could see properly.
„Old mangers," said Dick, touching them. „I wonder how long ago it is since they were used - and..."
„I say!" said George, suddenly. „There"s something funny here. Anne, look - this bit of floor was undisturbed yesterday, wasn"t it?"
Anne looked down at the big white flagstone on which George was standing. It was quite obvious that it had been lifted, for the edges were not as green with moss as the others were, and the stone had been put back a little crookedly.
„Yes - someone"s been interested in this stone - or in what is beneath it!" said Dick. „I bet something is buried underneath!"
„Those men last night - that"s what they came about!" said George. „They went into these stables and lifted this stone. Why?"
„We"ll soon find out!" said Julian. „Come on everyone, loosen it with your fingers - then we"ll heave it up!"
Chapter Ten
WHAT CAN BE HAPPENING?
Forty fingers and thumbs were very hard at work trying to loosen the heavy stone. At last Julian got hold of a corner which could be held more easily than any other part of the stone. He tried to lift it and it came away a little.
„Help me this side, Dick," said Julian, and Dick put his strong fingers there too. „Heave-ho!"
he said - and up came the stone.
It went over with a crash and Timmy barked loudly, jumping aside. Everyone peered down - and then looked exceedingly disappointed!
There was nothing there at all. Not even a hole! The black earth, hard as iron, lay underneath, and nothing else.
They all stared down at the dry, hard earth, puzzled. George looked up at Julian.
„Well - that"s queer, isn"t it? Why should anyone lift up this heavy stone if there is nothing hidden underneath?"
„Well, it"s clear that whoever was here didn"t find anything - nor did he hide anything either," said Julian. „Dear me - why should anyone lift up a heavy stone and put it back -
just for nothing?"
„He was obviously looking for something that wasn"t here," said Anne. „The wrong stone, probably!"
„Yes. I think Anne"s right," said Dick. „It"s the wrong stone! Probably there is something very interesting under the right stone! But which one is it?"
They all sat and looked at one another, and Timmy saw it too, wondering why all this fuss was made about a flat white stone. Julian thought hard.
„From what you"ve told me, Anne - about seeing a light in the cottage that first night you were here - and hearing voices - and then seeing those figures outside last night in the storm - it looks as if someone is urgently hunting for something round about here."
„Yes - something under a stone. Treasure of some sort, do you think?" said George.
Julian shook his head. „No. I hardly think that much treasure would be hidden anywhere about this old cottage - all the people who lived here must have been fairly poor. The most they would have hidden would have been a few pieces of gold, and that would have been found long ago."
„Well - someone modern might have hidden something valuable here - even something stolen," said Anne.
„Yes. We can"t tell. It"s obviously important and urgent to somebody," said Dick. „I wonder if the people that Guy said came bothering him were anything to do with this?"
„They may have been," said Julian. „But they have clearly decided that what they are looking for is here now, whatever it is. And they must have been most annoyed to find you and Anne here last night, George. That"s why someone came and looked in at the window, I expect - to make sure you were asleep! And you weren"t."
„I don"t know whether I want to stay on here or not now," said Anne, alarmed. „If they haven"t found what they want, they"l probably come again - in the night too."
„Who cares?" said Dick. „We"ve got Timmy, haven"t we? I"m not turning out of here because somebody"s got a habit of turning up big stones!"
Julian laughed. „Nor am I. Let"s stay on! And I don"t see why we shouldn"t do a bit of pul ing
„Old mangers," said Dick, touching them. „I wonder how long ago it is since they were used - and..."
„I say!" said George, suddenly. „There"s something funny here. Anne, look - this bit of floor was undisturbed yesterday, wasn"t it?"
Anne looked down at the big white flagstone on which George was standing. It was quite obvious that it had been lifted, for the edges were not as green with moss as the others were, and the stone had been put back a little crookedly.
„Yes - someone"s been interested in this stone - or in what is beneath it!" said Dick. „I bet something is buried underneath!"
„Those men last night - that"s what they came about!" said George. „They went into these stables and lifted this stone. Why?"
„We"ll soon find out!" said Julian. „Come on everyone, loosen it with your fingers - then we"ll heave it up!"
Chapter Ten
WHAT CAN BE HAPPENING?
Forty fingers and thumbs were very hard at work trying to loosen the heavy stone. At last Julian got hold of a corner which could be held more easily than any other part of the stone. He tried to lift it and it came away a little.
„Help me this side, Dick," said Julian, and Dick put his strong fingers there too. „Heave-ho!"
he said - and up came the stone.
It went over with a crash and Timmy barked loudly, jumping aside. Everyone peered down - and then looked exceedingly disappointed!
There was nothing there at all. Not even a hole! The black earth, hard as iron, lay underneath, and nothing else.
They all stared down at the dry, hard earth, puzzled. George looked up at Julian.
„Well - that"s queer, isn"t it? Why should anyone lift up this heavy stone if there is nothing hidden underneath?"
„Well, it"s clear that whoever was here didn"t find anything - nor did he hide anything either," said Julian. „Dear me - why should anyone lift up a heavy stone and put it back -
just for nothing?"
„He was obviously looking for something that wasn"t here," said Anne. „The wrong stone, probably!"
„Yes. I think Anne"s right," said Dick. „It"s the wrong stone! Probably there is something very interesting under the right stone! But which one is it?"
They all sat and looked at one another, and Timmy saw it too, wondering why all this fuss was made about a flat white stone. Julian thought hard.
„From what you"ve told me, Anne - about seeing a light in the cottage that first night you were here - and hearing voices - and then seeing those figures outside last night in the storm - it looks as if someone is urgently hunting for something round about here."
„Yes - something under a stone. Treasure of some sort, do you think?" said George.
Julian shook his head. „No. I hardly think that much treasure would be hidden anywhere about this old cottage - all the people who lived here must have been fairly poor. The most they would have hidden would have been a few pieces of gold, and that would have been found long ago."
„Well - someone modern might have hidden something valuable here - even something stolen," said Anne.
„Yes. We can"t tell. It"s obviously important and urgent to somebody," said Dick. „I wonder if the people that Guy said came bothering him were anything to do with this?"
„They may have been," said Julian. „But they have clearly decided that what they are looking for is here now, whatever it is. And they must have been most annoyed to find you and Anne here last night, George. That"s why someone came and looked in at the window, I expect - to make sure you were asleep! And you weren"t."
„I don"t know whether I want to stay on here or not now," said Anne, alarmed. „If they haven"t found what they want, they"l probably come again - in the night too."
„Who cares?" said Dick. „We"ve got Timmy, haven"t we? I"m not turning out of here because somebody"s got a habit of turning up big stones!"
Julian laughed. „Nor am I. Let"s stay on! And I don"t see why we shouldn"t do a bit of pul ing
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