Chapter 11
After Fatty had returned with the orangeade and some buns from Cook, the Find-Outers started discussing the other children they had seen at the market.
"The two boys that came running over were the ones we saw at the train station with the dog," said Daisy, suddenly. "They must be with the girl and the other boy."
Fatty rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Do you know, I believe I've seen them too. They passed me in a car when I was walking back from the station – before you lot caught up to me. I remember the dog had his head out the window and said hello to Buster."
"Could it be a mystery?" asked Bets.
The others laughed.
"I don't think so, Bets, old thing," said Fatty. "Nothing really mysterious about four strangers turning up in Peterswood on school hols, is there?"
"Wuff!" interjected Buster.
"I think he's saying that there's five strangers, including the dog," said Larry and everyone laughed.
Little did they know that outside in the garden, the Five Strangers were listening to every word!
"We'll jolly well give them a mystery!" whispered Dick. "Julian, lend me your notebook and a pencil."
Julian passed them over and Dick scribbled a message and tore off the sheet. The others read it.
"Jolly clever, Dick!" whispered George admiringly.
"Where will you put it so they can find it?" asked Anne.
"I'll do it!" said George boldly. "I'll slip it into the window pane. You lot go and wait down the lane a little way and I'll come out after I've stuck it up there."
"Oh, George, be careful!" begged Anne. George grinned. The others quietly made their way out of the Trotteville garden and down the lane while George stealthily crept up to the window and slipped the little note into the pane. Once it was securely wedged into the window, she slipped out of the garden and joined the others.
Inside the shed, the others hadn't noticed a thing until Pip suddenly looked up at the window.
"Fatty, do you have a hole in your window?" he asked.
"No, why?" said Fatty.
"There's some paper stuck up there," replied Pip, pointing. Fatty stood up to have a closer look.
"It's on the outside. I'll go and get it. Probably Cook's shopping list!" he said. The others watched him leave the shed, pluck the paper from the window and return inside. Opening it with great fanfare and beginning to read, a look of puzzlement crossed his face.
"What is it, Fatty? Are you not having pancakes for breakfast this week?" teased Larry.
"This is jolly odd," said Fatty, ignoring him. "Look!"
He held out the piece of paper so they could all read it.
THERE IS A TREASURE THAT AWAITS YOU
FIND THE KEY TO FOLLOW THE CLUE
USE YOUR HEAD AND YOUR FEET
A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME SMELLS AS SWEET
PS: BEWARE THE 5 STRANGERS
"Someone is sending us on a treasure hunt?" asked Daisy. "But who?"
Fatty re-read the note and grinned.
"I love puzzles like this," he said. "I'm tops at them at school. Why, just the other week, we had a lesson and . . ."
The others groaned.
"Well, why don't you tell us what it means then?" said Larry.
"Well, obviously, this note will lead us to the next clue," replied Fatty. "And as for the five strangers, well, I think we've already worked that out, haven't we?"
"You mean, the children from before?" asked Pip in disbelief. "Whyever would we have to beware of them? They're only children, like us."
Bets shuddered. "I don't like them, Fatty. The boy who yelled at us at the station was perfectly horrid. I want to beware of them!"
"Well, I think finding out who the five strangers are should be our first task," said Fatty.
"I say, you don't think Goon put it up there to pay us out, do you?" said Larry, suddenly.
"No. Goon's not nearly clever enough to think up something like that," replied Fatty.
Pip looked at his watch. "Blow! We're late. We promised Mother we'd be home to meet Aunt Prunella today. We'll have to work on this tomorrow, Fatty. Don't solve any clues without us!"
He and Bets hurried off and Daisy and Larry went home too, leaving Fatty to ponder the mysterious note. He tucked it into his pocked and went up to the house, wandering into the kitchen to see Cook.
"Don't tell me you're still hungry after those buns I sent down," she said.
"No, Cookie, dear," said Fatty, although truthfully, he could have easily eaten something else. "I was just wondering something, actually. Do you know if anyone has children staying with them in Peterswood for the hols?"
"Well, let's see," said Cook, tapping her chin. "There's the Penny boys, they're visiting their grandmother."
"How many?" asked Fatty.
"Just the two," Cook replied. "And the Barnards, they've got four with them."
"Really?" Fatty asked, interested. "Boys and girls?"
"Two of each," replied Cook and Fatty was disappointed.
"No-one has three boys, a girl and a dog?" he asked.
"Not that I know," replied Cook. "And what do you want with other children? You haven't tired of your friends, have you?"
"Gosh, no," replied Fatty. "Just want to know who's about, you know, in case we decide to get a team together for some cricket or something during the hols. Now, how about another of those delicious buns of yours, Cookie, dear?"
Cook laughed. "Master Frederick, you are a caution, you are! A right caution!"