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trousers today — look here! Vicious dog, that’s what he is. Right-down vicious.”
    He caught sight of Luke. “What you doing hanging about here instead of going home?” he asked. Luke disappeared at once, going off up the lane quickly. He wanted no more trouble from either Mr. Tupping or Mr. Goon.
    Buster returned from the battle and went to Fatty, who picked him up.
    “Right-down vicious dog,” said Mr. Tupping again. “If you want any details, Mr. Goon, I’ll give you them.”
    Mr. Goon did not want to report Buster, because he knew that any report would go before Inspector Jenks, who was very friendly with the children. Still, he thought there would be no harm in pretending that he was going to report Buster for being vicious and out of control, so he pulled out his big black notebook, took his stubby pencil and began to write solemnly and slowly.
    The children were rather alarmed. They all went back into Pip’s garden at once. Bets gazed at Buster, her eyes wide with fright.
    “Would they — would they put Buster in prison?” she asked fearfully — and was very much relieved when all the others burst out laughing.
    “Of course not,” said Fatty. “Nobody ever heard of a dog’s prison, Bets. Don’t you worry about old Buster!”
     
    Dark Queen Disappears.
     
    Things began to happen very quickly after this, and, quite suddenly, the Five Find-Outers found that there was a first-class mystery for them to solve.
    The next afternoon Pip’s mother, Mrs. Hilton, went to tea with Lady Candling, who was now back again next door after a short holiday.
    “You may all have a picnic tea in the garden,” she told Pip. “Daisy, see that everyone behaves, please, and if you haven’t enough to eat, go and ask Cook politely — politely, remember — for some more bread-and-butter.”
    “Yes, Mrs. Hilton. Thank you very much,” said Daisy. The children watched Pip’s mother going down the drive at half-past three that afternoon, looking very smart. They were glad that they did not have to dress up and go out to tea. It was much more fun to have a picnic tea and wear old shorts and shirts!
    They had a lovely tea, and went in twice to ask Cook for some more bread-and-butter. Daisy went, and remembered to ask very politely. There were ripe plums and greengages as well to eat, so it was a good tea.
    Soon after tea Mrs. Hilton came back. She went straight to the children, looking rather worried.
    “Children,” she said, “what do you think has happened? That lovely prize-cat, called Dark Queen, has disappeared! Lady Candling is very upset, because she is most valuable. And the dreadful thing is — Luke may have stolen her!”
    “Mother!” said Pip indignantly, “Luke’s our friend. He would never, never do a thing like that!”
    “He wouldn’t, he wouldn’t!” cried Bets.
    “Oh, Mrs. Hilton,” said Fatty earnestly, “I really don’t think you are right in saying that Luke did that!”
    “I didn’t say he had” said Mrs. Hilton. “I said that he might have. All the evidence points to the fact that he was about the only one who could have done so.”
    “But he couldn’t, he simply couldn’t,” said Daisy. “He’s as honest as the day. It is much more likely to have been that hateful old Tupping.”
    “Tupping has been out all the afternoon with Mr. Goon the policeman, who appears to be his friend,” said Mrs. Hilton. “So it is quite impossible that he could have stolen her.”
    The children stared at Mrs. Hilton, feeling upset and puzzled. Fatty took command of the whole affair, and spoke politely to Mrs. Hilton.
    “Luke is a very good friend of ours, Mrs. Hilton, and if he is in trouble we must help him. I am quite sure he had nothing to do with Dark Queen disappearing, nothing at all. Could you please give us the whole story? This looks like something the Five Find-Outers can tackle again.”
    “My dear Frederick, don’t talk so pompously,” said Mrs. Hilton rather impatiently. “And