Free Five on a Secret Trail by Enid Blyton Page B

everything - remove our things from here
    - and go and camp somewhere else. But Dick and I wil hide somewhere here tonight -
    and watch to see if anyone comes, and where they look for whatever it is they"re hunting for, and why!"
    „That"s a wizard plan," said Dick, pleased. „We"ll do it! Roll on, tonight! Adventure is about -
    and we"ll be ready for it!"

Chapter Twelve
A GOOD HIDING-PLACE

    The Five spent quite a pleasant day, but when late afternoon came, they decided that it was time to carry out their plan and pack as if they were leaving.
    „I imagine someone is spying on our doings," said Dick. „And won"t he be pleased to see us apparently on the point of leaving!"
    „How can anyone be spying?" asked Anne, looking al round as if she expected to see someone behind a bush. „Timmy would be sure to sniff out anyone in hiding."
    „Oh, he won"t be near enough for Timmy to smell out," said Dick. „He"l be a long way off."
    „Then how can he possibly see us - or know that we"re leaving?" asked Anne.
    „Anne - I don"t know if you"ve heard of field-glasses," began Dick, solemnly. „Well, they"re things that can spot anything half a mile away..."
    Anne went red and gave Dick a punch. „Don"t be an ass! Of course - that"s it! Field-glasses used by someone on a hil side somewhere - trained on the old cottage."
    „Actually I think I know where the someone is," said Dick. „I"ve caught sight of a little flash every now and again on the hil yonder - the kind of flash that is made by the sun on glass
    - and I somehow think that our spy is sitting near the top of the hil , watching us careful y."
    Anne turned to look at the hil , but Julian at once spoke sharply. „No - don"t stand and stare up there, anyone. We don"t want the watcher to know that we know we are being watched."
    They went on with their packing, and soon began to stagger out with their bundles.
    George was told to strap her things to her bicycle, and stand well out in the open as she did so, so that the watcher on the hil would be able to observe al her doings.
    Julian was in the midst of careful y folding up his things to go into his knapsack, when Anne gave a sudden exclamation.
    „Someone"s coming!"
    Everyone looked round, imagining that they would see a sinister-looking foreigner, or someone peculiar in some way.
    But all they saw was a country-woman hurrying along, a shawl over her head, and a basket under her arm. She wore cheap glasses, had no make-up on, and her hair was pul ed straight back under the shawl. She stopped when she saw the Five.
    „Good afternoon," said Julian, politely. „Isn"t it glorious weather!"
    „Beautiful," said the woman. „Are you camping out - you"ve chosen a good time!"
    „No - actual y we"re packing," said Julian. „We"ve been sleeping in the old cottage, but we"ve decided to move out. Is it very, very old?"
    „Oh yes - and it"s supposed to have queer things happening in it at nights," said the woman.
    „We know that!" said Julian. „My word - we were pretty scared last night, I can tel you -
    weird noises and horrible, ghastly lights. We decided not to stay there any longer."
    „That"s right," said the woman. „Don"t you stay! You get as far from this place as you can! I can tel you, I wouldn"t come by it at night. Where are you going?"
    „Well, our home is at Kirrin," said Julian, evading the question. „You know - on Kirrin Bay."
    „Ah yes - a fine place," said the woman. „Well, don"t you stay another night! Good-bye!"
    She hurried off, and was soon lost to sight.
    „Go on packing," said Julian to the others.
    „The watcher is stil up in the hil s. I caught sight of a flash again just then."

    „Julian - why did you tell all that to the woman?" asked Anne. „You don"t usually say so much when we are in the middle of something queer!"
    „My dear, unsuspecting Anne - do you mean to say that you thought that woman was real y what she pretended to be - a woman from a nearby farm?" said