The Colonel Takes Charge
When they arrived back at the farmhouse, Cub went straight to report to his father in his study. The two of them were closeted together for quite some time.
Ginger wandered into the drawing room and sat down to await events. He must have fallen asleep, tired by his unaccustomed exertions, because suddenly something cold and wet touched his cheek. He sat up with a start to find Cub's terrier lying on the back of the sofa, its muzzle close to his ear. Ginger could have sworn the dog was grinning at him.
Ginger liked dogs and this one clearly had a lot of character. He was small and brindled with a sooty black muzzle and a small white goatee beard. Ginger was no expert on terriers so he had no idea what breed he was, but that was clearly irrelevant to the little dog who liked to waddle along with powerful hindquarters, his tail swinging jauntily. He regarded Ginger steadfastly with clear brown eyes. Ginger stared back and suddenly realised the dog had a squint. The dog winked at him conspiratorially. Ginger chuckled.
"What's so funny?" asked Cub who had just appeared.
"Oh, nothing in particular," answered Ginger vaguely. "It's a rum old life. What did your father say?"
"He's taken our find and gone off to discuss it with the GOC of this area," reported Cub, shooing the dog off the furniture. "He must think it's serious or he would have waited until after lunch."
"Has he taken the dog cart?" asked Ginger, his curiosity getting the better of him.
"No, he's had the mare saddled and he's riding over," replied Cub. "He'll make better time that way. Even so," he continued, "I expect we shall have to wait lunch for him."
Cub's prediction proved correct. They were both beginning to feel decidedly hungry when the Colonel stamped into the room, dressed in britches and highly polished cavalry boots. He apologised for keeping them waiting. Over lunch he reported his meeting with General Jorrocks, the GOC Eastern Command.
"There have been several reports of enemy shipping in the area," he concluded. "Coastal Command sighted a U-boat off the Naze two nights ago, but they lost it when it submerged. It looks as though it might have landed a detachment and they hid the boat in the hole. We shall have to be vigilant! It could be spies or an advance guard of storm troops. There is no way of telling. I shall have a word with my fellows in the Home Guard," he continued. "Hopefully, we can spare some men to keep surveillance on the creek where you saw the light and the marshes where you found the dinghy hidden, in case they come back for it."
"They'll have a bit of a shock when they try to use it after Towser's treatment of it," observed Cub lightly, but his father rebuked him sharply.
"This is not a matter for levity, Nigel," he reminded his son with a frown. "It could be the forerunner of an invasion. They tried to set it up before; I wouldn't put it past them to try it again."
Cub, suitably chastened, turned the talk to the general progress of the war. The meal over, the Colonel rose, announcing he was going to assemble the men and arrange for a detail to patrol the area.
The two youths also stood as the old soldier departed on his errand. Once the Colonel had left the room they resumed their seats at the lunch table, lingering over the coffee and comparing Cub's CO, Captain Lorrington King, better known as Gimlet, with Ginger's mentor, Biggles.
"We'd better adjourn to the drawing room, Ginger," said Cub, as they reached no particular conclusions. He had spotted Mrs Mudd, the housekeeper, hovering in the doorway. "We're holding everybody up, and we can't let them get behind with their work."
As they left the room, Ginger saw the housekeeper swiftly move in to clear the table and set everything fair for dinner. The Colonel obviously ran the household with military precision, he mused. Everything by the book, running like clockwork, bang on time, and to the highest standards wartime shortages would allow. He felt faintly in awe and thankful that Biggles was more relaxed in his attitude, not that his CO suffered fools gladly, as he had found out on more than one occasion.
