“Ooh, I dunno,” said Sniffer, looking frightened. “My father would half kill me!”

“Sniffer, is there anything you want, anything you’ve always wanted?” said George. “I’ll give it to you if you do this for me. I promise you!”

“I want a bike,” said Sniffer, surprisingly. “And I want to live in a house, and ride my bike to school.”

“I’ll see that you have what you want, Sniffer,” said George, wildly. “Only, do, do go and get Timmy, and a knife! You got here without being seen, you can surely get back again safely with Timmy. Think of that bike!”

Sniffer thought of it. Then he nodded and disappeared down the passage as silently as he had come.

George waited and waited. Would he bring dear old Timmy to her, or would he be caught?

Chapter Eighteen

George’s trick

George sat in the darkness of the cave, hearing Anne’s peaceful breathing nearby, waiting for Sniffer to come back. She was longing to see Timmy again. Was the cut on his head very bad?

A thought came into her mind. She would send Timmy back to the stables with a note! He was very clever, he knew what to do when he had a note tied to his collar. Then help would come very quickly indeed. Timmy would know his way all right out of this hill, once he had been in it!

Ah, here was Sniffer coming back again. Was Timmy with him? She heard Sniffer’s sniff-sniff-sniff, but no sound of Timmy. Her heart sank.

Sniffer appeared cautiously in the cave.

“I didn’t dare to take Timmy,” he said. “My father has him tied up too near to him, and I’d have waked him. But I’ve brought you a knife, look.”

“Thank you, Sniffer,” said George, taking the knife and putting it into her pocket. “Listen, there’s something important I’m going to do and you’ve got to help.”

“I’m scared,” said Sniffer. “I’m real scared.”

“Think of that bicycle,” said George. “A red one, perhaps, with silver handles?”

Sniffer thought of it. “All right,” he said. “What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to write a note,” said George, feeling in her pocket for her note-book and pencil. “And I want you to tie it on to Timmy’s collar, under his chin, and set him free somehow. Will you do that? He’ll run off back to the stables with the note, and then Anne and I will be rescued, and you will get the most beautiful bicycle in the world!”

“And a house to live in,” said Sniffer, at once. “So’s I can ride my bike to school?”

“All right,” said George, hoping that somehow he could have that too. “Now, wait a minute.”

She scribbled the note, but she had hardly written more than a few words, when a sound came up the passage. Someone was coughing.

“It’s my father!” said Sniffer, in fright. “Listen, if you cut your ropes and escape, can you find your way out from here? It’s very twisty and turny.”