SECRET SEVEN MYSTERY by Enid Blyton

CHAPTER 5 PAM AND BARBARA ARE BUSY

Now how had the others been getting on? Well, Pam and Barbara had been having a very busy time. They had planned to explore the woods and the fields on the east side of Belling, while the boys and Janet explored the rest of the countryside - or as much as they could!

'There's an old shed in that field, look,' panted Barbara, as she toiled up a hill on her bicycle. 'Let's go and see if it looks as if someone is camping there.'

They left their bicycles by a gate and climbed into the field. The shed was in good repair - and the door was locked!

'Hm,' said Pam. 'Locked! I wonder why. Field sheds aren't usually locked. How can we look inside, Barbara?'

"There's a tiny window this side,' reported Barbara. 'But too high up to peep through. Let's look through the keyhole.'

There was nothing whatever to see through the keyhole, for the inside of the shed was pitch dark. It would have to be the window or nothing! Pam fetched her bicycle from the gate and proposed to stand on the saddle while Barbara held it steady. She was just about to stand on the saddle when a loud shout made her lose her balance in fright and fall off.

'Hey, you! What are you doing?'

The two girls turned round and saw a farm labourer leading a horse towards them. Pam couldn't think of any excuse but the truth.

'We - we were only just wondering what was in the shed,' she stammered. 'We weren't doing any harm.'

'Well, that's the shed where I lock up my tools,' said the man. 'Little nosy-parkers! If you were boys I'd give you a hiding!'

The girls left that field at top speed, Pam riding her bicycle over the bumpy clods! Goodness - what a cross fellow!

'We'd better be careful of the next shed we want to look into,' said Pam, as they cycled along. 'Look -there's an empty caravan - see, in that field there. That would be a good place for anyone to hide in. Now for goodness' sake let's be careful this time. I'll keep guard while you look inside. Buck up!'

Pam stood on guard near the dirty, broken-down old van, which looked as if no one had lived in it for years.

Barbara went cautiously up the steps and looked inside.

She beckoned to Pam in excitement.

'Pam! Someone does live here! There are a couple of dirty old rugs - or blankets - and a tin mug and plate - do come and look!'

Pam came up the steps too. 'Pooh!' she said, and held her nose. 'What a frightful smell! Come down, Barbara. You know jolly well you'd never hide in a place like that, nor any other schoolgirl either. I think I'm going to be sick.'

'You're right - I'd rather sleep in a ditch than in there,' said Barbara. 'Don't be sick, Pam. It's not worth it. Come on, let's get on with our job. We want to have plenty to report to the others this afternoon.'

Pam decided not to be sick after all, and they rode on again, keeping a sharp eye out for any kind of hiding-place. But except for a roadman's hut, they saw nothing else that was possible to hide in. They didn't even stop at the little hut, because the roadman himself was there, sitting in it and having some kind of snack.

'What about the woods?' asked Pam, at last. "There's Thorney-Copse Wood - and it has plenty of thick bushes in it. We might go there. We've still got an hour to look round in.'

So they went to the nearby woods, and left their bicycles beside a tree. 'Now let's be as quiet as possible,' said Pam, in a low voice. 'You go that way, and I'll go this. Whistle twice if you see anything interesting.'

She went quietly in and out of the trees, looking behind any thick bush and even under them. But there was nothing at all interesting or exciting to be seen. Pam found an empty cigarette packet, and Barbara found a dirty handkerchief with J.P. on it, but neither of them felt that they were of any value in the hunt. Now if E.M.W.S. had been marked on the handkerchief, what a thrill!

And then Pam suddenly clutched hold of Barbara, making her jump violently, and hissed in her ear. 'Quiet! Somebody's coming, and it's a girl - look!'

They crept under a thick bush at once, and made little peep-holes through the leaves. Yes, it was a schoolgirl - in navy blue coming down a path towards their bush.

' Keep still - and then we'll follow her!' whispered Pam.' I bet that's the girl we want!'

The girl's hat was pulled well down over her eyes. She walked boldly up to the bush - and then suddenly fell into it, almost squashing Pam and Barbara. She began to roar with laughter.

'Oh, it's susie. Jack's horrible sister Susie!' cried Barbara, indignantly. 'Get off us, Susie - you've nearly squashed us flat. What did you do that for?'

'Well, you were lying in wait to jump out at me, weren't you?' asked Susie. 'I spotted you crawling into the bush!'

'We were not lying in wait for you,' said Pam.

'Well,' said Susie, 'what were you doing then? Come on - you've got to tell me!'