He ran back to Kirrin Cottage and told the others. They were at once as anxious as he was. What could have become of George?

“We’ll wait till tea-time,” said Julian. “Then if she’s not back we’ll really have to do something about it — tell the police, I should think. But she has sometimes gone off for the day before, so we’ll just wait a bit longer.”

Tea-time came — but no George, and no Timmy. Then they heard someone pattering up the garden path — was it Timmy? They leaned out of the window to see.

“It’s Jo,” said Dick, in disappointment, “She’s got a note or something. Whatever does she want?”

Chapter Nine

An extraordinary message — and a plan

Julian opened the front door. Jo silently gave him a plain envelope. Julian tore it open, not knowing what in the least to expect. Jo turned to go — but Julian put out his hand and caught hold of her firmly, whilst he read the note in complete amazement.

“Dick!” he called. “Hold on to Jo. Don’t let her go. Better take her indoors. This is serious.”

Jo wasn’t going to be taken indoors. She squealed, and wriggled like an eel. Then she began to kick Dick viciously with her bare feet.

“Let me go! I’m not doing any harm. I only brought you that note!”

“Stop squealing and being silly,” said Dick. “I don’t want to hurt you, you know that. But you must come indoors.”

But Jo wouldn’t stop wriggling and pulling and kicking. She looked scared out of her life. It was as much as Dick and Julian could do to get the little wriggler into the dining-room and shut the door. Anne followed, looking very frightened. Whatever was happening?

“Listen to this,” said Julian, when the door was shut. “It’s unbelievable!” He held out the typewritten note for the others to see as he read it out loud.

‘We want the second notebook, the one with figures in, and we mean to have it. Find it and put it under the last stone on the crazy paving path at the bottom of the garden. Put it there tonight.

‘We have got the girl and the dog. We will set them free when we have what we want from you. If you tell the police, neither the girl nor the dog will come back. The house will be watched to see that nobody leaves it to warn the police. The telephone wires are cut.

“When it is dark, put the lights on in the front room and all three of you sit there with the maid Joan, so that we can keep a watch on you. Let the big boy leave the house at eleven o’clock, shining a torch and put the notebook where we said. He must then go back to the lighted room. You will hear a hoot like an owl when we have collected it. The girl and the dog will then be returned.”