Mystery of the Hidden House Read Online Free PDF Page A

grinning. Ern went back to his uncle, pondering whether to repeat Pip’s words to his uncle - what were they now? Flat-footed bull-frog. That was good, that was. Good enough to put into a pome!
    “Ern and his pomes and portry!” giggled Daisy. “I wish I could get hold of that portry book - I’d write a poem in it that would make Old Clear-Orf sit up!”
    “Quite an idea!” said Fatty, and put it away in his mind for future use. “Now, Find-Outers, we’d better plan what sort of wild-goose chase we’re to send Ern on! We can’t possibly disappoint him. We’ve got to give him a bit of excitement.”
    They went to Pip’s playroom and began to plan. “It wouldn’t be a bad idea to practise a few disguises,” said Fatty thoughtfully. “It doesn’t look as if we’re going to have much fun these hols, so we might as well make our own.”
    “Oh, yes - do let’s practise disguises,” said Bets, thrilled.
    “We’re going to have a good time with old Ern,” chuckled Fatty. “Now, let’s plan. Anybody got any ideas?”
    “Well - what about a mystery kidnapping or something like that?” said Larry. “Men who kidnap rich men’s children and keep them prisoner. We might get Ern to try and rescue them.”
    “Or we might have mysterious lights at night flashing somewhere, and send Ern to see what they are?” said Bets.
    “Go on. We’re getting some good ideas,” said Fatty.
    “Or what about a robbery - with the loot hidden somewhere - and Ern has to find it?” suggested Daisy.
    “Or a collection of clues to puzzle Ern. You know how we once put a whole lot of clues down for Clear-Orf,” said Pip. “My word - I’ll never forget that.”
    Everyone laughed. Fatty tapped his knee thoughtfully with his pencil. “Jolly good idea, all of them,” he said. “Super, in fact. I vote we try and use all of them. Might as well give Ern good measure. And if old Goon gets excited about it too, so much the better. I bet Ern won’t be able to keep it dark. Goon will know there’s something up - but he won’t know how much is pretence and how much isn’t. We’ll have them both on a string!”
    “It won’t be as good as a real mystery, but it will be great fun!” said Bets, hugging herself. “It will serve Mr. Goon right for coming to complain to Daddy and Mother! And for trying to do us out of a mystery these hols.”
    “Not that there’s even a shadow of one at the moment,” said Daisy.
    “Well, now let’s get down to it,” said Fatty. “Ern will come complete with his notebook next time we see him, I’m sure of that. We’ll put down the usual headings - Clues, Suspects, Progress and so on. Then we’ll begin providing a few clues. We’d better let him find them. He’ll get awfully bucked if he thinks he’s better at spotting things than we are. I’ll make up some kind of story, which I won’t tell you now, so that it will seem quite fresh to you. You can listen with large eyes and bated breath!”
    “What’s bated breath?” asked Bets. “Do we breathe fast, or something?”
    “No - we just hold it, silly,” said Pip. “And don’t you go and give the game away, Bets. It would be just like you to do that!”
    “It would not,” said Bets, indignantly. “Would it, Fatty?”
    “No. You’re a very good little Find-Outer,” said Fatty, comfortingly. “I bet you’ll bate your breath best of any one. Hallo, what’s that?”
    “The dinner-bell,” said Pip, gloomily. “It always goes when we’re in the middle of something.”
    “Spitty,” said Fatty, and got up.
    “What do you mean - spitty?” said Larry.
    “He means ‘It’s a pity!’ ” said Bets with a giggle. “SwatIsaid,” said Fatty, and got up to go.
     
    In Fatty’s Shed
     
    The next day Ern got a message that filled him with excitement. It was a note from Fatty.
    “Developments. Must talk to you. Bottom of my garden, twelve o’clock. FT.”
    Mr. Goon saw Ern goggling over this note and became suspicious at once. “Who’s that from?”
    “One of my friends,” said Ern haughtily, and put it into his pocket.
    Mr. Goon went a