Bets sat quite still, holding her breath. The curtain was then drawn a little farther, and the window was quietly opened. Luke put his head out.
"Hallo, little Bets!" he said in a cautious voice. "Why are you here? Have you come to see the circus?"
"No," said Bets, standing up and speaking in a low voice too. "We heard you had a friend here, Luke, and we wanted to find you and talk to you — so we thought perhaps you had gone to your friend."
"He's my uncle," said Luke. "I don't like him much, but I couldn't think of anyone else to go to. You see, I was afraid they'd put me into prison for stealing Dark Queen. So I ran away."
"But you didn't steal her, did you?" said Bets.
" 'Course not," said Luke. "As if I'd go stealing anything! I'd be too scared, let alone it's wrong. Are you alone?"
"No; the others are here too," said Bets. "They have gone to find Jake to ask if you are here."
"Oh," said Luke. "Well, I didn't tell him anything about the trouble I'm in — nothing about Dark Queen, I mean. I was afraid if I told him that he'd not hide me here. I just told him I'd got into trouble with my stepfather and wanted to run away with the circus. I showed him the bruises where my stepfather hit me last night, and he said he'd hide me till the circus went away and take me with him. He can do with a strong lad like me to help."
"Did your stepfather beat you?" said Bets, with great sympathy. "Oh, Luke, you do have a bad time, don't you? I hope the others don't say anything to Jake about the stolen cat; but I don't think they will. They were only going to say that they wanted to give you a message."
"Well, if they tell him I'm suspected of stealing anything, he'll not keep me here, that's certain," said Luke.
"No circus-folk like to be mixed up with the police. Don't you go and tell anyone I'm here, will you, Bets? I've got to keep hidden in this caravan till the circus moves off."
"I won't tell a soul — except the boys and Daisy," said Bets. "You can depend on that."
"Oh, and Luke — I must tell you something queer," said Bets, remembering the finding of the whistle. But before she could say any more, there came the sound of voices nearby. Luke shut the window hastily, and drew the curtain.
It was only the boys and Daisy coming back to Bets, bitterly disappointed.
"Nothing doing, Bets," said Fatty. "We found Jake, and he wouldn't open his mouth about Luke at all. Said he hadn't seen him for weeks."
"But all the same I can't help feeling that he has seen him and that he knows where he is," said Pip. "It's sickening — coming all this way for nothing."
"What's the matter with Bets?" said Fatty, looking at her suddenly. "She's all red, and bursting to tell us something. What's up, Bets?"
"Nothing," said Bets. "Except that I know where Luke is, that's all."
The four children stared at Bets as if she had suddenly gone mad. "What do you mean?" said Pip at last. "Where is he?"
Bets dropped her voice. "See that red caravan over there? Well — he's hiding in there. I saw him. He was peeping out at me. And I talked to him."
"Did you say anything to Jake about the stolen cat?" continued Bets. "Because Luke said he didn't say a word to him about that in case Jake wouldn't hide him. He just told Jake that he was running away from his stepfather, and he showed him his bruises."
"We didn't say a word about the cat, silly, of course not," said Pip. "I wonder if we can speak to Luke. Which window did he look out of, did you say?"
Bets showed him. Pip whistled the little tune that Luke always used as a signal. The curtain moved slightly, and the children could see the outline of Luke's head behind. The window softly opened.
"Hallo there, Luke!" said Fatty in a low voice. "We haven't said anything to Jake about the cat. I say, are you really running away with the circus?"
"Yes," said Luke.
"But don't you think that everyone will feel certain you stole Dark Queen if you run away?" said Larry. "You know, it's not a very good plan to run away from things."
There came the sound of somebody jumping off a bicycle the other side of the hedge — somebody heavy and panting. The children looked at one another, and then looked over the hedge. Yes, just as they had feared — it was Mr. Goon. His puncture was mended and he had caught them up.
"These your bikes?" said Mr. Goon. "What you doing here?"
"Having a look round the circus," said Fatty politely. "Lovely tigers here, Mr. Goon. You'll have to be careful they don't eat you. They like a nice big dinner."
Mr. Goon snorted. "You'd better clear orf," he said. "You're up to no good here, I'll be bound. Have you seen your friend Luke?"
"Luke?" said Fatty, staring with wide eyes at Mr. Goon. "Why, where is Luke? Isn't he at Lady Candling's? We'd like to talk to him, if only you'll tell us where he is."
"You clear orf," said Mr. Goon again, getting on his bicycle. "Butting in where you're not wanted. Interfering with the Law."
He rode off to the gate that led into the field. The children did not dare to speak to Luke again. They slipped through the hedge and got their bikes. They saw Mr. Goon speak to someone and then go off to where Jake was still watering his horses.
"There, just what we thought!" said Fatty. "He's heard about Jake too. I only hope Jake won't give away Luke's hiding-place when he knows he's suspected of stealing Dark Queen!"
"We'd better get away from this caravan," said Pip. "It might look funny, being so near it. Old Clear-Orf is terribly stupid, but it might occur to him that we are interested in this caravan for some special reason!"
So they all rode off, leaving poor Luke behind in the red caravan. How they wished they could do something for him. But they couldn't. They must just hope he could get away safely with Jake and that nobody would find him.
"All the same, I think he's jumped out of the frying-pan into the fire," said Larry as they cycled home together. "I don't think he's going to be any happier with that surly Jake than with Tupping or his stepfather."
It was late when they got back, almost Bets' bed-time. "We'd better say good night," said Larry, stopping at the corner of the road where he lived. "See you all tomorrow!"
"Good night," called the others, and rode on, leaving Daisy and Larry behind.
"We'll drop you next, Fatty," said Pip.
"Good-bye," said Bets, "see you tomorrow." She and Pip rode home down the lane. Bets' bed-time bell was ringing as she rode up the drive.
"Just in time," said Pip. "You won't get into a row tonight, that's certain! Happy dreams, Bets!"
He soon fell asleep. He dreamt all kinds of things. He dreamt that old Clear-Orf was chasing him, riding on Buster's back. He dreamt that Jake joined in, riding on a tiger. Then he dreamt that Luke was in front of them, running away in fright. He heard the tuneful whistle that Luke used as a signal.
Pip turned in his sleep. The dream went on. Luke was in it all the time. The whistle kept there too, insistent and clear.
Then someone clutched Pip, and he awoke with a terrible jump. He sat up, trembling, still Thinking of his dream. He gave a little yelp.
"Sh! It's me, Pip," said Bets' voice. "Don't make a noise."
"Bets!" said Pip in anger. "What do you mean by giving me a fright like this? You nearly made me jump out of my skin."
"Pip, listen! There's someone whistling in the garden," whispered Bets. "And it's Luke's little tune. You know, the one we always used to whistle to one another. Do you think it's Luke out there? Does he want us?"
Pip was now wide awake. He was just about to answer Bets when he heard the whistle again, the noise he had heard in his dreams. He now knew it had been a real whistle, not a dream one. He jumped out of bed.
"Good for you, Bets!" he said. "It must be Luke. He's left the circus for some reason and come back here. We'd better see what he wants. At least — I'll go and see what he wants. You stay here."
"I'm coming too," said Bets in an obstinate voice. "I heard him, and you didn't I'm coming too."
"You'll only fall down the stairs or something and make a row," said Pip.
"I shan't," said Bets crossly, raising her voice. Pip nudged her.
"Shut up! You'll wake everyone. All right — come it you want to, but for goodness' sake be quiet."
They did not bother to put on dressing-gowns, for the night was so warm. They padded down the passage and on to the landing. Pip fell over something, and rolled down a few stairs before he was able to catch hold of the banisters and stop himself from falling any farther.
"What's the matter, Pip?" said Bets in alarm.
"Fell over the silly kitchen cat," whispered back Pip. "Golly, I hope no one heard me."
The two sat on the stairs holding their breath for a minute or two, expecting to hear a movement in their parents' room. But nobody stirred. The cat sat at the bottom of the stairs, her green eyes gleaming in the darkness.
"I believe she tripped me up on purpose," said Pip. "She's been awful cross ever since we let Buster into the house. Get away, Puss."
The cat mewed and fled. The children went groping their way down the dark passage to the garden door. Pip unlocked it, and they stepped out into the silent garden. Bets clung to Pip's hand. She didn't very much like the dark.
The whistle sounded again. "It's somewhere at the top of the garden," said Pip. "Come on! Keep on the grass, Bets. The gravel makes a noise."
The two crept over the lawn, up the kitchen-garden, and round past the big rubbish-heap. A shadow moved by the old summer-house.
It was Luke! They heard his voice in the darkness. So Luke had come back after all!