Chapter 6

The boys had been having a fine time in Fatty's shed, picking through his disguises.

"Now, Larry, I think I'll disguise you as a butcher's boy," said Fatty, handing him a striped apron. "And how about being red-haired for the day?" he added, passing over a short red wig. Larry donned them immediately and Pip burst out laughing.

"I say, Larry, you do look different with red hair," he said. "But your face is still the same!"

"We can change that," grinned Fatty. "Here, Larry, pop these in your mouth." He handed Larry a set of frightfully crooked teeth. "Now, some eyebrows to match that hair and just a few lines around the eyes . . ." he deftly drew on Larry's face with a grease pencil. "And hey presto! Bill the Butcher's Boy!"

"Gosh!" said Pip, respectfully. Fatty motioned for Larry to look in the mirror. Larry's false eyebrows shot up and he grinned. The false teeth fell out and he caught them before they hit the ground.

"Ah, yes, you'll have to be careful with those," grinned Fatty. "They take a bit of getting used to!"

"Now me, Fatty," begged Pip.

"Hmmm, let's see," Fatty looked thoughtfully at his collection. "I think I'll make you Bob the Baker's Boy, Pip. Put this white kit on and try this brown curly wig." Pip pulled on the baker's uniform and put the wig on over his own blonde hair. Fatty darkened his eyebrows and added some freckles with the grease pencil, then handed Pip some cheek pads.

"Just pop those in your cheeks, Pip," he said. Pip did so, and laughed at his reflection in the mirror.

"I look jolly different," he said. "Larry, do you think you would know it was me if you didn't know it was me?"

"I don't think so, but I do know it's you so I don't know!" replied Larry.

"Fatty, what are you going to dress as?" Pip asked.

"Oh, ho! You'll soon see," said Fatty. "Why don't you go and wait for me in the garden. I want to surprise you."

The two boys exchanged glances. Fatty was always full of surprises!

They waited by the garden gate. Presently, they noticed a policeman sauntering along the road towards them.

"I say, that's not Goon, is it?" asked Pip, alarmed.

"No, it's not fat enough," replied Larry. "Do you suppose it could be that Tonks fellow who filled in for Goon when he was on that refresher course?"

"No, he was much shorter," said Pip. This policeman was rather tall and had a splendid moustache.

"Now, then! What are you boys doing hanging around this 'ere garden gate?" the policeman asked them. "I'm sure the butcher and baker aren't paying you to stand about hob-nobbing!"

"Er, just waiting, sir," replied Larry.

"Waiting?" repeated the policeman. "Waiting for what?"

"Our friend who lives here," said Pip nervously. What if this policeman took it into his head to speak to Fatty's parents? The game would be up then! They hadn't noticed the twinkling in the eyes of this policeman.

"I think you'd better clear-orf!" he said suddenly, in the voice of Goon.

Pip and Larry gaped. Fatty laughed and removed his helmet.

"Good disguise, then?" he asked in his normal voice.

"Fatty!" exclaimed Larry. "I say, you did give us a fright."

"What a marvellous disguise!" said Pip enviously.

"Come along now, Bill and Bob," said Fatty. "We had better get along to the market. I'm sure Daisy and Bets will have a fine time trying to spot us!"