“Who wound it up at nights, to keep it going?” said Julian, at once, most astonished.

“Charlie, I suppose,” said Tinker. “He’s very clever with his paws! The clock was quite safe, hidden in his cage. Nobody would be likely to get into the chimp’s cage and sit there with him — but I did this morning, and that’s how I found it. I heard it ticking, you see. I bet old Charlie was clever enough to pop his precious clock into his mouth when he saw any of the men coming to clean out his cage!”

“Well, I’m blessed!” said Jenny. “How was it that Mr Wooh never saw him bringing it along with the papers that night, when he stole them?”

“Well, as Tinker told you — my guess is that old Charlie must have put the little clock in his mouth then, along with the papers,” said Dick. “He needed all his four paws, climbing — or rather slithering down that wall — and he’s got a jolly big mouth! You should see what a lot of food he can stuff into it!”

“Yes. And Mr Wooh would take the papers, of course — Charlie would just take them from his mouth and hand them to him — but he’d be artful enough to keep his precious new toy hidden in his mouth! Poor old Charlie! Can’t you see him listening to the clock, and cuddling it — like a child with a new toy!” said George.

“He sounded exactly as if he were crying this morning,” said Tinker. “I couldn’t bear it. Poor old Charlie! He couldn’t understand why Mr Wooh didn’t go and see him today. He was so miserable!”

“I think we’ll have to get the police along now,” said Julian. “Not only to catch Mr Wooh and his friend, left so conveniently marooned by George on her island — but also because Mr Wooh should be charged with stealing your father’s irreplaceable charts and diagrams, Tinker. Goodness knows what else he has taught poor old Charlie to steal. I bet he’s sent the chimp into a lot of houses, and up many walls, and into many windows.”

“Yes. There’s probably been a trail of robberies wherever the circus went,” said Jenny. “And many innocent people must have been suspected.”

“What a shame!” said Anne. “But oh dear — if Mr Wooh goes to prison, whatever will become of poor old Charlie the Chimp?”

“I bet Jeremy will take him,” said Tinker. “He loves him, and old Charlie adores Jeremy! He’ll be all right with Jeremy and old Grandad!”

“Well, Tinker, I think you’d better go and tell your father all this,” said Jenny. “I know he’s busy — he always is — but this is a thing he ought to deal with and nobody else. If you’d like to fetch him, George could tell him the whole story — and then I rather guess he’ll ring up the police — and Mr Wooh will find himself in a whole lot of trouble.”