The Secret Seven have a fantastic new hiding place but someone else is using it at night and it's Jack's little sister Susie who helps them catch the intruder.
'Let's clear out of here quickly,' said Colin, in a low voice, looking nervously all round the cave. 'If Albert Tanner, whoever he is, is anywhere near, as he does seem to be, we don't want him to know we've found his note-book. We're all ready to go, let's scoot off quickly, and examine the note-book in secret.'
'Good idea' said Peter. 'Ready everyone? Come on then! Scamper, to heel!'
They left the cave and went out into the bright sunshine, each carrying a load. The tins, alas, were now empty, and very light to carry. Half Colin's 'Famous Five' books were gone, so he hadn't a great load, either. Most of the magazines had disappeared too. Evidently their mysterious visitor was quite a reader!
They went through the quarry and into Peter's garden. 'We'll go to the summer-house, I think,' said Peter. 'It's not very comfortable, but at least we can talk in secret there.'
Soon they were all sitting on the little bench that ran round the old summer-house, with Scamper panting on the floor in a patch of warm sunshine.
Peter took the worn note-book out of his pocket and opened it. The others crowded as near as possible to see what was in it. Peter turned over the pages.
'Albert Tanner has written his name in the front as you know,' he said. 'Which was kind of him, I must say, we at least know the name of our visitor now! There doesn't seem much else in the book, actually. Just a few notes of money and various dates, and a few words scribbled here and there. Let's see... yes... potatoes, turnips, tomatoes, flour, just a shopping list, I suppose.'
He turned over a page or two. 'Another shopping list, and some figures jotted down. It doesn't seem as if this note-book is going to be of any use at all!'
Jack took it from him and looked through it too. At the back was a folded-in piece of leather to hold paper money. Peter hadn't noticed it. Jack slipped his fingers in to see if anything could be there.
Yes, a slip of paper - small and torn, with something scribbled on it in a different handwriting from Albert Tanner's.
'Look here!' said Jack. 'This was in the back of the note-book. See what it says? It's a note to Albert Tanner.'
'What does it say?' asked Janet, excited. 'Anything of use to us ?'
'It's just scribble,' said Jack, screwing up his eyes. 'It says, "Daren't write it. Jim knows the place. He'll tell you. Meet him on post-office seat 8.30 p.m., 15th. Ted."'
'The 15th! That's to-day,' said Peter. 'Read it again, it's evidently an important message, but how mysterious! What's this "place" Jim is going to tell Albert? My word; if only we could know it! We could go to the "place" Jim says and have a good snoop round.'
A little feeling of excitement began to stir in everyone. Colin caught hold of Peter's sleeve.
I'll go to the post-office seat to-night and sit there, perhaps I shall see this "Jim" and hear what he says to Albert. I shall see Albert too!'
There was a silence, and the excitement suddenly grew stronger. 'All of us four boys will go,' said Peter. 'Not the girls. Just us four.'
'You can't,' said Janet. 'You're going to see "Westward Ho!" at the cinema. Mother's taking us both. And George is coming too, don't you remember?'
'Blow!' said Peter. 'Well, we can't get out of that without giving the whole thing away. Colin, you and Jack must go. And for goodness' sake listen with all your ears, and hear what's being said!'
'Right,' said Colin, thrilled. 'Can you come, Jack?'
'Rather!' said Jack. 'And what about us shadowing Albert and Jim, Peter? One of us could follow Albert, and the other one could follow Jim. It might be useful to know where Jim lives, and I must say I'd like to follow Albert if he goes back to the cave!'
'A jolly good idea,' said Peter. 'I only wish I could come too. But it's no good. I begged and begged to go to "Westward Ho!", and I can't get out of it now.'
They pored over the little note again, written in a bad handwriting, hurried and careless. Peter read it out aloud once more.
'Daren't write it. Jim knows the place. He'll tell you. Meet him on post-office seat 8.30 p.m., 15th. Ted.'
'Would there be something hidden in this place... that is in the note, do you think?' said Janet.
'Yes. Probably,' said Peter, thinking hard. 'And if it's hidden, it's valuable. And if it's valuable it may be stolen goods.'
'Yes. Goods stolen by Ted, whoever he is, and hidden away!' said Colin. 'Or stolen by Ted and Albert, and Ted hid them, then got caught, perhaps, and went to prison. And now he wants Albert to find them.'
Everyone laughed. 'You've made quite a story of it!' said Jack. 'I don't expect it's anything like that really. All the same, as soon as we know the place we'll certainly go there, if only we can get there before Albert does!'
'Yes, that's not going to be so easy!' said Peter. 'Maybe Albert will go there at once.'
'I hope he does!' said Colin. 'We'll be shadowing him, and he'll lead us right to this mysterious "place", wherever it is!'
'I wish I was going to be with you to-night,' said Peter longingly. 'It's an adventure, you know, and they don't come very often. I WISH I was going to share it!'
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