Everyone went to bed early that night. Peter's father was tired for he had been helping with the farm-work, as one of the men was on holiday. Mother was always sleepy at night, and glad to go early. Only the children wanted to stay up to finish their books, but they were sent off to bed in spite of their complaints.
"And you're not to read in bed for hours and hours, see?" said Mother. "You're to put out your lights in good time. Be good children, now."
So off they went, grumbling. Their bedrooms were next to each other, so they could call to one another easily. They settled down with their books. Janet had a very, very exciting one, about smugglers' caves, and she read on and on, quite forgetting the time.
"You'll get a jolly good scolding in the morning when you own up to the time you put out your light!" called Peter, putting his out. "Good night, bookworm."
Janet's book was certainly very exciting. She forgot all about the time. In fact, she forgot that she was in bed, she was so sure she was in the smugglers' caves with four children and their dog Timmy.
The clock downstairs struck very solemnly indeed. It was the big grandfather clock, and he had a deep, grave note. Janet listened, and counted. Good gracious ... eleven o'clock! Whatever would Mother say when she had to own up in the morning that she had heard old Grandfather strike eleven? Guiltily she put her book on the floor, put out her light, and drew back the curtain. At once the room was absolutely flooded in bright silver moonlight!
"How beautiful!" whispered Janet. "Oh, how beautiful! Just like extra lovely daylight with a sort of silver sheen." She stood and looked out for a while, and then made up her mind.
I must go out in it, I must, I must! she thought. It's a fairy sort of night. I'll put on my dressing-gown and go and dance in the moonlight. I shan't tell anyone though ... they'd think I was mad!
She pulled on her dressing-gown, called Scamper in a whisper from Peter's bedroom, and set off down the stairs. It all seemed very exciting, and not a bit frightening. The moonlight was so very, very bright!
She went out of the back door, and stood in the yard gazing up at the moon sailing along in the sky. It looked very big indeed.
I can't go back to bed when the moon is shining so beautifully! thought Janet. I know! I'll go and see if Brownie is awake! I'll whisper in his ear and tell him I've come to see him, because the moonlight is so bright. He'll be so pleased to see me.
She was afraid to walk round the yard in the moonlight just in case her mother or father happened to be awake and standing at the window to look at the moon. So she went quietly all round the yard in the shadows, Scamper close beside her.
And then Scamper suddenly gave a growl and stopped. He pulled at Janet's night-dress and gave another little growl. She stopped absolutely still in the dark shadow of a tree, and listened. What was Scamper growling at? A rat? A mouse running into its hole? She could hear no sound at all, and see no mouse or rat. So on she went again, still keeping in the shadows.
And then she heard a noise. It sounded like an exclamation ... somewhere in the stables. Who could be there? Well, Tolly, of course. He always bedded down in straw or hay in the stables, his old mattress beneath him. He couldn't bear to leave his beloved horses!
Janet's heart began to beat very loudly indeed, and very fast. She put her hand on Scamper's collar, and whispered in his ear. "Don't bark or growl. Keep close to me. I'll find out what's going on. I'll peep in at one of the stable windows. Now be quiet, Scamper, be quiet!"
Together they kept in the shadows and came to the big stables. The horses were restless, and were stamping their feet and moving about. One gave a little whinny.
And then a great noise sprang up! At least, it seemed a great noise to Janet, crouching in the shadows! There were shouts ... yes, shouts in Tolly's voice. There were excited whinnies. There was the sound of men's feet. Then Tolly's voice came, "Help! Help!"
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Janet could now see into one of the stable windows. She looked down into the stables, and saw a fight going on. There were three men there, one holding Brownie, one holding another horse, and the third fighting poor Tolly! Crack! Bang! Biff! What a fight. Janet was terrified and couldn't help giving a scream. Tolly heard her, but the others didn't. He called out to the frightened girl peeping down at the fight from the window just above him. "Get help quickly! Save the horses!"
"No good calling for help, old man!" said one of the thieves, roughly. "There's no one near these stables!"
Janet, really frightened, raced back to the house in her dressing-gown and slippers. "Daddy! Mummy! Quick, the horse-thieves are there! Tolly's fighting them! Daddy, daddy!"
Her father and mother awoke at once, and her father raced downstairs in his pyjamas. When Janet ran into the house, her mother was already telephoning the police!
She sobbed out about Tolly being attacked, and her mother comforted her. "The police will be here in a minute," she said. "You go into the drive and wait for them, and take them to the stables. I must go and see if I can help your father!" And, taking a large kitchen poker with her, she fled outside in her dressing-gown. How brave! thought Janet, proudly, waiting in the drive. Oh dear ... why doesn't Peter wake up!
Just then the police drove up in their car. "Hey, Miss ... where's the fuss? Quick, tell us!" called a voice, and a big, strong policeman ran up to her.
"I'll take you," cried Janet. "Someone's stealing our horses. I saw them. Daddy's gone to stop them and Mother's gone too."
What with shouts and yells, and whinnies and barks, a tremendous noise was coming from the stables! Janet began to tremble, but she bravely trailed behind the police in her old dressing-gown! Were her mother and father all right? What had happened to Tolly? Were the horses hurt ... or Scamper?
She didn't want to go to the stables to see what was happening, but she had to. Good gracious, what a turmoil!
There was Daddy firmly on top of one horse-thief. And there was Tolly on top of another, hitting him well and truly. And dear me, there was a third one, down on his knees in front of Mother, begging her to let him go!
Codger and Scamper were having a simply wonderfultime. They kept darting at the men and snapping at them, and the men werescared stiff. All the horses were upset and excited, scuffling and stamping andwhinnying in their stalls. Janet felt as if she simply must sit down. Everythingwas much too exciting. So she sat on the cold stone wall outside the stablesand waited for the fight to die down. Good gracious ... what athing to happen! Oh, poor Peter ... he was in bed, out of all this excitement. Shereally, really, must fetch him!
