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[177] 'Let's hope he spends most of his time with him then!' said George, in a low voice.
[178] 'Come on out for a walk,' said Dick. 'It's so fine today. We shan't have lessons this morning, shall we, Aunt Fanny?'
[179] 'Oh, no,' said his aunt. 'You'll begin tomorrow. Go for a walk now, all of you - we shan't often get sunny days like this!'
[180] 'Let's go over to Kirrin Farm,' said Julian. 'It looks such a nice place. Show us the way, George.'
[181] 'Right!' said George. She whistled to Timothy, and he came bounding up. The five of them set off together, going down the lane, and then on to a rough road over the common that led to the farm on the distant hill.
[182] It was lovely walking in the December sun. Their feet rang on the frosty path, and Tim's blunt claws made quite a noise as he pattered up and down, overjoyed at being with his four friends again.
[183] After a good long walk across the common the children came to the farm-house. It was built of white stone, and stood strong and lovely on the hillside. George opened the farm-gate and went into the farm-yard. She kept her hand on Tim's collar for there were two farm-dogs somewhere about.
[184] Someone clattered round the barn near by. It was an old man, and George hailed him loudly.
[185] 'Hallo, Mr. Sanders! How are you?'
[186] 'Why, if it isn't Master George!' said the old fellow with a grin. George grinned too. She loved being called Master instead of Miss.
[187] 'These are my cousins,' shouted George. She turned to the others. 'He's deaf,' she said. 'You'll have to shout to make him hear.'
[188] I'm Julian,' said Julian in a loud voice and the others said their names too. The farmer beamed at them.
[189] 'You come along in and see the Missis,' he said. 'She'll be rare pleased to see you all. We've known Master George since she was a baby, and we knew her mother when she was a baby too, and we knew her granny as well.'
[190] 'You must be very, very old,' said Anne.
[191] The farmer smiled down at her.
[192] 'As old as my tongue and a little older than my teeth!' he said, chuckling. 'Come away in now.'
[193] They all went into the big, warm farm-house kitchen, where a little old woman, as lively as a bantam hen, was bustling about. She was just as pleased to see the four children as her husband was.
[194] 'Well, there now!' she said. 'I haven't seen you for months, Master George. I did hear that you'd gone away to school.'
[195] 'Yes, I did,' said George. 'But I'm home for the holidays now. Does it matter if I let Timothy loose, Mrs. Sanders? I think he'll be friendly if your dogs are, too.'
[196] 'Yes, you let him loose,' said the old lady. 'He'll have a fine time in the farm-yard with Ben and Rikky. Now what would you like to drink? Hot milk? Cocoa? Coffee? And I've some new shortbread baked yesterday. You shall have some of that.'
[197] 'Ah, the wife's very busy this week, cooking up all sorts of things,' said the old farmer, as his wife bustled off to the larder. 'We've company this Christmas!'
[198] 'Have you?' said George, surprised, for she knew that the old pair had never had any children of their own. 'Who is coming? Anyone I know?'
[199] 'Two artists from London Town!' said the old farmer. 'Wrote and asked us to take them for three weeks over Christmas - and offered us good money too. So the old wife's as busy as a bee.'
[200] 'Are they going to paint pictures?' asked Julian, who rather fancied himself as an artist, too. 'I wonder if I could come and talk to them some day. I'm rather good at pictures myself. They might give me a few hints.'
[201] 'You come along whenever you like,' said old Mrs. Sanders, making cocoa in a big jug. She set out a plate of most delicious-looking shortbreads, and the children ate them hungrily.
[202] 'I should think the two artists will be rather lonely down here, in the depths of the country at Christmastime,' said George. 'Do they know anyone?'
[203] 'They say they don't know a soul,' said Mrs. Sanders. 'But there - artists are queer folk. I've had some here before. They seemed to like mooning about all alone. These two will be happy enough, I'll be bound.'
[204] 'They should be, with all the good things you're cooking up for them,' said her old husband. 'Well, I must be out after the sheep. Good-day to you, youngsters. Come again and see us sometimes.'
[205] He went out. Old Mrs. Sanders chattered on to the children as she bustled about the big kitchen. Timothy ran in and settled down on the rug by the fire.
[206] He suddenly saw a tabby cat slinking along by the wall, all her hairs on end with fear of the strange dog. He gave a delighted wuff and sprang at the cat. She fled out of the kitchen into the old panelled hall. Tim flew after her, taking no notice at all of George's stern shout.
[207] The cat tried to leap on top of an old grandfather clock in the hall. With a joyous bark Tim sprang too. He flung himself against a polished panel - and then a most extraordinary thing happened!
[208] The panel disappeared - and a dark hole showed in the old wall! George, who had followed Tim out into the hall, gave a loud cry of surprise. 'Look! Mrs. Sanders, come and look!'
[209] Chapter Four
AN EXCITING DISCOVERY
[210] OLD Mrs. Sanders and the other three children rushed out into the hall when they heard George's shout.
[211] 'What's up?' cried Julian. 'What's happened?'
[212] 'Tim sprang at the cat, missed her, and fell hard against the panelled wall,' said George, 'And the panel moved, and look - there's a "hole in the wall!'
[213] 'It's a secret panel!' cried Dick, in excitement, peering into the hole. 'Golly! Did you know there was one here, Mrs. Sanders?'
[214] 'Oh yes,' said the old lady. 'This house is full of funny things like that. I'm very careful when polish that panel, because if I rub too hard in the top corner, it always slides back.'
[215] 'What's behind the panel?' asked Julian. The hole was only about the width of his head, and when he stuck his head inside, he could see only darkness. The wall itself was about eight inches behind the panelling, and was of stone.
[216] 'Get a candle, do, get a candle!' said Anne, thrilled. 'You haven't got a torch, have you, Mrs. Sanders?'
[217] 'No,' said the old woman. 'But you can get a candle if you like. There's one on the kitchen mantelpiece.'
[218] Anne shot off to get it. Julian lighted it and put it into the hole behind the panel. The others pushed against him to try and peep inside.
[219] 'Don't,' said Julian, impatiently. 'Wait your turn, sillies! Let me have a look.'
[220] He had a good look, but there didn't really seem anything to see. It was all darkness behind, and stone wall. He gave the candle to Dick, and then each of the children had a turn at peeping. Old Mrs. Sanders had gone back to the kitchen. She was used to the sliding panel!
[221] 'She said this house was full of queer things like that,' said Anne. 'What other things are there, do you think? Let's ask her.'
[222] They slid the panel back into place and went to find Mrs. Sanders. 'Mrs. Sanders, what other funny things are there in Kirrin Farm-house?' asked Julian.
[223] 'There's a cupboard upstairs with a false back,' said Mrs. Sanders. 'Don't look so excited! There's nothing in it at all! And there's a big stone over there by the fireplace that pulls up to show a hidey-hole. I suppose in the old days people wanted good hiding-places for things.'
[224] The children ran to the stone she pointed out. It had an iron ring in it, and was easily pulled up. Below was a hollowed-out place, big enough to take a small box. It was empty now, but all the same it looked exciting.
[225] 'Where's the cupboard?' asked Julian.
[226] 'My old legs are too tired to go traipsing upstairs this morning,' said the farmer's wife. 'But you can go yourselves. Up the stairs, turn to the right, and go into the second door you see. The cupboard is at the farther end. Open the door and feel about at the bottom till you come across a dent in the wood. Press it hard, and the false back slides to the side.'
[227] The four children and Timothy ran upstairs as fast as they could, munching shortbread as they went. This really was a very exciting morning!
[228] They found the cupboard, and opened the door. All four went down on hands arid knees to press round the bottom of the cupboard to find the dented place. Anne found it.
[229] 'I've got it!' she cried. She pressed hard, but her little fingers were not strong enough to work the mechanism of the sliding back. Julian had to help her.
[230] There was a creaking noise, and the children saw the false back of the cupboard sliding sideways. A big space showed behind, large enough to take a fairly thin man.
[231] 'A jolly good hiding-place,' said Julian. 'Anyone could hide there and no one would ever know!'
[232] I'll get in and you shut me up,' said Dick. 'It would be exciting.'
[233] He got into the space. Julian slid the back across, and Dick could no longer be seen!
[234] 'Bit of a tight fit!' he called. 'And awfully dark! Let me out again.'
[235] The children all took turns at going into the space behind the back of the cupboard and being shut up. Anne didn't like it very much.
[236] They went down to the warm kitchen again. 'It's a most exciting cupboard, Mrs. Sanders,' said Julian. 'I do wish we lived in a house like this, full of secrets!'
[237] 'Can we come and play in that cupboard again?' asked George.
[238] 'No, I'm afraid you can't, Master George,' said Mrs. Sanders. 'That room where the cupboard is, is one the two gentlemen are going to have.’
[239] 'Oh!' said Julian, disappointed. 'Shall you tell them about the sliding back, Mrs. Sanders?'
[240] 'I don't expect so,' said the old lady. 'It's only you children that get excited about things like that, bless you. Two gentlemen wouldn't think twice about it.'
[241] 'How funny grown-ups are!' said Anne, puzzled. 'I'm quite certain I shall be thrilled to see a sliding panel or a trap-door even when I'm a hundred.'
[242] 'Same here,' said Dick. 'Could I just go and look into -the sliding panel in the hall once more, Mrs. Sanders? I'll take the candle.'
[243] Dick never knew why he suddenly wanted to have another look. It was just an idea he had. The others didn't bother to go with him, for there really was nothing to see behind the panelling except the old stone wall.
[244] Dick took the candle and went into the hall. He pressed on the panel at the top and it slid back. He put the candle inside and had another good look. There was nothing at all to be seen. Dick took out his head and put in his arm, stretching along the wall as far as his hand would reach. He was just about to take it back when his fingers found a hole in the wall.
[245] 'Funny!' said Dick. 'Why should there be a hole in the stone wall just there?'
[246] He stuck in his finger and thumb and worked them about. He felt a little ridge inside the wall, rather like a bird's perch, and was able to get hold of it. He wriggled his fingers about the perch, but nothing happened. Then he got a good hold and pulled.
[247] The stone came right out! Dick was so surprised that he let go the heavy stone and it fell to the ground behind the panelling with a crash!
[248] The noise brought the others out into the hall. 'Whatever are you doing, Dick?' said Julian, 'Have you broken something?'
[249] 'No,' said Dick, his face reddening with excitement. 'I say - I put my hand in here - and found a hole in one of the stones the wall is made of - and I got hold of a sort of ridge with my finger and thumb and pulled. The stone came right out, and I got such a surprise I let go. It fell, and that's what you heard!'
[250] 'Golly!' said Julian, trying to push Dick away from the open panel. 'Let me see.'
[251] 'No, Julian,' said Dick, pushing him away. 'This is my discovery. Wait till I see if I can feel anything in the hole. It's difficult to get at!'
[252] The others waited impatiently. Julian could hardly prevent himself from pushing Dick right away. Dick put his arm in as far as he could, and curved his hand round to get into the space behind where the stone had been. His fingers felt about and he closed them round something that felt like a book. Cautiously and carefully ne brought it out.
[253] 'An old book!' he said.
[254] 'What's in it?' cried Anne.
[255] They turned the pages carefully. They were so dry and brittle that some of them fell into dust.
[256] 'I think it's a book of recipes,' said Anne, as her sharp eyes read a few words in the old brown, faded handwriting. 'Let's take it to Mrs. Sanders.'
[257] The children carried the book to the old lady. She laughed at their beaming faces. She took the book and looked at it, not at all excited.
[258] 'Yes,' she said. 'It's a book of recipes, that's all it is. See the name in the front - Alice Mary Sanders - that must have been my great-grandmother. She was famous for her medicines, I know. It was said she could cure any ill in man or animal, no matter what it was.'
[259] 'It's a pity it's so hard to read her writing,' said Julian, disappointed. 'The whole book is falling to pieces too. It must be very old.'
[260] 'Do you think there's anything else in that hidey-hole?' asked Anne. 'Julian, you go and put your arm in, it's longer than Dick's.'
[261] 'There didn't seem to be anything else at all,' said Dick. 'It's a very small place - just a few inches of hollow space behind that brick or stone that fell down.'
[262] 'Well, I'll just put my hand in and see,' said Julian. They all went back into the hall. Julian put his arm into the open panel, and slid it along the wall to where, the stone had fallen out. His hand went into the space there, and his long fingers groped about, feeling for anything else that might be there.
[263] There was something else, something soft and flat that felt like leather. Eagerly the boy's fingers closed over it and he drew it out carefully, half afraid that it might fall to pieces with age.
[264] 'I've got something!' he said, his eyes gleaming brightly. 'Look - what is it?'
[265] The others crowded round. 'It's rather like Daddy's tobacco pouch,' said Anne, feeling it. The same shape. Is there anything inside?'
[266] It was a tobacco pouch, very dark brown, made of soft leather and very much worn. Carefully Julian undid the flap, and unrolled the leather.
A few bits of black tobacco were still in the pouch -but there was something else, too! Tightly rolled up in the last bit of pouch was a piece of linen. Julian took it out and unrolled it. He put it flat on the hall-table.
[267] The children stared at it. There were marks and signs on the linen, done in black ink that had hardly faded. But the four of them could not make head or tail of the marks.
[268] 'It's not a map,' said Julian. 'It seems a sort of code, or something. I do wonder what it means. I wish we could make it out. It must be some sort of secret.'
[269] The children stared at the piece of linen, very thrilled. It was so old - and contained some kind of secret. Whatever could it be?
[270] They ran to show it to Mrs. Sanders. She was studying the old recipe book, and her face glowed with pleasure as she raised it to look at the excited children.
[271] 'This book's a wonder!' she said. 'I can hardly read the writing, but here's a recipe for backache. I shall try it myself. My back aches so much at the end of the day. Now, you listen ...'
[272] But the children didn't want to listen to recipes for backache. They pushed the piece of linen on to Mrs. Sanders' lap.
[273] 'Look! What's this about, Mrs. Sanders? Do you know? We found it in a kind of tobacco pouch in that place behind the panel.'
[274] Mrs. Sanders took off her glasses, polished them, and put them on again. She looked carefully at the piece of linen with its strange marks.
[275] She shook her head. 'No - this doesn't make any sense to me. And what's this now - it looks like an old tobacco pouch. Ah, my John would like that, I guess. He's got such an old one that it won't hold his tobacco any more! This is old too - but there's a lot of wear in it yet.'
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