heavens! Incredible! The things that happen these days!” said the old man. “Take my advice, my boy, and go to the police.”
The train drew to a stop. Snubby looked out casually, and then leapt to his feet suddenly, startling the old man considerably.
“Golly! This is my station! Here, Loony, wake up! Stir yourself. Good-bye, sir—and I hope you catch your locked-door thief.”
“Good-bye, my boy. We’ve had a most interesting conversation—and take my advice, go to... ”
But his words were lost in the whistling of the engine and the slamming of the door. Snubby was gone and so was Loony. The old man sank back in his seat. Well, well, well—what was the world coming to? To think that even a young boy could be mixed up in such extraordinary plots. Most alarming.
“Nobody’s safe these days!” thought the old man gloomily. “It’s all most alarming.”
CHAPTER 3
AN UNEXPECTED MEETING
Snubby arrived on the platform very hurriedly, fell over Loony and sat down with a bump. A squeal of laughter greeted him.
“Oh, Snubby!” cried Diana’s voice. “You always fall out of a train! Hallo, Loony!”
Loony flung himself on Diana in a mad bound, almost knocking her over. He barked and yelped, pawing her ecstatically. She had to push him off at last.
“No, Loony, no more. Get down. Snubby, tell him. He’s just as loony as ever, isn’t he? I say, Roger’s sorry he couldn’t come and meet you, but he’s gone to the next station to meet Great-uncle Robert. Why you couldn’t both come to the same station, I don’t know! I suppose Great-uncle thought the next one was nearer to us.”
“Who’s Great-uncle?” asked Snubby in surprise. “I’ve never heard of him before. Surely he’s not coming to stay?”
“Yes, he is. Maddening, isn’t it, considering it’s our hols,” said Diana as they walked out of the station. “He’s not a bad old thing, only awfully pompous and polite. Mother didn’t know till yesterday that he was coming. We’ve had to put you in Roger’s room.”
“Oooh, good,” said Snubby. “Loony will like that.”
“Does he still take every brush he can find?” asked Diana. “He was awful last summer hols.”
“Yes, he’s still pretty bad about brushes,” said Snubby. “And mats. And cats too. I say—you’ve got a cat now, haven’t you?”
“Yes. A big black one called Sardine,” said Diana. “She’s almost a year old, so she’s still pretty idiotic at times. I don’t know how she’ll get on with Loony.”
“It’ll be a lively household,” said Snubby, pleased. “Cats and dogs flying all over the place, and us three, and your old Great-great-uncle.”
“Only one Great,” said Diana. “He’s Daddy’s uncle. Well, there’s our house. Loony remembers it, look! He’s rushing in at the gate. My word, he’ll startle old Sardine—she’s basking on the wall!”
Snubby ran after Loony. Loony had already discovered Sardine, and was chasing her madly round the front garden, yelping in excitement. Sardine flew into the house, Loony raced after her, and Snubby tore after them both.
Mrs. Lynton was amazed to see Sardine flash past her head and land on top of the bookcase. She was even more amazed to see Loony coming in like a streak of black lightning, followed by a shouting Snubby.
“Oh! It’s you arriving, Snubby. I might have guessed,” she said. “There’s really not much difference between you and a tornado. How are you, dear?”
“Hallo, Aunt Susan!” said Snubby. “Come here, Loony. Oh, good—Sardine’s gone out of the window now. Gosh, so has Loony.”
He disappeared at top speed, and Mrs. Lynton sat down again with a sigh. Peace always vanished when Snubby arrived. There were loud cries from the garden, and finally a scream from Diana.
“Mother! Here’s Great-uncle in a taxi with Roger.”
Mrs. Lynton got up hurriedly. She wondered what Uncle Robert would say when he found the front garden full of yells and yelps, howls and yowls, and screaming children.
She went into the garden, and hissed at Snubby. “Catch Loony at once. Take him away. Go and wash your hands or something!”
Snubby gave her a startled glance. How cross she sounded! He gave a piercing whistle and Loony responded at once. He arrived like a cannon-ball at Snubby’s heels, and the two disappeared indoors just as Great-uncle Robert opened the front gate. Diana smoothed back her hair and went to welcome him too.
“So nice to be here at last, my dear Susan,” said the old fellow. “Such a peaceful place—far from thieves, and wars and spies!”
Mrs. Lynton felt astonished. “Oh, we’re peaceful enough here, out in the country,” she said. “Come along up to your room. You will like a wash, I expect.”
“Thank you, my dear, thank you,” said Uncle Robert, and followed his niece up the stairs. She took him to the guest-room and put his bag down for him.
“Very nice room,” said Uncle Robert. “Very nice view too. Beautiful. Ah—who’s this?”
It was Loony. He came nosing into the bedroom, having smelt somebody new. He stood at the door, wagging his black stump of a tail, his long ears drooping like a judge’s wig at each side of his head. Uncle Robert looked at him.
“Most peculiar,” he said. “There was a dog in the train, in my carriage, exactly like that!’
“Oh, well—black cockers are very much alike,” said Mrs. Lynton. “Now you wash, Uncle Robert, and then come down to lunch. You must be hungry.”
She went to a cupboard on the landing to put some things away. Snubby was whistling in Roger’s room, brushing his wiry hair and making it stand up straighter than ever. He suddenly missed Loony.
“Hey, Loony! Where have you got to?” he said. He went to find him. Ah, there he was, standing in the doorway of the room next but one. He went to get him. Somebody came walking out at the same moment, stepping carefully over Loony, who didn’t attempt to move out of the way. He never did if people were stupid enough to walk round or over him.
Snubby stopped in the utmost amazement when he saw Great-uncle Robert. He stared as if he couldn’t believe his eyes.
Great-uncle Robert stared too.
“Incredible!” he muttered, taking a step backwards and nearly falling over Loony. “You again! What are you doing here?”
“I’m staying with my cousins,” said Snubby, horrified to see that the old man in the train had suddenly become Great-uncle Robert. Gosh, this was frightful. That awful story he had told him—about the gang called Green Hands! Suppose he told Aunt Susan about it, what in the world would she say? She wouldn’t understand at all. She would be furious!
“So you ran away here,” began Uncle Robert. “Do your cousins know why?”
“Sh!” said Snubby desperately. “Don’t say a word to anyone. Remember the Green Hands! They’ll get you too if you split.”
“Split?” repeated Uncle Robert faintly, not understanding the word.
“Blab. Spill the beans. Give the game away,” said Snubby urgently. “Don’t say a word. Just remember the Green Hands!”
The gong in the hall suddenly sounded for lunch, and both Uncle Robert and Snubby jumped violently.
“Sh!” said Snubby again, and looked all round him as if he were being hunted.
“I’ll remember the Green