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The Mystery of Tally-ho Cottage

CHAPTER I
AT PETERSWOOD STATION

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One afternoon four children and a dog walked into the little railway station at Peterswood. The dog ran about happily, his tail wagging all the time.

‘Better put Buster on the lead,’ said Pip. ‘We’re early, and two or three trains may come through. Here, Buster—come to heel, old boy!’

The little Scottie trotted up, his tail wagging nineteen to the dozen. He gave a few short barks.

‘Yes, I know you’re longing to see Fatty,’ said Pip, bending over him to clip on his lead. ‘So are we all! Hey, keep still!’

‘Hang on to him—here comes a train!’ said Larry. ‘It’s going right through.’

Buster stood his ground bravely until the train gave a piercing whistle as it tore through the station—then he tried to scuttle under a wooden seat and dragged Pip after him. He sat down with his back to the train and trembled. That awful whistle!

‘It made me jump!’ said Bets. ‘Cheer up, Buster—Fatty will soon be here. We’ve loved having you while Fatty’s been away, and you’ve been Very Very Good!’

‘Even Mother likes you!’ said Pip, patting him. ‘Though she didn’t a bit want us to keep you while Fatty was in Switzerland!’

‘I can’t think why Fatty had to go off to Switzerland for a whole fortnight, and be away all Christmas time,’ complained Bets.

‘Well, he had to go with his parents,’ said Daisy. ‘I expect he had a jolly good time in all that snow.’

‘Yes. And he wouldn’t mind falling down a bit, he’s so plump!’ said Larry, with a laugh. ‘What’s the time? Gosh, we’re early! What shall we do?’

‘It’s cold on the platform. Let’s go into the waiting-room,’ said Daisy. ‘Come on, Buster.’

Buster sat firm. Pip pulled on the lead. ‘Come on, idiot. We’re only going into the waiting-room. Fatty’s train isn’t due yet.’

Buster refused to move. Fatty was coming on one of the trains that clattered into the station, and would alight on this platform—and therefore Buster wished to wait there and nowhere else.

‘Tie him up to the seat,’ said Larry. ‘He’ll be miserable if we make him go into the waiting-room. Buster, you’re an ass. I wouldn’t sit down on that icy-cold stone platform for anything.’

They tied Buster to the seat and left him there. They went into the waiting-room, which had a very minute fire, but was at least sheltered from the cold wind that blew through the station.

‘There’s one thing,’ said Daisy, sitting down on a hard wooden bench, ‘Fatty won’t be in disguise, so he can’t trick us this time! He’ll be arriving with his father and mother, and will have to be himself.’

‘I’m glad,’ said Bets. ‘I want to see him just as he really is, fat and jolly and grinning all over his face! We haven’t seen him for months! Three months at school—and then he rushes off to Switzerland!’

‘I bet I know what he’ll say as soon as he sees us,’ said Pip, grinning. ‘He’ll say, “Well—got any mystery on hand?” ’

‘And we haven’t,’ said Larry. ‘Peterswood has been as good as gold. Goon can’t have had anything to do at all!’

Goon, the village policeman, had indeed had a peaceful fortnight. Not even a dog had chased a sheep, and nothing as exciting as even a small burglary had happened. Goon had had plenty of time for snoozing in his big armchair!

A taxi drove up to the station, followed by a second one. A man leaned out of the window of the first one and beckoned to the one and only porter.

‘Hey, porter! Come and take these cases. Look slippy, we’ve not got much time!’

The voice was loud and clear. The porter ran up at once, and took two small cases. A man got out of the taxi and helped out a woman. Both were middle-aged, well dressed and cheerful-looking. The woman carried a tiny white poodle.

‘Darling Poppet!’ she said. ‘Don’t get a cold in this icy wind!’ She tucked the little thing under her fur coat and only its quaint little pointed nose looked out. The four children, watching from the window of the waiting-room, thought it was a little dear!

Four or five people got out of the second taxi, all rather hilarious. They had evidently come to see off the first two.

‘Buck up, Bill—you’ve not got much time to get the tickets!’ said the woman with the dog.

‘Plenty of time,’ said Bill, and strode into the station. ‘Hallo—is that a train in the distance? My word, we’ll have to hurry after all!’

The woman rushed on to the platform with the little dog. ‘Oh, it isn’t our train after all!’ she said. ‘It’s going the other way. Oh, Poppet, what a shock I got!’

The new-comers made such a stir and commotion that the four children came out of the waiting-room to watch. Everyone was very hilarious.

‘Well, be sure to have a good time!’ said a red-haired fellow and thumped the man called Bill on his back, so that he had a coughing-fit.

‘Send us a telegram when you get there. We’ll miss you and your parties!’ said a woman.

The woman with the dog sat down on the seat to which Buster was tied, and set the little poodle down on the platform. At once Buster began to sniff at her woolly fur, and the little poodle yelped in sudden fright. Buster ran round to the front of the seat, twisting his lead across the woman’s legs. She screamed and snatched Poppet up at once, afraid that Buster was going to snap at the poodle.

To make matters worse another train thundered into the station at that moment and Poppet nearly went mad with fright. She leapt out of her mistress’s arms and tore off at top speed. Buster tried to race after her, forgetting all about his lead, and nearly strangled himself! He got caught up in the woman’s legs, and she fell over, squealing loudly.

‘Oh! Catch Poppet, someone! Oh, what’s this dog doing? Get away, you brute!’

There was a terrific commotion. All four children tried to catch Poppet, and then Pip went to rescue poor Buster who was being well and truly kicked by the scared woman. She was very angry indeed.

‘Whose dog is this? What do you want to tie him up under a seat for? Where’s a policeman? Where’s my dog?’

‘Now now, Gloria, don’t get upset,’ said the man called Bill. Nobody took any notice of the train that had just come in, not even the four children. They were so concerned about Buster, and poor frightened Poppet!

So they didn’t even notice Fatty stepping from the train with his father and mother—an extremely sunburnt Fatty, looking plump and the picture of health. He soon saw the others, and was rather astonished to find them so engrossed that they weren’t even looking out for him!

‘You get a taxi, Mother,’ said Fatty. ‘I’ll walk back with the others. I see they’re here.’

Fatty walked over to where Pip was trying to apologize to the angry woman and her husband. He now had his hand firmly on Buster’s collar, and Buster was trying his hardest to squirm away. He began to bark loudly—and then suddenly wrenched himself from Pip’s hand.

‘Well!’ said a familiar voice, ‘at least somebody recognizes me! Hallo, Buster!’

All the four swung round at once. Bets ran at Fatty, almost knocking him over. ‘Fatty! You’re here!’

‘It looks like it!’ said Fatty, and then there was a general clapping-of-backs and friendly punches. Buster nearly barked the station down, he was so excited. He pawed so hard at Fatty’s legs that Fatty had to lift him up, and carry him!

‘Whose dog is that?’ demanded the man called Bill. ‘I never saw such a badly behaved one in my life. Knocked my wife over, and made her coat all dusty! Ah—there’s a policeman—come over here, my good man. I want to report this dog. It’s been out of control, attacked my wife’s poodle, and caused my wife to fall down!’

To the children’s horror, there was Mr. Goon! He had come to buy a paper at the station, had heard the commotion, and walked on to the platform to see what it was. He still had his bicycle clips on his legs, and his bulging eyes gleamed with pleasure.

‘Sir! This dog made a savage attack, you say! Just let me take down a note. Ah—this dog’s been a pest for a long time—a very—long—time!’

Goon took out his notebook and licked his pencil. What a bit of luck to have a real complaint about that horrible dog!

The train pulled out of the station, but nobody noticed. Everyone was looking at the little group of children surrounded by grown-ups. Buster leapt out of Fatty’s arms as soon as he saw Goon and danced joyfully round his ankles. Goon flapped at him with his notebook.

‘Call this dog off! Here, you, call this dog off. I’ll report him all right. I’ll ...’

Suddenly the woman gave a squeal of joy. ‘Oh—here’s Poppet back again—with Larkin. I thought you weren’t going to come in time to take Poppet back home with you, Larkin!’

Larkin was a queer-looking fellow, who stooped as he walked, and dragged one leg behind him in a limp. He looked fat and shapeless in an old and voluminous overcoat, and had a scarf round the bottom part of his face and an old cap over his eyes. He carried Poppet in his arms.

‘Who’s this?’ demanded Goon, looking with surprise at the queer fellow who suddenly appeared with Poppet.

‘Oh, it’s only Larkin, who lives in the cottage in the grounds of Tally-Ho, the house we rent,’ said the woman. ‘He was told to come to the station in time to collect Poppet and take her back again with him. He’s going to look after her—but I did want to have my darling Poppet till the very last minute—didn’t I, Poppet?’

She took Poppet into her arms and fondled her. She spoke to Larkin again. ‘You’ll look after her well, won’t you? And remember all I told you to do. I’ll soon be back to see to her. Take her now, before our train comes in and scares her.’

Larkin shuffled off, limping as he went. He hadn’t said a word. Poppet had been handed back to him as if she were a doll, and was now snuggled into his coat again.

Goon was growing impatient. He still had his notebook in his hand. The children were wondering whether they could make a dash and go, but Goon had his eye on them.

‘Now, Madam,’ said Goon, ‘about this dog here. Can I have your name and address, please, and ...’

‘Oh! Here’s our train!’ squealed the woman, and immediately everyone elbowed poor Goon aside and began to kiss and shake hands and shout out farewell messages. The man and woman climbed into a carriage and off went the train, with everyone waving madly.

‘Gah!’ said Goon, in disgust, and shut his notebook. He looked round for Buster and the others—but they were gone!