the men behind all this - someone with great knowledge of old things must be the ringleader. He probably heard the old legend of the island, came to have a look round, and made quite a lot of interesting discoveries!"
    „Where?" asked George. „In the castle?"
    „Probably - though careful y hidden away!" said Julian. „For all we know there may be scores of real y valuable old treasures hidden there stil . That sword with a jewel ed handle, for instance! And the bed made of gold, and..."
    „To think they might all be quite near us somewhere on Whispering Island!" said Anne.
    „Wouldn"t I love to be able to say I"d slept on a bed of pure gold!"
    „Well, I think you"d find it jolly hard," said Dick.

    Timmy suddenly gave a small whine, and licked George"s hand. „What is it?" she said.
    „What do you want, Timmy?"
    „Perhaps he"s hungry," said Anne.
    „Thirsty, more likely!" said Julian. „Look at his tongue hanging out!"
    „Oh, poor Tim - you haven"t had a drink for hours!" said George. „Well - where on earth can we get you one? We"ll have to look for a puddle, I"m afraid. Come on!"
    They left the shed where the beautiful little statues were lying in their sawdust, and went out into the sunshine. Everywhere was dry. Julian felt worried.
    „We shall al be thirsty soon!" he said. „I wonder where we can get some water?"
    „Would it be too dangerous to go near the castle and see if there"s a tap anywhere?"
    asked George, ready to face almost anything to get her dog a drink!
    „Yes, it would," said Julian, in a very decided voice. „We"re not going near any of those men with guns. They might have been told to shoot on sight, and that wouldn"t be very pleasant. We"d be peppered al over with shot!"
    „Look - what"s that round thing over there - like a little circular wal ?" said Dick, pointing to something behind the shed where the statues lay in their boxes.
    They all went over to it - and Anne guessed what it was at once! „A well! An old well!" she said. „Look, it has an old wooden beam over the top, with a pul ey to wind and unwind a bucket. 1s there a bucket - let"s hope so! We can let it down to the water and fil it for Timmy then."
    Timmy put his paws on the rim of the wall and sniffed. Water! That was what he wanted more than anything. He began to whine.
    „Al right, Timmy - we"l send the bucket down," said George. „It"s stil on the hook! Julian, this handle"s awful y stiff - can you turn it to let down the bucket?"
    Julian tried with al his strength - and quite suddenly the rope loosened, and the bucket gave a sudden jerk and jump. Alas - it jerked right off the hook, and with a weird, echoing jangling sound, fel from the top to the bottom of the well - landing in the water with a terrific splash!
    „Blow, blow, blow!" said Julian, and Timmy gave an anguished howl. He peered down at the lost bucket, now on its side in the water at the bottom of the well, gradually fil ing itself.
    „It"l probably sink below the water now," said Julian, with a groan. „Is there a