The Secret of The Gorge by Malcolm Saville

Author:Malcolm Saville
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-05-01T00:00:00+00:00

8. The Old Mill

Not long after the twins and Nicholas had left the camp to explore the Manor and the grounds, David and Tom got ready for their expedition.

"I'm still worried about leaving the camp unguarded," Tom admitted. "Trouble is that we can't lock everything up. I've got the idea we're being spied on all the time."

"I'm sure we've got to risk leaving it today," David said. "If we don't all work quickly, we shall miss a chance that may not come again. Surely nobody would actually steal anything from here or break up the camp?"

"We've been warned," Tom said seriously. "I'm sure that chap meant business and whoever is behind him means to get us out of here. They may know more than we do and they're dangerous."

"I've never heard you talk like this before," Peter said hotly. "S'pose that all you say is true? Even if our only enemies are Pudding Face and that old man in the brown suit, they can't be everywhere. There's only two of them, but there are seven of us, and Mackie, too. I can't think why you're so worried about this, Tom. It isn't like you."

Jenny, as usual, rallied to Tom.

"Of course it's like Tom to be thinking of us! And there are more enemies than just those two men. There's the woman, too. The woman with the earrings who told us we were trespassing. I'm not scared - not much, anyway - but I do think we've got to be careful."

Peter stood up and yawned.

"You started all this, Jenny. It's your adventure, really, but we've got to go through with it now and I know what David means about acting quickly... You two boys go and explore the gorge now and we'll take the country below the bridge down as far as the mill. If we find anything, or want you, we'll come up the gorge and whistle the peewit's call. You'll see anyone coming down the gorge, of course, but you may not be able to warn us... Anyway, it's three o'clock now and we'd better all meet here by half past six if we haven't found each other before... You two boys have got the most to do if you're going to look for caves in the cliff so you'd better go at once."

"All boys are selfish," Jenny said as David and Tom hurried off towards the bridge. "I'm sure they've left us the most difficult job. I hate that old mill, but I wasn't going to tell them so. When shall we start?"

Peter lay down on the grass again, put her hands behind her head and closed her eyes so that the sun shone pink through her eyelids.

"Let's try to be subtle, Jenny," she whispered. "Let's really think before we do anything. Let's really try and put ourselves in the place of Harriet Brown."

"But that's what I've been saying for days, Peter. I can't forget Harriet. I'm sure she was beautiful and very, very tragic."

"So she may have been, but she was a thief, Jenny, and we mustn't forget that.

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