Part 8 (1/2)

'He's not got his forged pa.s.s,' Ginger reminded him. 'He can't get in without his forged pa.s.s.'

'He'll get in somehow,' said William. 'They're jolly clever, are parachutists. They train 'em special to be clever. He'll probably pretend to be a WA.F.S.'s mother or somethin'.'

'Let's have a good look for him first,' said Ginger, 'case he's hidin' somewhere round. Keep the stick ready case he jumps out at us.'

But an exhaustive search of the lane with its bordering fields and hedges failed to produce any trace of the missing parachutist.

'I bet no one'll believe we found him,' said Ginger dejectedly.

'Course they will,' said William. 'We've got his forged pa.s.s, haven't we?'

'Well, I bet he's waitin' somewhere round to spring out on us an' get his pa.s.s back,' said Ginger. 'Tell you what. I think we oughter take his pa.s.s to the police station 'stead of hangin' about with it like this. It's all the proof we've got now he's gone.'

'All right,' said William. 'You take it along to the police station, an' I'll stay here till Douglas and Henry come. They oughter be here any minute.'

Ginger vanished into the dusk in the direction of the village and William continued a desultory search of the hedges.

Suddenly voices warned him of the approach of Douglas and Henry, and Major Winton. Major Winton, roused from a comfortable doze in his favourite armchair, had listened to their story, first with bewilderment then with incredulity. Finally, so convinced and convincing were the two Outlaws, he had begun to think that there might be something in it. After all, such things had happened in other countries and, impossible as it still seemed, might happen in this.

He stood in the roadway and looked about him bewildered and still slightly fretful, as a man has a right to be who has been recently roused from a fireside doze. He was tall and thin, had long drooping moustaches and bore a striking resemblance to the White Knight in Alice Through the Looking Gla.s.s.

He stood in the road and looked about him.

'Well, where is he, where is he?' he said irritably, 'and what's all this frightful mess?'

'He's gone,' said William, 'and that's our fort.'

Major Winton looked at him suspiciously.

'If you boys have been playing a trick on me,' he began.

'Honest, we haven't,' William a.s.sured him. 'He was a parachutist dressed up as a woman and he'd got a forged pa.s.s into Marleigh Aerodrome.'

'Well, where is he?' said the major testily, 'and where's the pa.s.s?'

'We don't know about him,' said William. 'He got away. But we've got his pa.s.s all right. Ginger's jus' taken it to the p'lice station.'

At that moment a policeman appeared. He was a large, stout, official-looking policeman.

'Now then!' he said. 'What's all this 'ere?'

The major hailed his appearance with relief.

'These boys say they found a parachutist with a pa.s.s into Marleigh Aerodrome,' he said.

'Good!' said the policeman. 'He's the man we've been looking for, then. Someone's just rung up the station to say that he was attacked and his pa.s.s stolen from him.'

'Who attacked him?' asked Major Winton with interest.

'He doesn't know. He was knocked out at once, and when he recovered found that the pa.s.s was gone. Presumably it was the parachutist these kids say they found.' He turned to William. 'How d'you know he was a parachutist?'

'He was dressed like a woman,' explained William.

'Which way did he go?'

'I dunno,' said William. 'He ran away while we were getting a stick.'

'Where's the pa.s.s?'

'Ginger's got it. He's taking it to the police station.'

The policeman a.s.sumed an air of official dignity.

'THAT'S HIM!' CRIED WILLIAM EXCITEDLY.

'I'll go and ask the Home Guard men if they've seen any suspicious-looking characters on the road,' he said. 'You kids stay here. We may want you again.'

And at that moment the parachutist suddenly arrived holding Ginger by the neck. He strode along, his rusty skirts billowing about his stout boots. His face looked set and stern. In his free hand he carried his bonnet and wig.

'That's him!' cried William excitedly. 'Catch him quick before he gets away.'

'CATCH HIM QUICK BEFORE HE GETS AWAY!'

'I've got the wretch,' the parachutist was saying to the policeman. 'It was this little villain who pinched my pa.s.s, though how he managed to knock me out beats me.'

The policeman blinked and stared and finally, forgetting his official dignity, murmured 'Blimey!'

Then to be on the safe side he put one hand on the parachutist's shoulder and the other on Ginger's.

'Here!' said the parachutist indignantly, as he shook it off. 'I've got to be at the aerodrome by seven-thirty. I've given this boy into custody and I can't waste any more time.'

'I like that,' burst out William indignantly. 'It's us givin' you into custody. You're the parachutist with a forged pa.s.s dressed up as a woman an' we've caught you.'

'The what?' said the man.

'If you aren't a parachutist,' said William triumphantly, 'why are you dressed up as a woman with a forged pa.s.s?'

'Now then, now then, now then!' said the policeman, taking out his note-book. 'Let's get this straight . . .'

'I'm dressed up as a woman,' said the parachutist to William, 'because I'm going to give a performance at Marleigh Aerodrome and I have to be back at the Grand Theatre, Hadley in time for the eight-thirty performance there, so I've no time to change afterwards. I'd no time to change before because I've been rehearsing at the Grand Theatre, Hadley, up to about half an hour ago. I thought I might risk driving there and back in costume but unfortunately my car broke down on the way, and I was taking a short cut down the lane to the garage on the main road to get help. And my pa.s.s is not forged. It was issued to me by the commanding officer of the camp in my capacity of guest artist at the variety show they're giving there this evening. They put my ”turn” early so that I could get back in time for my ”turn” at Hadley but I'm going to be late I'm afraid. Anything else you'd like to know?'

'Then you aren't a German parachutist dressed up as a woman?' said William.