George and Jack goes to Tigger's Barn thinking they'll prove Susie's story about a gang meeting there, is right or wrong. And then it turns out to be an adventure!
Both Peter's mother and Colin's were very angry when they arrived back so late for their dinner. Janet was so full of curiosity to know what had happened that she could hardly wait till Peter had finished. He kept frowning at her as he gobbled down his hot stew, afraid that she would ask some awkward questions.
He sent her round to collect the Secret Seven, and they all arrived in a very short time, though Colin was late because he had to finish his dinner.
Peter told them everything, and they listened, thrilled. Well, what a tale! To meet Zeb like that, and to have him telling them so much that they wanted to know!
" Little did he know why we asked him so many questions !" said Colin, with a grin. " I must say he was quite nice to us, though he's a mean-looking fellow with shifty eyes."
"This afternoon we will all go to the siding," said Peter. " We'll find out what days that goods train comes along, too."
So off they went. First they went to the station and found the porter again. He had nothing much to do and was pleased to talk to them. He told them tales of this, that and the other on the railway, and gradually Peter guided him to the subject of goods trains.
" Here comes one," said the porter. " It won't stop at the station, though no passengers to get on or off, you see. Want to count the trucks? It's not a very long train."
Most of the trucks were open ones, and they carried all kinds of things; coal, bricks, machinery, crates. The train rumbled by slowly, and the Seven counted thirty-two trucks.
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" I'd rather like to see that goods train Zeb told us about," said Peter to the porter. " The one that comes from Petlington and beyond, the 6.2,1 think he said. It's sometimes a very long one, isn't it ? "
"Yes. Well, you'd have to come on Tuesday or Friday," said the porter. " But it's dark then, so you won't see much. Look, the guard of that last goods train is waving to you!"
They waved back. The goods train got smaller and smaller in the distance and at last disappeared.
"I wonder things aren't stolen out of those open trucks," said Peter, innocently.
