The Big Six by Arthur Ransome

Author:Arthur Ransome
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9781446483183
Publisher: Random House UK
Published: 2011-06-30T04:00:00+00:00

DETECTIVES ON THEIR WAY

“What about Dick?”

“There are sure to be some birds in the Wilderness,” said Dick.

The three of them strolled through the village with William. Mrs. Barrable looked in at Dr. Dudgeon’s and had a word with the Doctor’s wife while Dick and Dorothea visited Scotland Yard and had a look at yesterday’s clues and notes. Then they crossed the Coot Club dyke by the drawbridge (which in these days was never raised) and went through the Farland’s garden and so along the bank of the river to the dyke in the Wilderness where the Death and Glory lay hid.

“She makes a lovely picture in there among the willows,” said Mrs. Barrable. “And if I plant myself here those reflections give a patch of colour just where I want it.” The Admiral took her folding stool from Dick and prepared to settle down. “But I wish those boys were on board.”

“Would it do if I sat in the cockpit?” asked Dorothea. “I’ll be keeping still anyhow writing. I’ll just slip into the cabin to get the book.”

She climbed aboard, and jumped down into the cockpit. This was just the place to write The Outlaw, afloat in the old boat. She turned the handle of the cabin door. It would not open. She rattled it, and looked at the keyhole. There was no key there, but the door was locked.

“Oh, bother!” said Dorothea.

“What’s the matter?” asked Dick.

“I can’t get in.”

Dick came aboard and tried the door.

“What’s the matter?” asked the Admiral.

“They’ve locked us out,” said Dick.

“Oh rubbish,” said the Admiral. She too came along and tried the door. She, too, failed to open it. And then, as people do when they cannot get into an empty house, they looked in through the windows. And there, on the opposite bunk, lay Volume Five of The Outlaw of the Broads where Pete had put it, meaning to bring it to Scotland Yard.

“What am I to do?” said Dorothea. “I can’t do any detecting till the others come back, and I’ve got a bit of the Outlaw all ready to write.”

“What about the book you had with you after breakfast?” asked the Admiral.

“That’s for Scotland Yard,” said Dorothea. “Evidence and reports from scouts and all that. And I’m in the middle of a chapter in Volume Five.” She looked dolefully through the cabin window at Volume Five lying in a patch of sunlight on the bunk.

“I can give you a bit of paper,” said the Admiral. “Write on that and copy it out afterwards. Lots of authors never work any other way. Like sketching, you know, before doing a picture.”

“Yes, I could do that,” said Dorothea. “It’s a bit of dialogue and I’ve got to get it just right.”

The morning passed peacefully away. Dorothea with pencil and paper worked in the cockpit of the Death and Glory, trying to keep her mind on The Outlaw and not to let it go wandering off after the four detectives. Dick lay in the grass and watched a water-hen.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.