"Oh, thanks, puss!" said Fatty gleefully, and drew the whistle carefully to the wire-netting. He jerked it up, and the whistle flew through one of the
holes and landed at Bets' feet She picked it up.
"Got it!" said Fatty. "Let's have a look at it. Yes, it's one of Luke's all right. What a good thing we got it out. Now that clue won't be found by old Clear-Orf! Luke won't get into further trouble because of that!"
"You really are clever, Fatty," said Bets, in the greatest admiration.
"Good work, Fatty," said Pip.
Fatty at once swelled up with pride and importance. "Oh, that's nothing," he began. "I've often had better ideas than this. Why, once..."
"Shut up!" said Larry, Daisy, and Pip together. Fatty shut up. He stuffed the whistle into his pocket.
"Look about for any more clues," said Pip. "There might be some more in the cage."
The five of them pressed their noses once more to the cage netting. Bets wrinkled up her nose.
"I don't like the smell in the cage," she said.
"Well, animals never smell very nice when they are caged," said Larry.
"No, it's another smell," said Bets. "Like petrol or something."
The all sniffed. "She means turpentine," said Fatty. "I can smell it too quite faintly. Afraid that's not a due though, Bets. Still, it's good to notice even a smell. Perhaps Miss Harmer uses turps to clean out the cage. Now any other clue, anybody?"
But there really did not seem to be anything at all to be found, although the children hunted around the cages and peered inside them time and again.
"Sickening," said Fatty. "Nothing to help us at all. Not a thing. Well, it's a jolly good thing we found that whistle before Tupping or Clear-Orf spotted it. I feel certain somebody put it there so that Luke might be suspected of stealing the cat. What a mean trick to play!"
"I wish we could put a whole lot of dues in the cage so that it would muddle up old Clear-Orf," said Pip.
The others stared at him in delight, the same delicious thought striking them all at the same moment
"Golly, what a marvellous idea!" said Fatty, wishing he had thought of it himself.
"Yes; let's do it!" said Larry excitedly. "Let's put all kinds of silly dues, that couldn't possibly point to Luke. It will give old Clear-Orf a most frightful headache sorting them all out!"
They all began to giggle. What should they push into the cage?
"I've got some peppermint drops," said Pip, with a chuckle. "I'll chuck one into the cage."
"And I'll put a piece of my hair-ribbon in," said Daisy. "It tore in half today and I've got the bits in my pocket I'll put a half-bit in through the wire!"
"And I've got some blue buttons off my doll's coat," said Bets. "I'll put one of those in!"
"I believe I've got a new pair of brown shoe-laces somewhere in my pocket," said Larry, digging about in his shorts pockets. "Yes, here they are. I'll put one into the cage."
"What will you put in, Fatty?" asked Bets.
Fatty produced a collection of cigar-ends out of his pocket. The others stared at them in amazement.
"What do you want to collect cigar-ends for?" asked Larry at last.
"I smoke them," said Fatty. "They're the ends of the cigars my father smokes. He leaves them on the ash-tray in his bedroom."
"You don't smoke them!" said Pip disbelievingly. "You're just saying that to swank as usual. You just take them to make yourself smell of grown-up cigar-smoke, that's all. I often wondered why you smelt like that."
This was rather too near the truth for Fatty's liking. He pretended not to hear what Pip said. "I shall throw a cigar-end under the cage on the ground," he said, "and one inside the cage though I hope none of the cats will chew it and get ill. Two cigar-ends will just about send old Clear-Orf off his head."
Very solemnly the five children spread their "dues." Pip threw a large round peppermint drop into the cage, where the cats eyed it with displeasure. They evidently disapproved of the smell.
Daisy stuffed half a bit of rather grubby blue hair-ribbon into the netting. Bets put in a small blue button. Larry pushed in one of his new brown shoe-laces and Fatty threw a cigar-end under the cage and one inside as well!
"There," he said, "plenty of clues for old Clear-Orf to find! Hope he comes soon."
Mr. Goon on the Job
"Oh, crumbs! I never thought of that," said Pip.
"It's all right," said
Fatty. "I've got a big envelope here see? Now then, let's each put into the envelope the same thing that we've already settled for dues. I'll put in two cigar-ends, to match the ones I've left. Daisy, put in your other half of ribbon."
Daisy did so. Then Bets put in one of the blue doll's buttons, Larry put in the other shoe-lace, and Pip put in a peppermint drop.
Fatty folded up the envelope carefully and put it into his pocket. "If any of us is accused of the theft, because of the clues we've put in the cage, we've only got to show them what's in this envelope for them to know we did it for a joke," he said.
A bell rang out in Pip's house, and Bets gave a groan. "That's my bed-time bell. Blow! I don't want to go."