Read Online Mystery of Tally-Ho Cottage by Enid Blyton - Free Book Online Page B

seen. You’re too big for that. You let this boy loose and tell him to find that furriner - yes, and follow him for you till you can catch up and nab him!’
    Goon gave Ern a shake. ‘If I let you go will you do that?’ he said. Mind you, Ern, I’ve a good mind to put you across my knee here and now and give you the finest spanking you’ve ever had in your life!’
    ‘No, Uncle!’ said Ern, almost in tears. ‘You let me fiind that fellow for you, and I’ll shadow him wherever he goes. I promise you, Uncle!’
    ‘He wears a turban,’ said Mr. Larkin. ‘Sort of towel round his head,’ he added, as Goon looked mystified. ‘Can’t mistake him. He can’t be far off, so let this kid go now or you’ll lose the furriner.’
    Goon let go Ern’s arm and the boy darted off thankfully. Oh, what bad luck to run into Goon again - just as he was hoping to get some news for Fatty too! Now he had got to find and shadow someone for his uncle - someone who might have been of great use to old Fatty!
    Ern remembered the lessons in shadowing that he had had from Fatty, and went silently from bush to bush, watching and listening - and soon he heard the crack of a twig on a path. Ah - the ‘furriner’ must be there!
    Ern peeped round the bush. It was getting rather dark now but he could see a man - and he was wearing a turban!
    ‘Nasty-looking chap,’ thought Ern. ‘Proper foreigner. Up to no good. Might have a knife on him somewhere so I’d better be careful!’
    Ern felt very thrilled. ‘Almost as if I was in a film!’ he thought, remembering the dramatic moments in some of the cowboy films he had seen lately. ‘Coo! What will Fatty and the others say when they hear about this!’
    The man in the turban moved down the path to the little wicket-gate. Ern followed cautiously some way behind. Goon caught sight of both of them and followed cautiously too. Ern was after the man, so if he kept the boy in sight Ern would lead him to wherever the man was going!
    Fatty had absolutely no idea that he was being shadowed by Ern, with Goon some distance behind. He sauntered along, thinking of Larkin, and what fun it would be to disguise himself as the old fellow, and meet him some morning down the street! What would Larkin say if he came face to face with himself?
    Ern followed carefully, holding his breath. Fatty went along the river-path and turned up into Peterswood village. Ern stalked him, keeping in the shadows.
    Goon followed, wishing he hadn’t left his bicycle behind at the Larkins. Now he would have to walk all the way back to get it that night!
    Fatty suddenly felt that he was being followed, and looked round. Was he or wasn’t he? Was that a figure hiding beside that bush? Well, never mind, he was nearly home!
    Fatty suddenly took to his heels and ran for home, thinking that it wouldn’t do to be stopped by Goon, if it was Goon. He had no idea it was Ern. He came to his gate and slipped through it, ran to the garden door and into the house. Up the stairs he went, two at a time, and into his bedroom. Buster welcomed him with a volley of delighted barks.
    It didn’t matter what disguise Fatty put on, Buster was never deceived. Fatty always smelt like Fatty, no matter what he looked like - a ‘furriner’, an old man, a gypsy woman, a butcher’s boy. One sniff and Buster knew him!
    ‘Coo,’ said Ern, stepping out of the shadows as Fatty went in at his gate. ‘Look at that! He ran off all of a sudden, and I’m blessed if he didn’t go in at Fatty’s gate. Perhaps he’s a friend of Fatty’s. Gosh - here’s Uncle!’
    ‘Where’d that man go?’ demanded Mr. Goon, holding Ern’s shoulder in a vice-like grip.
    ‘Into Fatty’s gate,’ said Ern. ‘I say, Uncle - perhaps he’s a friend of Fatty’s. You’d better not go after him.’
    ‘Ho! I’d just like to know who Master Frederick Trotteville is sending to snoop round Tally-Ho grounds,’ said Goon. And in at the gate he went, leaving Ern miserably outside. Had he got Fatty into trouble?
    Mr. Goon knocked loudly at the