SECRET SEVEN ON THE TRAIL by Enid Blyton

CHAPTER 2 NO MORE MEETINGS TILL CHRISTMAS!

Janet poured out mugs of the lemonade, and Peter handed round the rock-buns.

" A bit stale," he said, " but nice and curranty. Two each and one for old Scamper. Sorry, Scamper; but, after all, you're not a real member of the Secret Seven, or you could have two."

"He couldn't," said Jack. "There are only fifteen buns. And anyway, I always count him in as a real member."

"You can't. We're the Secret Seven, and Scamper makes eight," said Peter. " But he can always come with us. Now listen, this is to be the last meeting, and-----"

There were surprised cries at once.

" The last meeting!  Why, what's happening ?"

"The last one! Surely you're not going to stop the Secret Seven ? "

" Oh but, Peter... surely you're not meaning---"

" Just let me speak," said Peter. " It's to be the last meeting till the holidays come again. Tomorrow all of us boys go back to school, and the girls go to their school the day after. Nothing ever happens in term-time, and anyway we're too busy to look for adventure, so-----"

"But something might happen," said Colin. " You just never know. I think it's a silly idea to stop the Secret Seven for the term-time. I do really."

" So do I," said Pam. " I like belonging to it, and wearing my badge, and remembering the password."

"Well, you can still wear your badges if you like," said Peter, "though I had thought of collecting them today, as we're all wearing them, and keeping them till our meeting next hols."

"I'm not giving mine up," said Jack, firmly. " And you needn't be afraid I'll let my sister Susie get it, either, because I've got a perfectly good hiding-place for it."

"And suppose, just suppose, something turned up in term-time," said Colin, earnestly. " Suppose one of us happened on something queer, something that ought to be looked into. What would we do if the Secret Seven was disbanded till Christmas?"

" Nothing ever turns up in term-time," repeated Peter, who liked getting his own way. "And anyway I've got to work jolly hard this term. My father wasn't at all keen on my last report."

"All right. You work hard, and keep out of the Society till Christmas," said Jack. "I'll run it with Janet. It can be the Secret Six till then. S.S. will stand for that as much as for Secret Seven."

That didn't please Peter at all. He frowned. " No," he said. " I'm the head. But seeing that you all seem to disagree with me, I'll say this, we won't have any regular meetings like we have been having, but only call one if anything does happen to turn up. And you'll see I'm right... nothing will happen!"

" We keep our badges, then, and have a password?" said Colin. "We're still a very live Society, even if nothing happens ? And we call a meeting at once if something does ? "

"Yes," said everyone, looking at Peter. They loved being the Secret Seven. It made them feel important, even if, as Colin said, nothing happened for them to look into.

"All right," said Peter. "What about a new password ? "

Everyone thought hard. Jack looked at Scamper, who seemed to be thinking too. "What about Scamper's name ? " he said. "' Scamper' would be a good password."

" It wouldn't," said Janet. " Every time anyone gave the password Scamper would think he was being called!"

" Let's have my dog's name, then... Rover," said Pam.

"No, have my aunt's dog's name," said Jack. " Cheeky Charlie. That's a good password."

"Yes! Cheeky Charlie! We'll have that," said Peter. " Nobody would ever think of that for a password. Right... Cheeky Charlie it is! "

The rock-buns were passed round for the second time. Scamper eyed them longingly. He had had his. Pam took pity on him and gave him half hers, and Barbara did the same.

Scamper then fixed his eyes mournfully on Jack, who immediately gave him a large piece of his bun too.

" Well! " said Peter, " Scamper's had more than any real member of the Secret Seven! He'll be thinking he can run the whole Society soon! "

" Wuff," said Scamper, thumping his tail on the ground, and looking at Peter's bun.

The lemonade was finished. The last crumb of cake had been licked up by Scamper. The sun came out and shone down through the window of the shed.

" Come on... let's go out and play," said Peter, getting up. "School tomorrow! Well, these have been jolly good hols. Now, Secret Seven, you all know the password, don't you ? You probably won't have to use it till the Christmas holidays, so just make up your minds to remember it. Our next meeting can be on the day after we break up this term!"

" I bet it will be before then," said George.

" Well, we'll see who's right," said Peter. " Let's go and collect pine-cones and make a bonfire. Come on, Scamper, you can pick up pine-cones too!"