19 WHERE ARE THE PEARLS

CHAPTER NINETEEN WHERE ARE THE PEARLS? 'YOU WANT to know what he did with the stilts he used when he climbed up on the wall after he had stolen the pearls?' said Peter. 'Well– I don't really know– but if all my reasoning is right, he must have flung them into a thick bush, somewhere, to hide them!' 'Yes– of course,' said Pam. 'But which bush?' They all looked round at the bushes and trees near by. 'A holly bush!' said Colin, pointing over the wall. 'That's always so green and thick, and people don't go messing about

with holly because it's too prickly!' 'Yes– that would certainly be the best,' said Peter. 'Come on, everyone.' He led the rest out of the Manor grounds and round to the other side of the wall at top speed. They were soon finding out what a very scratchy, prickly job bending back the branches of the thick holly tree could be. But what a reward they had! There, pushed right into the very thickest part, were two long stilts! Colin pulled out one and Peter pulled out the other. 'You were right, Peter!' said Janet. 'You are clever! We've explained simply everything now– the old cap high up on a branch– the bit of wool– the peculiar round marks– how the thief climbed an unclimbable wall. Really, I think the Secret Seven have been very, very clever!' 'And so do I!' shouted another voice. They all turned, and there, flushed and breathless,

was their friend the Inspector of Police, with John the gardener still a good ten metres off. 'Hallo!' said Peter, surprised. 'Did you hear all that?' 'Yes,' said the Inspector, beaming but breathless. 'John here opened the gate to my car, and told me he thought you had solved the mystery. We knew you must be hot on the scent of something when you chased out of the gate like that. Well, what's your explanation? You've certainly beaten the police this time!' Peter laughed. 'Ah well, you see– we can go snooping about the circus without anyone suspecting us– but if you sent seven policemen to snoop round the circus field, you'd certainly be suspected of something!' 'No doubt we should,' agreed the Inspector. He picked up the stilts and examined them. 'A very ingenious way of scaling an enormously high wall. I suppose you can't also tell me who the thief is, can you?'

'Well– it's a stilt-walker, of course,' said Peter. 'And I think it's a fellow called Louis. If you go to the circus you'll probably find him wearing blue socks with a little red thread running down each side.' 'And he'll have black hair with a little round bare place at the crown,' said Colin. 'At least– the thief I saw had a bare place there.' 'Astonishing what a lot you know!' said the Inspector, admiringly; 'you'll be telling me the colour of his pyjamas next! What about coming along to find him now? I've got a couple of men out in the car. We can all go.' 'Oooh,' said Pam, imagining the Secret Seven appearing on the circus field with three big policemen. 'Hey– won't the circus people be afraid when they see us?' 'Only those who have reason to be afraid,' said the Inspector. 'Come along. I do want to see if this thief of yours has a bare place on the crown of his head. Now, how do you know

that, I wonder? Most remarkable!' They all arrived at the circus field at last. The police got there first, of course, as they went in their car, but they waited for the children to come. Through the gate they all went, much to the amazement of the circus people there. 'There's Louis,' said Peter, pointing out the sullen-looking young fellow over by the lions' cage. 'Bother– he's got no socks on again!' 'We'll look at the top of his head then,' said Colin. 'Louis stood up as they came near. His eyes looked uneasily at the tall Inspector. 'Got any socks on?' inquired the Inspector, much to Louis's astonishment. 'Pull up your trousers.' But, as Peter had already seen, Louis was barelegged. 'Tell him to bend over,' said Colin, which astonished Louis even more. 'Bend over,' said the Inspector, and Louis

obediently bent himself over as if he were bowing to everyone. Colin gave a shout. 'Yes– that's him all right! See the bare round patch at the crown of his head? Just like I saw when I was up in the tree!' 'Ah– good,' said the Inspector. He turned to Louis again. 'And now, young fellow, I have one more thing to say to you. Where are the pearls?'