Part 8 (2/2)

Someone shouted loudly. 'Hey - you leave that donkey-skin alone!'

It was Jeremy. He came running up, looking furious. He had a stick in his hand, and hit out at the donkey's hind parts, giving poor George a good old whack, and making her yell.

'Hey! Stop that, it hurt!'

Tinker looked furiously at Jeremy. 'How dare you do that?' he shouted. 'd.i.c.k and George are in the donkey-skin. Put down that stick!'

But Jeremy gave the donkey's hind legs another whack and George yelled again. Tinker gave a shout too, and flung himself on Jeremy, trying to get the stick out of his hand. The boy struggled, holding on to the stick, but Tinker gave him a straight blow on the chest, and down he went!

'Ha! I said I'd knock you down sometime, and I have!' yelled Tinker. 'Get up and fight. I'll teach you to hit a girl!'

'Now stop it, Tinker,' said Julian. 'How could he have known George was inside? Come out of the skin, you two idiots, before old Grandad comes up. He looks as if he's on his way now!'

Jeremy was up now, and danced round Tinker with doubled fists. Before either boy could exchange a blow, Grandad's great voice came to them.

'NOW THEN! STOP IT!'

Jeremy swung his fist at Tinker, who dodged, and then in his turn hit out at Jeremy, who ran back - straight into old Grandad, who at once clutched him.

By this time George and d.i.c.k were out of the donkey-skin, looking rather ashamed of themselves. Old Grandad grinned at them, still holding on to the furious Jeremy. 'Fight's off,' said Grandad to Tinker and Jeremy. 'If you want to go on, either of you, you can fight me, not each other.'

However, neither of the boys wanted to take on old Grandad. He might be old, but he could still give some mighty slaps, as Jeremy very well knew. They stood staring at one another, looking rather sheepish.

'Go on - shake hands and be friends,' said Grandad. 'Quick, now, or I'll do a little fighting myself!'

Tinker held out his hand just as Jeremy held out his. They shook, grinning at one another. 'That's right!' said old Grandad. 'No harm done. No bones broken. You're quits now, so no more knocking each other about.'

'Right, Grandad,' said Jeremy, giving him a friendly punch. The old man turned to d.i.c.k and George. 'And if you want to borrow that donkey-skin, you're welcome,' said old Grandad. 'But it's manners to ask the owner's permission first.'

'Yes, sir. Sorry, sir,' said d.i.c.k, grinning. He wondered what Professor Hayling and Jenny would say if he and George did borrow it, and galloped into Hollow House at top speed. But no - he decided reluctantly that Jenny might be scared stiff and give notice, and that would never do. She wouldn't at all like being chased by an apparently mad donkey, nor would Professor Hayling.

Grandad went off, and Julian spoke to Jeremy, who wasn't quite sure whether to go or to stay. 'We saw old Charlie carrying pails of water for the horses,' he said. 'My word, isn't he strong!'

Jeremy grinned, glad to be friends again, and to be able to stay with the Five and Tinker. They wandered all round the field together, looking at the magnificent horses and at Dead-Shot d.i.c.k doing a little practising at shooting and then watched one small acrobat practising amazing jumps and somersaults.

Mischief the monkey came with them. He was absolutely at home with everyone in the circus now, man, woman or animal. He leapt on to the horses' backs, and they didn't mind! He pretended to help Charlie the Chimp to carry one of the pails of water - he ran off with Dead-Shot d.i.c.k's cap. He went into the chimp's cage and cuddled up in the straw with him, scrabbling about as if the cage belonged to him. He even went into Grandad's tent and came out with a small bottle of lemonade! He couldn't get the top off, and took it to Charlie, who was watching near by! Charlie promptly forced it off with his strong front paws - and then, to Mischief's disgust, tipped up the bottle, and drank the lot!

Mischief was very angry indeed. He ran to Charlie's cage, which was open, and sent the straw flying everywhere. Charlie sat outside his cage, and enjoyed the fun, grinning happily.

'Come out, Mischief!' called Tinker. 'You're making a nuisance of yourself!'

'Let him be,' said one of the acrobats, who was standing near by. 'Old Charlie enjoys a bit of temper - when it's someone else's! Look at him sitting grinning there.'

They watched for a few seconds more, to make sure that Mischief wasn't annoying the big chimpanzee, and then turned to watch Monty and Winks, the clowns, having an argument, which ended in Monty throwing water over Winks, and Winks emptying a basket of rubbish over Monty. What a pair!

When they turned to see if Mischief was still annoying Charlie, they saw that the little monkey had left the cage, and was tearing down the field to the fence. He leapt up, and over, and disappeared.

'He must think it's dinner-time,' said Tinker, looking at his watch. 'And golly, so it is. Buck up everyone, Jenny will be in a fine old fury if we're really late - it's hot dinner today.'

Away they all went in a hurry. Hot dinner! Over the fence, then, and up the garden at top speed. They mustn't keep a hot dinner waiting - or Jenny either!

Chapter Fifteen

A HAPPY DAY - AND A SHOCK FOR JULIAN

Tinker and the Five were two minutes late for their dinner. Jenny was just taking it in, looking a little grim, as she had not been able to find the children anywhere. 'Ah - here you are at last!' she said. 'I looked down the garden but you were nowhere to be seen. It's a good thing you came in when you did - five minutes more, and I'd have taken the dinner back again.'

'Dear Jenny, you know you wouldn't,' said Tinker, giving her a sudden squeeze that made her squeal. 'Oh, how good it smells! Mmmmm-Mmmmm!'

'You and your Mmmmms!' said Jenny, pus.h.i.+ng Tinker away. 'And I've told you before, that I don't mind a gentle hug, but those squeezes of yours take all my breath away. No, Tinker, keep away from me - another squeeze like that and I'll feel like a lemon!'

Everyone laughed at that. Jenny did say the most amusing things. Anne felt sorry that she hadn't offered to stay and help her with the dinner. Oh dear - the time went so tremendously quickly, once they were all out together.

The talk at dinner-time was very lively. So was Mischief the monkey! He took bits from everyone's plate and handed some of them down to Timmy, who was lying under the table as usual. Timmy appreciated these t.i.tbits very much!

'Well! I didn't see a single ladder in the circus camp that was tall enough to reach up to the tower room,' said George.

'No. If there was one, it was jolly well hidden,' said d.i.c.k. 'Pa.s.s the mustard, someone!'

'In front of you, a.s.s,' said Julian. 'I must say I'm beginning to wonder if Mr Wooh had anything to do with the stealing of your father's papers, Tinker. I can't somehow see him climbing high ladders - he's so - so...'

'Polite and proper,' said Anne. 'Actually, I can't think of anyone in the circus who would either want the papers, or is nasty enough to steal them. They're all so nice.'

'I still think Mr Wooh is the most likely one,' said Julian. 'He's interested in complicated figures and clever inventions. But all the same, I'm beginning to think I'm wrong. He could NOT have got up to the tower room, as there is no ladder long enough - and I really doubt if he'd dare to take a ladder into the courtyard, and risk putting it up to the tower. He might so easily be caught.'

'Right. We'll rule him out,' said Tinker. 'But if n.o.body went up the spiral stairway, because all the doors were locked, and n.o.body used a ladder, I don't see how those papers disappeared.'

'Wind took them out of the window, perhaps?' suggested Anne. 'Would that be possible?'

'No. For two reasons,' said Julian. 'One is that the window wasn't wide enough open for the wind to blow in with enough strength to blow papers out. And secondly, we'd have been sure to have found some of them down in the courtyard if they'd been blown out. But we didn't find a single one there.'

'Well - if n.o.body got through the three locked doors, and n.o.body got through the window, How did those papers get stolen?' demanded George. 'It would have been a miracle for those papers to have hopped away by themselves - and I don't believe in that kind of miracle!'

There was a long silence. What a mystery it was! 'I suppose Tinker's father couldn't possibly have gone walking in his sleep, and taken them, could he?' asked Anne.

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