The Rilloby Fair Mystery. Enid blyton

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СКАЧАТЬ at that!” said Great-uncle. “Another robbery—same kind of thing—and same way of going about it. Locked doors again! Extraordinary!”

      He showed the report of the new theft to Mrs. Lynton when he got back. The children crowded round in interest.

      “See?” said Great-uncle, pointing to the paragraphs with a beautifully clean and polished nail. “Another robbery. Rare and valuable papers again. And not a trace of the thieves. Doors locked and windows bolted. And yet the things are gone. There’s something queer about all this.”

      “Green Hands,” whispered Roger mischievously behind him. Great-uncle turned sharply, but Roger’s face was innocent.

      “Can I borrow the paper, please?” asked Diana. “Thanks awfully.”

      She took it to the summer-house and the three of them pored over it. Diana looked rather pleased with herself.

      “I’ve discovered something,” she announced to the others. “Have you?”

      Roger considered. “No. What?” he asked.

      “Well, you know the first paper we saw, the one Great-uncle brought with him and let us read?” said Diana “Do you remember the bit about the Fair?”

      “Yes. What about it?” said Roger. “There’s nothing about a Fair in this paper.”

      “I know. I’ve looked,” said Diana. “But did you notice what the first paper said about the Fair—where it was going to next? It said it was going to Pilbury. Pilbury. Does that ring a bell?”

      “Gosh, yes,” said Roger at once. “This theft is at Pilbury. I see what you’re getting at. Either the Fair goes to places where there are rare papers to be stolen—or somebody in the Fair makes inquiries at each place they go to, to see if there are any in the neighbourhood worth stealing.”

      “That’s what I meant,” said Diana. “Let’s find out if the Fair was actually at Pilbury when the papers disappeared, shall we?”

      “Yes. Though I must say we’re rather jumping to conclusions,” said Roger. “It’s probably sheer coincidence.”

      “I bet it is!” said Snubby. “Just like Diana to think she’s spotted something clever!”

      Diana gave him a push. “Get out of the summer-house if you’re going to talk like that. Go on! If you’re not interested, you needn’t be.”

      “I am interested,” protested Snubby. “And don’t shove me like that. If you want a shoving match you know who’ll win. You won’t anyway. And all I said was... ”

      “If you say it again, out you go,” said Diana, getting angry. “I’m tired of you to-day, Snubby. You’ve hidden my gloves, I know you have, and you left my bedroom door open so that Loony could take my mats again. And now just look at Loony. He’s got somebody’s brush again. It’s Great-uncle’s hairbrush this time.”

      Snubby ran to get the brush away from Loony, who at once regarded this as a wonderful game and danced away down the garden, flinging the brush up into the air and catching it in his mouth.

      Diana turned to Roger. “Roger, there mayn’t be anything in my idea at all. Let’s find out first whether the Fair is at Pilbury. And then let’s try and find out where it’s going to next—and see if a theft of rare papers is reported from there too.”

      “It’s quite an idea, Di,” said Roger. “We’ll bike over this afternoon—it’s not more than ten miles away. We’ll leave Snubby behind. I’m getting tired of him.”

      So they said nothing of their plans to Snubby, but got out their bicycles without his seeing and had a look to see if the tyres were all right. Yes, they were.

      They set off after lunch, creeping off whilst Snubby was arguing with their mother about some missing shoes which she was perfectly certain Loony knew something about. They mounted their bicycles and rode gleefully off down the road. “Sucks to Snubby!” said Roger. “Won’t he be wild? He’ll hunt all over the place for us!”

      It was a long way to Pilbury, farther than they thought, but they got there at last. They rode all through it but could see no Fair. Diana felt a little dampened.

      “We’ll ask someone,” said Roger, and he got off his bicycle. He called to a small boy nearby.

      “Hey, Sonny! Is there a Fair in Pilbury, do you know?”

      “There was!” called back the boy. “But it’s gone. Went yesterday—to Ricklesham, I heard.”

      “Thanks!” said Roger, and beamed at Diana. “Well, it was here—and now it’s at Ricklesham. We’ll just see if there’s a robbery there next. Then we’ll KNOW your idea’s got something in it. I say—this is rather exciting, isn’t it!”

CHAPTER 6

      SNUBBY SAYS SOMETHING SILLY

      Snubby was most annoyed with the other two when they came back. “Where have you been? You beasts, you’ve been for a bike ride and didn’t tell me!”

      “Well, you were so jolly unbelieving in the summer-house we thought we’d go off alone,” said Diana. “Sucks to you, Snubby!”

      “Whatever’s the matter with Loony?” asked Roger, staring at the spaniel in surprise. “Why is he looking so dismal? He didn’t even come rushing to meet us.”

      “He’s in trouble,” said Snubby. “So’s Sardine. They chased your mother’s ball of wool all round the lounge and didn’t have the sense to see it was joined to a jersey she’s knitting. They undid the ball for about a mile of wool, rolled it out to the kitchen, and almost into the pond. Aunt Susan’s awfully cross. She smacked poor old Loony so hard that he went under the sofa for half an hour, and she tried to smack Sardine but she escaped.”

      “Just like a cat!” said Roger. “Poor old Loony.”

      “You go and eat up Sardine’s dinner,” said Diana encouragingly to Loony.

      “He wouldn’t touch sardines if he were starving,” said Snubby. “Where have you been, you two?”

      They told him. “So you see, the Fair’s gone to Ricklesham now,” said Roger. “And now we’ll just wait and see if any burglary occurs there.”

      “I wish we could hear from Barney,” said Diana. “He might know some of the people in the Fair. He’s been all over the country now in fairs and circuses and shows.”

      “I’d like to see old Barney again—and dear little Miranda,” said Snubby, who had a very soft spot for the small monkey belonging to Barney. “Is it any good writing to Barney’s last address?”

      “We did that,” said Roger. “No answer came at all. We’ll have to wait till he writes to us himself.”

      A strange dog ventured into the garden. It went out again at top speed as Loony hurled himself at it, yelping madly. “He’s feeling better now,” said Snubby, looking at Loony. СКАЧАТЬ