SECRET SEVEN MYSTERY by Enid Blyton

CHAPTER 13 WAITING AND WATCHING

That night Peter, Jack, George, and Colin slipped silently out of their houses. Jack was very much afraid that Susie might hear him, but when he put his ear to her door, he could hear gentle little snores. Good - she was asleep! He remembered Peter's threat to dismiss him from the Secret Seven if he wasn't careful about Susie, and he felt very glad to hear those snores!

The boys met together and then cycled quickly over to the grandmother's house in Belling. They met nobody at all, not even a policeman, and were very thankful. The four of them dismounted quietly and put their bicycles into the hedge beyond Bramble Cottage. The cottage was in complete darkness.

'The only person to hoot is me,' whispered Peter. 'If we all hoot when we hear or see something interesting or suspicious, it would sound as if the garden was full of owls - and any policeman would be jolly suspicious!'

'All right,' whispered back George. 'Can we choose our own hiding-places? What about two of us going to hide in the garden at the front of the house, and two at the back?'

'No - two at the back, one in the front - you, Colin - and one at the side where the side-door is,' said Peter, in a low voice. 'Don't forget that Miss Wardle said she thought Elizabeth might have a key to that door - and there are no bolts there on the inside!'

' Oh, yes!' said Jack. I'll go and hide in the hedge beside the garden door, Peter. There isn't any door on the fourth side. We shall be watching every door there is - and every window.'

'It's very dark,' said Peter, looking up at the sky. There's no moon, and it's a cloudy night, so there are no stars either. We shall have to keep our ears wide open, because it may be pretty difficult to see anything.'

'Our eyes will soon get used to the darkness,' said Colin. 'I say - listen, what's that?' He clutched at Peter and made him jump.

A slight noise came from near by, and then a shadow loomed up. A voice spoke. 'It's me - Tom. I was waiting here, and I heard you. Where are you hiding?'

They told him. 'Well, I think I'll climb up a tree,' said Tom, in a low voice. 'That will be a very good place to watch from - or listen from! I don't think any policemen are about. I've been here for some time.'

'Hoot if you hear anyone coming,' Peter reminded him. I'll hoot back. But only you or I will hoot.'

I'll find a tree to climb,' whispered Tom. 'See -that one over there, near the wall. I shall have a good view from there - if only the clouds clear and the stars shine out!'

The four went to find their own hiding-places, feeling pleasantly excited. This was fun! They heard Tom climbing his tree. Then there was silence. Peter was snuggled into a bush, from where he could keep good watch.

A sudden screech made everyone jump, and their hearts beat fast. Whatever was it? Then a white shadow swept round the dark garden, and everyone heaved a sigh of relief.

'Only a barn-owl!' thought Peter. 'Goodness - it made me jump. Good thing it doesn't hoot, only screeches - or we would all of us have thought that someone was coming!'

Nothing happened for a while - then a low, quavering hoot came across the garden. 'Hoo! Hoo-hoo-hoo-hoooooooo!'

'That's Tom!' thought Peter, and he and the others in hiding stiffened, and listened hard, trying to see through the darkness.

Then someone brushed by Peter's bush and he crouched back in fright. He heard a little cough - a man's cough. It must be a policeman who had come along so quietly that no one but Tom had heard him. Peter waited a few seconds till he was sure that the man had found a hiding-place, and then he hooted too.

'Hoo! Hoo-hoo-hoo-hooooooooo!'

Now everyone must guess that at least one policeman was in the garden! Peter's heart began to thump. Suddenly things seemed very strange and very exciting-all the dark shadows around, and so many people waiting! He half hoped that Elizabeth would not come to her granny's house that night. It would be so frightening for her to be surrounded suddenly by complete strangers! Then suddenly he stared in amazement. Was that a light he saw in one of the upstairs rooms of the house? A light like that made by a torch? Yes - it was! He could see the beam moving here and there behind the drawn curtains!

Elizabeth must be there - she must have got in somehow, in spite of everyone watching! Or could it be Miss Wardle creeping about with a torch? No -surely she would switch on a light!

Peter gave a hoot again. 'Hoooo! Hoo-hoo-hoo-hooooooooo!' That would make certain that everyone was on guard. If Elizabeth had got in, then she would have to get out - and surely one of them would see her!

The light in the upstairs room disappeared - and reappeared again in another room. Peter thought it was the kitchen. Perhaps the hungry runaway girl was looking for food again?

How had she got in? But, more important still -where was she going to come out?