Secret Seven #1 ch7

CHAPTER SEVEN A Talk with the Caretaker The three boys and Scamper had had an exciting time. They had gone down the lane, noting the car tracks as they passed. They came to the old house. They saw that the gate was shut. They leaned over the top and saw tracks going up the drive. ‘There’s my footprints that I made yesterday morning,’ said Peter, pointing to them. ‘And look, you can see Scamper’s paw-marks here and there too—but our tracks are all overlaid with others—bigger foot-marks—and other marks too, look—rather queer.’ ‘A bit like prints that would be made by someone wearing great flat, roundish slippers,’ said Jack, puzzled. ‘Who would wear slippers like that? Look, you can see them again and again, all over the place. Whoever wore them was prancing about a bit! Probably being dragged in.’ The boys leaned over the gate and considered all the marks carefully. They traced them with their eyes as far as they could see. ‘Can any of you make out if the tracks go up the front door steps?’ said Colin. ‘I can’t, from here—but it rather looks to me as if the snow is smooth up the steps—not trampled at all.’ ‘I can’t make out from here,’ said Peter. ‘Let’s go up the drive. After all, we’ve to go interview the caretaker and find out if he heard anything last night. So we’ve got to go in.’ ‘What shall we say if he asks us why we want to know?’ said Colin. ‘I mean—if he’s in this mystery, whatever it is, he may be frightfully angry if he thinks we know anything about it.’ ‘Yes, he might,’ said Peter. ‘We’ll have to be jolly clever over this. Let’s think.’

They thought. ‘I can’t think of anything except to sort of lead him on a bit—ask him if he isn’t afraid of burglars and things like that,’ said Peter at last. ‘See if we can make him talk.’ [Illustration] ‘All right,’ said Colin. ‘But it seems a bit feeble. Let’s go in.’ Scamper ran ahead down the drive. He disappeared round a corner. The boys followed the footprints carefully, noting how the slipper-like ones appeared everywhere, as if the owner had gone from side to side and hopped about like mad! ‘They _don’t_ go up the front door steps,’ said Colin. ‘I thought they didn’t! They go round the side of the house—look here—right past the side door where the caretaker came out yesterday—and down this path—and round to the kitchen door!’ ‘Well—how queer!’ said Peter, puzzled. ‘Why did everyone go prancing round to the kitchen door when there’s a front door and a side door? Yes—all three tracks are here—two sets of shoe-prints—and those funny round slipper-prints too. It beats me!’ [Illustration] They tried the kitchen door, but it was locked. They peered in at the window. The kitchen was completely bare and empty. But they saw a gas-stove, a sink piled with plates, and a pail nearby when they looked through the scullery window. ‘I suppose the caretaker has the use of the scullery, and that front room in the house,’ said Jack. ‘Look out—here he is!’ said Peter suddenly.

The old fellow was shuffling into the empty kitchen. He saw the three boys through the window and went to fling it open in a rage. ‘If you want that there dog of yours, he’s round in the front garden!’ he shouted. ‘You clear out. I won’t have kids round here. You’ll be breaking windows before I know where I am!’ ‘No, we shan’t,’ shouted Jack, determined to make the deaf old man hear. ‘We’ll just collect our dog and go. Sorry he came in here.’ ‘Aren’t you rather lonely here?’ shouted Colin. ‘Aren’t you afraid of burglars?’ ‘No. I’m not afraid,’ said the old fellow, scornfully. ‘I’ve got my big stick—and there’s nothing to steal here.’ ‘Somebody’s been round to the back door, all the same,’ shouted Peter, seeing a chance to discuss this bit of the mystery with the caretaker and see if he knew anything about it. He pointed to all the tracks leading to the back door. The old man leaned out of the window and looked at them. ‘They’re no more than the tracks you’ve made yourself, tramping about where you’ve no business to be!’ he said angrily. ‘They’re not. I bet it was burglars or something last night,’ said Peter, and all three boys looked closely at the caretaker to see if his face changed in any way. ‘Pah!’ he said. ‘Trying to frighten me, are you, with your silly boys’ nonsense!’ ‘No. I’m not,’ said. Peter. ‘Didn’t you hear anything at all last night? If burglars _were_ trying to get in, wouldn’t you hear them?’

‘I’m deaf,’ said the old man. ‘I wouldn’t hear nothing at all—but wait now—yes, I did think I heard something last night. I’d forgotten it. Ah—that’s queer, that is.’ The boys almost forgot to breathe in their excitement. ‘What did you hear?’ said Jack, forgetting to shout. The old man took no notice. He frowned, and his wrinkled face became even more wrinkled. ‘Seems like I heard some squealing or some such noise,’ he said slowly. ‘I thought it was maybe some noise in my ears—I get noises often, you know—and I didn’t go to see if anything was up. But, there now, nobody took nothing nor did any damage—so what’s the use of bothering? If people want to squeal, let ’em, I say!’ ‘Was the squealing in the house?’ shouted Peter. ‘Well, I guess I wouldn’t hear any squealing _outside_,’ said the old man. ‘I’m deaf as a post, usually. Ah, you’re just making fun of me, you are—trying to frighten an old man. You ought to be ashamed of yourselves!’ ‘Can we come in and look round?’ shouted Colin, and the others looked eagerly at the caretaker. If only he would say yes! But he didn’t, of course. ‘What are you thinking of, asking to come in!’ he cried. ‘I know you kids—pestering creatures—wasting my time like this. You clear out and don’t you come here again with your tale of burglars and such. You’ keep away. Kids like you are always up to mischief.’ Just at that moment Scamper came bounding up. He saw the old caretaker at the window and leapt up at him, in a friendly manner. The man jumped in alarm. He thought Scamper was trying to snap at him. He leaned forward and aimed a blow at him through the window with his stick. Scamper dodged and barked. ‘I’m going to teach that dog a lesson!’ cried the old fellow, in a fury. ‘Yes, and you too—standing out there cheeking me! I’ll teach you to make fun of me, you and your dog!’ He disappeared. ‘He’s going to dart out of the side door,’ said Peter. ‘Come on—we’ve learnt all we want to know. We’ll go!’