frightened - or furious - or perhaps hurt?
Timmy was absolutely miserable. He knew by now that something had happened to George. He had gone a dozen times to the place where her dressing-gown girdle had been found, and had sniffed round disconsolately.
Sal y knew he was unhappy and trotted after him soberly. When he lay down she lay down beside him. When he got up, she got up too. It would have been amusing to watch if anyone had felt like being amused. But nobody felt that way!
Footsteps came up the path. „The police!" said Julian. „They"ve not been long!"
Chapter Fifteen
DISCOVERIES IN THE WOOD
The sergeant had come and also a constable. Anne felt comforted when she saw the big, solid, responsible-looking men. Julian took them into the sitting-room, and began to tell all that had happened.
In the middle of it there came the sound of footsteps racing down the stairs, and up the hall. „We"re just off!" shouted Joan"s voice. „Can"t stop to say good-bye, or we shall miss the bus!"
Down the garden path rushed Joan, carrying a small suitcase of her own, which she had lent Berta, because Berta"s was too grand. In it she had packed the very simplest of Berta"s clothes, but secretly she had thought that she would tel her cousin to dress Berta in some of Jo"s things.
Berta ran behind her - a different Berta now, dressed in a frock instead of jeans and jersey.
She waved to the others as she went, trying to smile.
„Good old Berta!" said Dick. „She"s got quite a lot in her, that kid."
„In fact, she"s quite a honey!" said Julian, trying to make Anne smile.
„What"s all that?" said the sergeant, in surprise, nodding his head towards the front path, down which Joan and Berta had just rushed.
Julian explained. The sergeant frowned. „You shouldn"t have arranged about that til you"d consulted us," he said. Julian was quite taken aback.
„Well, you see," he said, „it seemed to me that I must get Berta out of the house and hidden away at once in case the kidnappers realised quickly that they"d got the wrong girl."
„That"s so," said the sergeant. „Stil , you should have consulted us. It seems quite a good idea to put her in that quiet vil age, with Jo to see to her - she"s sharp, that Jo. I wouldn"t put it past her to hoodwink the kidnappers any day! But this is a very serious business, you realise, Master Julian - it can"t be dealt with by children."
„Can you get George back?" asked Anne, breaking in with the question she had been longing to ask ever since the police came.
„Maybe," said the sergeant. „Now I"l get in touch with your aunt and uncle, Master Julian, and with Mr Elbur Wright, and..."
The telephone rang just then and Anne answered it. „It"s for you, Sergeant," she said, and he took the receiver from her.
„Ha. Hm. Just so. Yes, yes. Right. Ha. Hm." The sergeant replaced the receiver and went back to Julian and the others. „News has just come in that the kidnappers have contacted Mr Elbur Wright, and told him they"ve got his daughter Berta," he said.
„Oh! And have they demanded that he shal tell them the secret figures he knows?" asked Julian.
The sergeant nodded. „Yes. He"s almost off his head with shock! He"s promised to give them all they want. Very foolish!"
„Gosh - you"d better tel him it"s not Berta they"ve got, but George," said Dick. „Then he"ll sit tight!"
The sergeant frowned. „Now, you leave this to us," he said, ponderously. „You"l only hinder us if you interfere or try meddling on your own. You just sit back and take things easy."
„What! With George kidnapped and in danger'?" exploded Dick. „What are you going to do to get her back?"
„Now, now!" said the sergeant, annoyed. „She is in no danger - she"s not the person they want. They wil free her as soon as they realise that."
„They won"t," said Dick. „They"l get on to her father and make him give up a few secrets!"
„Well, that wil give us a little more time to find these men," said
Timmy was absolutely miserable. He knew by now that something had happened to George. He had gone a dozen times to the place where her dressing-gown girdle had been found, and had sniffed round disconsolately.
Sal y knew he was unhappy and trotted after him soberly. When he lay down she lay down beside him. When he got up, she got up too. It would have been amusing to watch if anyone had felt like being amused. But nobody felt that way!
Footsteps came up the path. „The police!" said Julian. „They"ve not been long!"
Chapter Fifteen
DISCOVERIES IN THE WOOD
The sergeant had come and also a constable. Anne felt comforted when she saw the big, solid, responsible-looking men. Julian took them into the sitting-room, and began to tell all that had happened.
In the middle of it there came the sound of footsteps racing down the stairs, and up the hall. „We"re just off!" shouted Joan"s voice. „Can"t stop to say good-bye, or we shall miss the bus!"
Down the garden path rushed Joan, carrying a small suitcase of her own, which she had lent Berta, because Berta"s was too grand. In it she had packed the very simplest of Berta"s clothes, but secretly she had thought that she would tel her cousin to dress Berta in some of Jo"s things.
Berta ran behind her - a different Berta now, dressed in a frock instead of jeans and jersey.
She waved to the others as she went, trying to smile.
„Good old Berta!" said Dick. „She"s got quite a lot in her, that kid."
„In fact, she"s quite a honey!" said Julian, trying to make Anne smile.
„What"s all that?" said the sergeant, in surprise, nodding his head towards the front path, down which Joan and Berta had just rushed.
Julian explained. The sergeant frowned. „You shouldn"t have arranged about that til you"d consulted us," he said. Julian was quite taken aback.
„Well, you see," he said, „it seemed to me that I must get Berta out of the house and hidden away at once in case the kidnappers realised quickly that they"d got the wrong girl."
„That"s so," said the sergeant. „Stil , you should have consulted us. It seems quite a good idea to put her in that quiet vil age, with Jo to see to her - she"s sharp, that Jo. I wouldn"t put it past her to hoodwink the kidnappers any day! But this is a very serious business, you realise, Master Julian - it can"t be dealt with by children."
„Can you get George back?" asked Anne, breaking in with the question she had been longing to ask ever since the police came.
„Maybe," said the sergeant. „Now I"l get in touch with your aunt and uncle, Master Julian, and with Mr Elbur Wright, and..."
The telephone rang just then and Anne answered it. „It"s for you, Sergeant," she said, and he took the receiver from her.
„Ha. Hm. Just so. Yes, yes. Right. Ha. Hm." The sergeant replaced the receiver and went back to Julian and the others. „News has just come in that the kidnappers have contacted Mr Elbur Wright, and told him they"ve got his daughter Berta," he said.
„Oh! And have they demanded that he shal tell them the secret figures he knows?" asked Julian.
The sergeant nodded. „Yes. He"s almost off his head with shock! He"s promised to give them all they want. Very foolish!"
„Gosh - you"d better tel him it"s not Berta they"ve got, but George," said Dick. „Then he"ll sit tight!"
The sergeant frowned. „Now, you leave this to us," he said, ponderously. „You"l only hinder us if you interfere or try meddling on your own. You just sit back and take things easy."
„What! With George kidnapped and in danger'?" exploded Dick. „What are you going to do to get her back?"
„Now, now!" said the sergeant, annoyed. „She is in no danger - she"s not the person they want. They wil free her as soon as they realise that."
„They won"t," said Dick. „They"l get on to her father and make him give up a few secrets!"
„Well, that wil give us a little more time to find these men," said
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