GO AHEAD SECRET SEVEN by Enid Blyton

CHAPTER 13 JOBS FOR EVERYONE

Peter gave each one of them a job to do. "Pam and Barbara, hunt through every paper you can get hold of and find out if there are many valuable dogs advertised as lost or stolen," he said.

"Yes, Peter," said the two girls.

"And mind you do your job properly this time," said Peter, sternly. "Janet, you can go and look outside the police-station and see if there are any notices there, and, as it's fairly near George's house, you can go and tell him all the latest news. He didn't come to school today, because he has a cough, so he'll be glad to sec you."

"Yes, Peter," said Janet, pleased.

"And you, Colin, and you, Jack, will come with me and Scamper to the coal-hole tonight," said Peter, dropping his voice, and sounding suddenly serious and determined. "Colin, bring that rope-ladder you've got. It will be just right for dropping down into the hole, it's not too long. Bring torches both of you, and wear rubber shoes."

"Yes, Peter," said the boys, looking and feeling very thrilled indeed. What an adventure!

"Woof-woof-woof," said Scamper.

"He said ' Yes, Peter,' too!" said Janet. "You understand every word we're saying, don't you, Scamper, darling? Peter, can't I come too?"

"Certainly not," said Peter, sounding very grown-up all of a sudden. "This is a man's job, exploring that coal-hole."

"Today's Thursday," said Pam. "Have you forgotten that you three boys are going to Ronnie's party, all of you? You can't do anything much today."

"Blow! I'd forgotten that!" said Peter. "We'll have to explore the coal-hole on Friday, then. But you girls can get on with your jobs all right. Now I think that's about all, so we'll go. We'll just be in good time for afternoon school."

They all went out of the shed, Scamper too, wagging his tail importantly. Pam and Barbara decided to go after school to the public library, where there were many papers they could read for Lost and Found advertisements. So, much to the librarian's astonishment, they seated themselves there, with copies of the daily papers and of the local papers too, around them.

They made some interesting discoveries. "Look, Pam," said Barbara, pointing with her finger to two advertisements. ' Lost or stolen, pedigree greyhound.' 'Lost or stolen, pure-bred bull-terrier.' Why, that might be the very one Colin saw! It gives names and addresses here, both in our county."

"I've found an interesting advertisement too," said Pam. "See ... 'Lost on Monday, 16th, a beautiful pedigree Saluki. Answers to name of Sally.' That's in our county too. It looks as if somebody is at work, stealing pedigree dogs!"

"Here's another," said Barbara."  'Believed stolen, pure-bred Alsatian, well-trained, answers to name of Kip.' Goodness! Suppose the boys find them all down that coal-hole!"

"What do you suppose the thief does with them?" said Pam.

"Sells them again, of course. They would be worth a lot of money," said Barbara. "Or they might claim the reward offered. See, there's a reward of twenty guineas for anyone finding the Alsatian!"

"I wonder how Janet will get on, looking at the police notices!" said Pam. "Anyway, we've done well this time. Peter can't tick us off again!"

Janet couldn't go to the police-station till the following day. She gobbled clown her midday dinner and raced off. She meant to look at the police notices, and then go and see George and tell him all the latest news.

There was only one notice about dogs, and that was to say that dogs found worrying sheep would be shot. Janet hoped with all her heart that Scamper would never do such a silly thing. She didn't think he would, because her father owned a lot of them, and Scamper was used to them. It would be so dreadful if he was shot.

She glanced at the next notice. It described a man that the police wanted to find. Janet read it with interest.

"John Wilfrid Pace, aged 71. Small and bent. Bald, with shaggy eyebrows and beard. Very hoarse voice. Shuffles badly when walking. Scar across the right cheek."

"I should know him all right if I saw him!" said Janet to herself, picturing a bent little man, bald and bearded, scarred on the face. "Now I really must go and see George, or I'll be late for school."

George was delighted to see Janet. He was perfectly all right except for a cough, but his mother was not going to let him go back to school until Monday.

"I've come to tell you all the latest news of the Secret Seven," said Janet. "Can anyone overhear us? We know you're not a member now, but we all voted that you should know what's going on. And there's plenty to tell you, George. It's all very, very exiting!"

So it was, and Janet told everything very well indeed. When she left George, he felt rather down in the dumps. All this going on and I'm not in it! he thought.

Then an idea came into his head. "Well ... why shouldn't I be init? Why shouldn't I go to that coal-hole, and watch the others going down? They needn't even know I'm there! I can find it all right. Yes, I'll go.Look out, Secret Seven, I'm coming too, though you won't see me!Hurrah!"