GO AHEAD SECRET SEVEN by Enid Blyton

CHAPTER 16 UNPLEASANT SURPRISES

Somebody came up out of the shadows very suddenly and quietly. The boys swung round at his voice.

"And what are you doing here?"

It was the tall, stooping man they had seen coming out of the building and getting on the bus! Yes, hat well pulled down, squared shoulders, queer hand! They couldn't see his face even now, under the shade of his black hat.

The boys, taken by surprise, didn't know what to say. The man suddenly opened a nearby cage, and spoke loudly.

"Guard them, Kip."

The enormous Alsatian leapt out, went to the boys and glared at them, snarling and showing his teeth. Scamper shrank back, afraid. The boys didn't like it at all, either. They didn't dare to move a step.

The man laughed. "That's right. Keep still. See my hand with two fingers off? Well, that's what an Alsatian did to me when I moved while he was guarding me!",

The boys said nothing. Peter felt wild with himself. They had thought themselves so clever, getting down to explore these cellars and sec what they could find, and now here they were, trapped, and guarded by the fiercest Alsatian he had ever seen. He hoped and hoped that Scamper would not do anything silly. Kip would gobble him up in a mouthful!

The man fired questions at them. "How did you come here? What for? Does anyone know you are here? Do you know the kind of things that happen to boys who poke their noses into things that are no concern of theirs? You don't? Then you soon will!"

He gave a sudden sharp order to the bald old man, who was muttering to himself in his creaking voice. "Got your keys? Then lock these boys up in the cages. Kip, bring them here."

Kip rounded up the boys as if they had been sheep, and hustled them in front of the man. Then one by one the Alsatian propelled each of them into a cage, snarling if they resisted. The old bald fellow locked them in, chortling to himself. Colin saw there was a scar across his face as the man looked up at him. There was no doubt about it, he was the old man that Janet had read about in the police notice! But not one of them could tell the police that the fellow was here, because they were all well and truly locked up.

The dogs were roaming about, growling and uneasy. The stooping man had them under control, though, and one sharp word from him was obeyed at once by any dog. He stood in front of the cages mockingly. Scamper was not in a cage, but crouched outside Peter's frightened and puzzled.

"I'm going now," said the tall man to the little bald fellow. "I'm taking the dogs in the car. You won't see me again. It's too dangerous here now. You don't need to know anything if anyone comes asking questions. Just play the idiot ... that should be easy for you!"

"I'm afraid of the police," creaked the old man.

"Well, hide away in the cellars," said the other. "It's a warren of a place. No one will ever find you. Let these kids out in twenty-four hours' time. I'll be well away by then, so it doesn't matter what kind of tale they tell! They don't know anything, anyway."

"We do!" said Peter, boldly. "We know that all these dogs are stolen. We know that this bald fellow is wanted by the police. We know the young man who brings the dogs here for you! We know you use the building above this cellar for your headquarters. We know..."

The tall man limped over to Peter's cage. For one moment the boy saw his furious, gleaming eyes and was afraid. Scamper thought he was about to harm Peter, and he flew at him and bit him hard on the ankle!

The man gave an exclamation and kicked out at Scamper. He caught him in the mouth, and the dog fled away yelping, and was lost in the shadows.

Then the man was gone, and with him went the dogs, cowed and obedient. He obviously had some extraordinary control over them ... perhaps he had been a dog-trainer, Peter thought. The old bald fellow laughed hoarsely at the frightened faces of the three boys in the cages, and his little mongrel dog sat down beside him with his mouth open as if he was laughing too.

"Boys! I don't like boys! Nasty tormenting creatures. I always said as they did ought to be shut up in cages!" He gave a creaking laugh. "And now here you be, locked in my cages, and nobody knows where you are. Shall I tell you something, young sirs? If so be as the police come after me and take me, I'll not tell them about you. I'll say to myself, "What, you'll take poor old John Pace and shut him up? Aha! Then I won't tell you about them boys!"

He went off into a cackle of laughter, and then set off with his little mongrel at his heels. The boys were silent for a moment and then Peter spoke.

"We're properly caught. Goodness knows how long we'll be in this dark, horrible, smelly place. I wonder where Scamper's gone. He can't get up that rope-ladder by himself, or he'd go home and get help. I hope he's not hurt."

"Sh! Listen! There's somebody else coming!" said Colin. "I heard something, I'm sure. Gosh! I hope it's not that horrible young man. It would be just our luck if he came along with another dog for the other fellow!"

There was a pattering noise as well as cautious footsteps. Was it that young man and a dog? The three boys held their breath as the footsteps came nearer and nearer. Then a torch suddenly flashed out on the cages!