Chapter one

CHAPTER   SIXTEEN

 

And Now MKX

 

every member of the Secret Seven felt excited when they heard the latest news. They thought that Janet had been very clever in realising that the red pillow was a mistake for red pillar-box.

Barbara thought for a moment and then said that she wondered if the man watching behind the grating might be waiting to signal to someone when the postman came to empty the box.

" Someone might be waiting to steal the letters from him," she said.

" That's an idea," said Peter. " But there isn't much point in stealing ordinary letters. They're not worth anything ! "

" That's true," said Jack. " It's sacks of registered parcels and letters that are usually stolen. They're worth something. But not ordinary letters. I don't somehow think the watcher is watching the pillar-box—he's probably watching for someone waiting there, or passing it."

 

 

 

" Is it worth telling Daddy all this, Janet, do you suppose ? " said Peter, after the Seven had discussed everything thoroughly. " After all— it's tomorrow something has been planned to happen. We haven't much time left."

" Well—we might tell him this evening," said Janet. " Let's wait till then. We might think of something else important. I don't think Daddy will change his mind about things just because we've discovered that a red pillar-box can be watched through a grating in Ember Lane."

" It does sound rather silly put like that," said Peter. " Well—we'll wait till this evening. Good-bye till then."

But before they could tell their father of their latest ideas, Pam came dashing into the garden to find Peter and Janet. Barbara was just behind.

They found Peter and Janet watering their gardens. Pam flung herself on them.

"Peter! Janet! What do you think? We've seen MKX ! "

Janet dropped her watering-can, startled. Peter stared in excitement.

" Who is he ?    Where did you see him ? "

" It isn't a he.   It's a van ! " said Barbara.

 

" Pam and I were going home together, when we saw a post-office van standing near a pillar-box—you know, a mail-van—painted red."

" And its letters were MKX ! " cried Pam. "MKX 102. What do you think of that? We couldn't believe our eyes when we saw it was MKX. I'm sure that's what Jeff meant— the mail-van, MKX."

" But—but there must be plenty of cars with the letters MKX," said Peter. " Plenty."

" Not in one place," said Pam. " I don't ever remember seeing MKX in our town before. I notice car numbers, because I want to see if I can spot a Z something someday. I haven't yet. Peter! That van must be the MKX those men spoke about when Jeff was half-asleep."

Peter sat down on a garden-seat. " I think you're right," he said. " Yes—I think you must be right. It's all beginning to fit in. Wait now—let's puzzle it out."

He sat and thought, frowning hard. " Yes— perhaps a mail van goes into Ember Lane— with a few sacks of registered parcels inside. The postman gets out of his van to go across to the red pillar-box to collect the letters."

"Yes!   yes!" cried Pam.    "And some-

 

one is watching through the grating to see when he is unlocking the pillar-box, with his back to the van, and signals to others who are waiting out of sight somewhere. ..."

" And at once they see the signal, rush to the van, and drive it off before the postman can get back to it! " cried Janet, taking the words out of Pam's mouth.

They all sat and looked at one another, their eyes shining. They felt breathless. Had they solved everything—or was it just too clever to be true ?

" Well—I shall certainly tell Daddy now," said Peter, thrilled. " What a bit of luck you noticed the letters on that mail-van, Pam and Barbara. Good work! We're a jolly fine Secret Society, I think. Successes every time!"

" And we thought this one was a failure! " said Janet. " Look—there's Daddy. Come and tell him now."

So Peter's father was soon surrounded by four excited children, determined to make him believe that what they had discovered really

He listened carefully. He pursed up his mouth and gave his head a little scratch, looking with twinkling eyes at the children.

Well, well—this is rather a different tale this time. Most ingenious! Yes, I'll do something about it.

He went indoors and rang up the Inspector of Police, and asked him to come along. " I've a curious tale to tell you," he said. " You may or may not believe it—but I think you ought to hear it.

 

And before ten minutes had passed the kindly-faced Inspector was sitting in the garden, listening solemnly to the children's tale.

He glanced at Peter's father when they had finished. " This is important," he said. " There have been too many mail-van robberies lately. We'll catch the ring-leaders this time—thanks to the valiant Secret Seven ! "

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER   SEVENTEEN

 

Top Secret

 

he got up to go. The children pressed round him. " Tell us what you are going to do ! Do, do tell us!"

" I'm going to discuss the whole matter with other people," said the Inspector, smiling down at the four children. " You've not given me much time to make preparations, you know! According to you, it's all fixed for tomorrow !"

" How shall we know what's going to happen ? " asked Pam. " It's our affair this— can't we see what's going to happen? "

" I'll let you know tomorrow, at ten o'clock," said the big Inspector, twinkling at them. " Call a meeting of your Secret Society down in the shed—and I'll be there to report to you ! "

There was such excitement that evening among the Secret Seven that their parents thought they would never get them to bed. Colin, George, and Jack were all told by the other four, and spent a wonderful time thinking how clever they had been.

 

" Well—we'll meet down in the shed at ten tomorrow," said Colin. " Passwords and everything—and you all realise, of course, that not one single word of what the Inspector tells us is to be told to anyone else."

" Of course," said everyone.

At five to ten they had all arrived at the shed except the Inspector. He came promptly at ten o'clock.

" Have to let him in without the password," said Peter. But Janet called out loudly: " Password, please ! "

The Inspector grinned to himself outside the shed. " Well," he said, " I don't know it, but there's one word that seems to me to be a very good password for you at the moment, and that is—adventure ! "

" Right! " shouted everyone in delight, and the door opened. In went the Inspector and was given a large box to sit on. He beamed round at them all.

" This is secret," he said. " Top secret. We've made inquiries, and we think it is possible that a robbery may be planned this evening when the postman drives up in his mail-van to make the seven-thirty collection of letters from the red pillar-box in Ember

 

Lane. At that time of the evening he has on board his van some sacks of registered letters."

" Oooooh ! " said Pam. " Just what we thought!"

" Now what we are going to do is this," said the Inspector. " A postman will drive up as usual with the mail-van. He will park it in the usual place. He will go across to the pillar-box and unlock it, with his back to the van."

" Yes," said everyone, hanging on to the Inspector's words. " What next ? "

" Well—the watcher behind the grating will probably signal to others waiting opposite in hiding," said the Inspector. " They will rush to the van, jump into the driver's seat—two of them probably—and drive it away."

"But—will you let them do that? " said Pam. " With all the sacks inside ! "

" The sacks won't be inside, my dear," said the Inspector. " But six fine policemen will— and what a shock for the two men when they park the mail-van somewhere lonely and go to unlock the van door."

" Oh! " cried the Seven, and gazed at the Inspector in delight.

" And the man signalling behind the grating

 

will find two policemen waiting for him in the passage outside the underground room," said the big Inspector. " Very interesting; don't you think so? "

" Please—please can we be somewhere and watch ? " asked Peter. " After all—if it hadn't been for us you wouldn't have known anything about this."

" Well now, you listen," said the Inspector, dropping his voice low and making everything sound twice as exciting. " There's a warehouse called Mark Donnal's in Ember Lane— and it's got a back entrance in the road behind —Petton Road. Nobody will say anything if seven children go in one by one, and make their way to a window overlooking Ember Lane at the front of the warehouse. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if there isn't someone there to show you the very room you want! "

Every single one of the Secret Seven wanted to hug the big Inspector, but as he got up at that moment, they couldn't. They beamed in delight at him.

" Thank you! It's marvellous of you! We'll be there—if our parents let us."

" I think you'll find that will be all right," said the Inspector, and off he went.

 

 " well ! " said Peter, looking round. " This is wonderful. Seats in the very front row."

" Yes. But we shan't be able to see the best bit of all—when the men open the van—and out come the policemen ! " said Jack.

" Never mind—we'll see plenty ! " said Peter. " I wonder where Jeff is. I suppose that awful Mr. Tizer took him away and locked him up

 

somewhere till the raid should be over. I wonder what will happen to poor old Jeff."

" Mew," said the kitten, who was on Janet's knee. Its leg was healed now, and it was a fat, amusing little thing. Janet hugged it.

" I expect poor Jeff misses you," she said. " Never mind—maybe we'll be able to do something for Jeff if he's found—and you can go back to him."

" I wish tonight was here," said George, getting up. " It'll never come ! "

But it did come—and it brought a most exciting evening with it!

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 CHAPTER   EIGHTEEN

 

An Exciting Finish

 

the Seven spent the rest of the morning up in the tree-house, talking over everything. Scamper put himself on guard as usual, but no one came by. The afternoon dragged on, and tea-time came. Then the children began to feel intensely excited.

At half past six they went one by one down

 

 

to Ember Lane. They thought they had better not go in a bunch in case they attracted attention. They found the back entrance of Mark Donnal's warehouse in Petton Road, and went up the steps to it. The door swung open silently as they reached the top step. Most mysterious!

But behind it, keeping guard, was one of the village policemen! He grinned at each child as he or she walked in, and took them up the stairs, along dusty passages, to a little room at the front.

" We've got a marvellous view of the red pillar-box," said Janet to Peter. " We shall see everything. I wonder if the signaller is down behind the grating yet."

They asked the policeman. He nodded. " Yes—he's there all right. We've watched him go into the underground room, complete with white handkerchief for signalling. There are now two policemen in a cupboard outside the door—waiting! "

It was too exciting to be borne! The children simply couldn't sit still. The time went by slowly. Seven o'clock—ten past—twenty past—twenty-five past. . . .

A clock on a nearby church tower suddenly chimed the half hour. Half past seven ! Now was the time!

Everything happened very suddenly and quickly. There came the roar of a car-engine, and round a corner came the red mail-van— MKX 102. It stopped and the driver jumped out. He took a sack and ran across to the red pillar-box. He unlocked it, his back to his van.

And then two men suddenly came from a small alley-way and sprinted at top speed to the van. There was no one in Ember Lane

I

except the postman—all the workers had gone home long ago.

But many watchers saw the two men—the seven children stared breathlessly—so did the policeman with them—so did the signaller behind the grating.

And so did many hidden eyes belonging to watchful police, including the Inspector himself!

The men leapt into the front of the van. One got into the driving-seat, one next to him. There was a roar of the engine, and the van drove off at top speed, vanishing round the corner.

The postman straightened up. He didn't seem surprised. He was in the secret too! The children rocked to and fro on their seats in excitement. A few policemen appeared from odd places and spoke to one another. Then there came a noise from down below !

" That's the signaller being caught! " said Peter. " I bet it is !"

It was, of course. He had walked out of the underground room straight into the arms of the waiting policemen. And, lo and behold, it was Mr. Tizer!

But the evening's excitement wasn't yet
 

 

 

 

finished! Before half an hour had gone, the mail-van was back again—but this time it was driven by a uniformed policeman, with another beside him. Inside were the two men. As the children watched, the van doors were opened, and four policemen got out with the two men held firmly by the arms.

" Got them nicely," said the policeman who was in the room with the children. " They must have parked quite nearby, opened the van—and got the surprise of their lives—and here they are, back again to talk to the Chief ! "

It was maddening to have to go home after that. What an excitement! How wonderful to be in at the finish—but how dull afterwards !

The Seven went to Peter's house to supper, talking all at once. Nobody could possibly hear what anyone else said. And waiting at the house for them was—Jeff! The kitten was back in his arms, and he looked scared but happy.

" Hallo," he said, " the police know all about everything now, don't they ? They came to my uncle's house and found me. Uncle had locked me up in an attic. I haven't got to go back to him any more."

 

" What's going to happen to you then? " asked Peter.

" They're trying to find out about my mother," said Jeff, hugging the kitten. " I told you I didn't even know what hospital she'd gone to. I'm to stay here till they know. Your mother said I could."

Jeff looked clean and his hair was brushed. Peter's mother had felt sorry for him and had done what she could when the police brought him to her. Now he was to have supper with the Seven. He was very happy.

The telephone bell rang, and Peter's mother went to answer it. She came back, smiling. " It's about your mother, Jeff," she said. " She's better ! She's leaving hospital tomorrow and going back home—and you're to be there to greet her ! "

Jeff stood with tears in his eyes. He couldn't say a word. He held the kitten so tightly that it mewed. He turned to the Seven, finding his tongue at last.

" It's you that have done all this ! " he said, stammering in his joy. " It's all because of you. I'm glad I found your tree-house. I'm glad I met you. You're a wonderful Secret Society, the best in all the world ! "

 

 

 

" Well, we do feel rather pleased with ourselves tonight," said Peter, grinning at Jeff. " Don't we, Scamper, old boy ? Do you agree that we're a jolly fine Secret Society ? Do you agree that we must go on and do lots more exciting things ? "

" Woof," said Scamper and thumped his tail on the floor. " woof ! "

Well done, Secret Seven! Do let's hear your next adventure soon.