GOOD OLD SECRET SEVEN by Enid Blyton

11 SUSIE'S TALE

'Ishan't say a word if you shout at me,' said Susie. 'And Binkie and I will yellthe place down if you're unkind to us.'

'Unkind!unkind! Well, what about you and Binkie!' cried Janet. 'Interfering in all ourplans! It was you down in that dungeon, wasn't it .... yowling and ... and ... well, what were you doing to make those bangs?'

'They weren't bangs ... they were loud pops,' said Susie, with a sudden giggle. 'The same as wemade down in that dungeon. Look ... I'llshow you!' The two girls looked highly pleased with themselves.

And to the great disgust of the Secret Seven shetook a small bundle of coloured rubber out of her pocket and blew hard into it.It swelled up into a truly colossal balloon! Susie held it away from her andBinkie promptly jabbed it with a large phi. pop!

'That's what scared you away ... balloons popping ... andyowls!' said Binkie, giving them a wicked grin, and putting the big pin backunder her coat lapel. 'Did our hoots and yowls sound awful coming up those oldstone steps?'

'You'dno right to go down into those dungeons,' said Peter, severely. 'Didn't you seethe notice? Don't tell me you put that notice there!'

'No, we didn't. But it wasn't there when I went upto see the castle with some friends in the summer,' said Binkie, 'so I guessedit couldn't be very dangerous to go down! It was only printed by hand too ... not properly, like the other notices.'

'So it was,' said Jack, remembering. 'I say ... do you suppose that whoever is hiding there wrote out that noticehimself, to stop people prying in the dungeons?'

'And stop them finding something he had hidden there!'exclaimed George. 'It's just like Susie to disobey warnings.'

'Did you see anything hidden there?' said Peter.'Tell us at once.'

'Yes, we did,' said Susie. 'But unless you ask mepolitely, I shan't tell you anything.'

Peter glared at her. Exasperating, irritatinggirl! She grinned cheekily at him. 'Say "please, Susie",' she said.

And poor Peter had to do as he was told! He justhad to know what was down in the dungeons

.'Please, Susie,' he said, quite fiercely.

'Not like that. Really politely,' said Susie.

'Susie! I'll shake you to bits if you go on likethis!' said Jack suddenly. 'I'm ashamed of you

... talking to Peter like that. I'll ... I'll...'

'All right, all right. I'll tell you what we saw,'said Susie, hastily, knowing quite well that her brother would certainly giveher a really good shaking if she was cheeky much longer. 'Listen, all of you.'

Everyone listened intently as Susie told what hadhappened to her and Binkie yesterday morning. Binkie sat beside her, noddingher head every now and then as Susie related her story.

'Well,' began Susie, 'we knew you were all goingup there, of course, and we knew you thought there was someone hiding in thecastle, because we heard what Jack said on the phone. So we thought we'd gotoo, and get there before you, so that we could play a few tricks.'

'Yes ... buthow did you get there? Your bikes were in the shed. I saw them,' said Jack.

'Have you forgotten that there are such things asbuses?' said Susie. 'We just caught the bus that goes up the hill and stops atthe top. We hopped off and made our way over the fields to the castle ... to the back of it, not the front, in case you came early.'

'Buses! Why didn't we think of that!' groanedJack. 'So you were there a long time before, us?'

'Oh yes ... andwhen we came up to the back of the castle, very quietly, just in case anyonewas there, we saw someone sitting on an old stone, painting the castle.'

'Painting a picture of it, she means,' put inBinkie, seeing that some of the Seven looked rather astonished. 'Goodness ... she jumped like anything when we came up behind her, because she hadn'theard us coming over the grass.'

'Did you talk to her?' asked Peter. 'We thought itwas a man there, not a woman. The person I saw through the telescope seemed tohave a man's cap on.'

'Oh, this woman had no cap ... but she wears her hair sort of piled up on top of her head. I supposeit looked like a cap, in the distance,' said Susie, who was now enjoyingherself thoroughly. 'Well...'

Scamper suddenly growled and ran to the door.'Someone's coming!' said Peter. 'Who is it?'

There was a knock at the door, and then cameCookie's cheerful voice. 'I won't come in, I know you're talking secrets ... but I'm leaving a plate of jam-tarts out here. Seven ... is that right?'

'No, nine ... ten, counting Scamper!' called Susie, cheekily, before anyone elsecould say a word. 'It's a Secret Nine Meeting tonight!'

'Well, one of you must come and fetch two morethen,' said Cookie's voice, and off she went, back to the house.

'Secret Nine indeed!' said Janet, very cross. Shefrowned angrily at Susie. 'You certainly won't get any tarts!'

'Right. We'll say good-bye and go home then,' saidSusie. 'Come on, Binkie!' And the two of them got up and went to the door!