Five on Finniston Farm by Enid Blyton Page B

something down at their feet. „What"s this you"ve found?" said Harry, picking it up. „Some dirty old bone?"
    Julian suddenly took it from him, almost snatching it. „Bone? No - that"s not a bone. It"s a small carved dagger with a broken handle - old as the hil s! SNIPPET! Where did you find it?"
    „The jackdaw"s got something too!" cried Anne, pointing to him. „Look - in his beak!"
    Harriet caught the jackdaw easily, for he stil could not fly. „It"s a ring!" she said. „With a red stone in it - look!"
    Al six children gazed at the two strange articles. An old carved knife, black with age -
    and an old ring, with a stone stil set in it! They could have come from only one place!
    George said what everyone was thinking.
    „Snippet and the jackdaw have been to the cel ars of the castle! They must have! That burrow must have led straight into the tunnel that goes to the dungeons and the cel ars -
    and they"ve been there! Oh, Snippet - you clever, clever dog - you"ve told us JUST what we want to know!"
    „George is right!" said Dick, jubilantly. „We know quite a lot of things now, because of Snippet and Nosey. We know there must be plenty of things stil in those castle cellars -
    and we know that somewhere near the end of this burrow is the secret passage -
    because that"s the only way they could have got into the cel ars - by using the passage!
    The burrow led into the passage! Don"t you agree, Julian?"
    „Rather!" said Julian, flushed with excitement. „My word, this is a bit of good luck! Hurrah for Snippet and Nosey. Look, the jackdaw"s trying to fly - his wing isn"t badly hurt - just bruised, I expect. Good old Nosey - little did he know what his bit of mischief would lead to!"
    „What happens now?" said George, her eyes shining. „Do we dig, too - now that we know where the passage is? It can"t be very far - and once we"ve got down to it, we can easily get into the cellars before that American does!"
    WHAT an excitement! Timmy real y thought everyone had gone completely mad!

Chapter Fifteen
DIGGING FOR THE SECRET TUNNEL

    „How can we get permission to dig?" asked Anne. „I mean - wil we be allowed to?"
    „I don"t see why not - Mr Henning has only been given permission to dig in one place,"
    said Julian. „I bet we"d get permission to dig just here - it"s a pretty good way from the castle-site, anyway."
    „Why shouldn"t we just dig and see if anyone stops us?" said George. „If Mr Philpot stops us, we could tell him what we"re really doing. He"d probably let us, then. But whatever happens, we don"t want Mr Henning to know what we"ve discovered - or think we"ve discovered!"
    „Well, what shall we say then, if he asks why we"re digging?" said Anne.
    „Say sil y things - joke about it!" said Dick. „Twins, have you work to do this morning? Can you find us spades, do you think?"
    „Yes - you can have our spades, and Dad"s old ones, too!" said Harry. „We wish we could help - but we"ve tons to do, and we"re late already."
    „Oh dear - and I promised that George and I woulcl help in the kitchen!" said Anne. „And pick peas for dinner and pod them - and get more raspberries! Can you and Dick dig al on your own, Ju?"
    „Good heavens, yes!" said Julian. „It"l be slower with just two of us digging, but we"ll soon get deep down, you"l see! Anyway, we could all take turns this afternoon, perhaps, if the twins finish their work."
    „We wil ! We"ll do it at top speed!" said Harry and Harriet together. „Now we"l get some spades for you."
    They raced off, with Snippet beside them, and the two girls went down the hil more slowly, feeling very thril ed. If only, only they could dig down and find the secret passage from the chapel to the cellars of the old castle! Timmy felt the excitement and wagged his tail happily. He was always happy when George was thril ed about anything.
    Harriet soon brought two big spades and two smaller ones to the boys. They were heavy, and she panted as she carried them up the