Read 1997 - The Chocolate Money Mystery for Free Online

at Maddy and smiled.
    “We’ll bury it,” he said. “We’ll get Rudolf and his team to dig a hole and then they’ll fill it in. Professor Sardine will think we’ve still got the crate and he’ll chase after us rather than look for the money.”
    Maddy agreed that this was an excellent idea and they quickly organised the dogs into digging a deep hole at the foot of a tree. Then, when the crate had been safely dropped into it, the dogs very quickly closed the hole again, leaving no traces at all. Maddy carefully marked a tiny cross on the tree with her penknife—so they’d know where to find it again.
    In the meantime, Professor Sardine and his assistant had been struggling down the hill towards them, and Max and Maddy had a nasty surprise when they looked up and saw the two men getting closer by the minute. The professor and his assistant had not seen the hole being dug, but the children knew that if they were caught the professor would soon be able to force them to tell where the crate was hidden.
    “We’ll never get away,” gasped Maddy. “They’re far too close.”
    Max looked up at the two approaching figures. So did Rudolf, and he frowned—a great St Bernard frown that knit his brows into a hundred furrows. Then he growled, and at his growl all the other dogs swung their heads round and looked in the direction of the two men.
    Max and Maddy watched in amazement as the dogs formed themselves into a long line and began to bark fiercely.
    “They’re giving us the chance to get away,” said Max. “Quick, let’s get down the hill!”
    The sight of the snarling dogs stopped Professor Sardine in his tracks.
    “Sit!” he shouted out to the dogs. “Lie down!”
    This only made the dogs growl more fiercely, and one darted forward and gave the assistant a good nip on the leg. This was enough for the two men, who turned round and began to make off back up the hill, with Professor Sardine shouting over his shoulder, “You haven’t seen the last of me! I’ll get you for this!”
    Rudolf realised that all was now well and that Max and Maddy had been given a good start, but he could not resist the temptation of running after Professor Sardine and taking a large bite out of his snowsuit. This soon shut him up! The enraged professor gave a yelp and stumbled off as fast as he could, with a large, and very cold hole in the seat of his pants.
    “We’re going to make it,” said Max, as they saw the spire of the village church sticking out of the trees below them.
    Maddy gave a shout of joy. “Yes,” she said. “I can smell the bakery from here. They’re baking marzipan cakes. Can you smell it?”
    Max could, and the smell meant safety. He reached out to Rudolf, who was running along beside him.
    “Thank you, Rudolf,” he said. “I think that you and your friends saved my life up there.”
    Rudolf gave a bark in reply. It had been a pleasure for him to do what he did. He knew that his grandfather—who had once saved two climbers trapped by an avalanche for three days—would be proud of him. And that was enough reward for a dog.
     
    Down in the village, the local policeman listened to the children’s breathless account of what had happened.
    “I see,” he said. “I’ve been a bit suspicious of what’s been going on up there, but I had no idea that it was the bank robbers we’ve been hearing about. Well done! You’ve certainly done a very good job!”
    While the policeman telephoned Mr Huffendorf, the children were given a warm and reviving cup of piping hot chocolate, and each dog was given a large bowl of steaming milk.
    Half an hour later, Mr Huffendorf arrived, together with some more senior policemen wearing skis and carrying all sorts of ropes and ice axes. Mr Huffendorf shook hands solemnly with the two children and listened in astonishment to their account of what had happened. Then they all set off up the hill to the marked tree where the money had been buried, and the policemen, assisted by