SECRET SEVEN ADVENTURE by Enid Blyton

CHAPTER 15 A SHOCK FOR PETER AND COLIN

The Seven went hurriedly out of the circus field and into the lane. George rubbed his ankle where one of Louis's stones had struck him.

"Beast!" he said. "Why didn't he want us to peep in that little old caravan? It's only used for storing things, anyway."

"Maybe the thief has hidden the pearls there!" said Janet with a laugh.

Peter stared at her and thought hard. "Do you know... you might be right!" he said, slowly. "We are certain the thief belongs to the circus... we're certain the pearls must be there... and why should Louis be so upset when we just peeped into that caravan?"

"I wish we could search it and see," said Colin, longingly. "But I don't see how we can."

"Well, I do!" said Peter. "You and I will go to tonight's performance of the circus, Colin... but we'll slip out at half-time, when all the performers are in the ring, or behind it... and we'll see if those pearls are hidden there!"

"But surely they won't be?" asked Pam. "It seems such a silly place."

"I've got a sort of a hunch about it," said Peter, obstinately.  "I just can't explain it. Those queer round marks seemed to lead there, didn't they? Well, that's peculiar enough, to begin with."

"It certainly is," said Barbara. "Marks made by a one-legged man who doesn't exist! This is a silly adventure, I think,"

"It isn't really," said George. "It's a bit like a jigsaw puzzle... the bits look quite odd and hopeless when they're all higgledy-piggledy... but as soon as you fit them together properly, they make a clear picture."

"Yes... and what we've got so far is a lot of odd bits that really belong to one another... but we don't know how they fit," said Pam. "A bit of blue wool belonging to socks we saw on the line... a tweed cap that matches a coat worn by someone we know isn't the thief! Queer marks that turn up everywhere and don't tell us anything."

"Come on... let's get home," said Jack, looking at his watch. "It's almost dinner-time. We've spent all the morning snooping about for nothing. Actually I'm beginning to feel quite muddled over this adventure. We keep following up trails that aren't any use at all."

"No more meetings today," said Peter, as they walked down the lane. "Colin and I will meet tonight by ourselves and go to the circus. Bring a torch, Colin. Golly... suppose we found the pearls hidden in that old caravan!"

"We shan't," said Colin. "I can't think why you're so set on searching it. All right... meet you at the circus gate tonight!"

He was there first. Peter came running up a little later. They went in together, groaning at having to pay out two more shillings. "Just for half the show, too," whispered Peter.

The two boys went into the big tent and found seats near the back, so that they could easily slip out unnoticed. They sat down and waited for the show to begin.

It really was very good, and the clowns, stilt-walkers and acrobats seemed better than ever. The boys were quite sorry to slip out before the show was over.

It was dark in the circus field now. They stopped to get their direction. "Over there," said Peter, taking Colin's arm. "See... that's the caravan, I'm sure."

They made their way cautiously towards the caravan. They didn't dare to put on their torches in case someone saw them and challenged them. Peter fell over the bottom step of the caravan, and then began to climb up carefully.

"Come on," he whispered to Colin. "It's all clear! The door isn't locked, either. We'll creep in, and begin our search immediately!"

The two boys crept into the caravan. They bumped into something in the darkness. "Dare we put on our torches yet?" whispered Colin.

"Yes. I can't hear anyone near," whispered back Peter. So, very cautiously, shading the beam with their hands, they switched on their torches.

They got a dreadful shock at once. They were in the wrong caravan! This wasn't the little caravan in which all kinds of things from the circus were stored... this was a caravan people lived in. Good gracious!

Suppose they were caught, what a row they would get into.

"Get out,quickly!" said Peter. But even as he spoke, Colin clutched his arm. He had heard voices outside! Then someone came up the step. Whatever were they going to do now!