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my best. I can tell the others, sir, can’t I? You know they can be trusted too - we’ve done quite a lot to help you in the past, haven’t we?”
    The Chief laughed. “Yes. So long as you give the orders to the others, and they obey you, that’s all right. But remember, Frederick - this fellow is dangerous - all I want you to do is to keep your eyes and ears open and pass on anything you hear that might be of value. You’ve got a way of picking up information - in fact I might almost say you’ve got a gift for it!”
    “Thanks, Chief,” said Fatty, pleased, and saw him politely to the front door. As soon as he had shut it Eunice came running up to him.
    “Who was that, Frederick? It was a Chief Inspector, wasn’t it? What did he want to see you for? Was it about that tramp yesterday?”
    “Yes - mostly about him,” said Fatty, guardedly. He wasn’t going to let Eunice know what else the Chief had told him.
    “Well - I do think you might have called me,” said Eunice, indignantly. “After all, I found him - and I called the policeman - and I tried to catch him.”
    “Well - the Chief got all the information from Goon, I expect,” said Fatty. “Now I must start on my training, Eunice. Sorry to have to leave you to yourself.”
    “I’ll come too,” said Eunice, but at that moment Mrs. Trotteville came in, and, to Fatty’s relief, made it impossible for Eunice to go with him, by asking her if she would mind arranging the flowers.
    Eunice, always good-mannered with her elders, agreed at once. and Fatty fled in delight. He meant to go and tell the others the exciting news he had, and he waited until Eunice was safely in the garden and then flew to the telephone.
    He rang Pip’s number, but it was engaged. Blow! He rang Larry’s and to his relief Daisy came to the phone.
    “Daisy! Listen - there’s a Mystery looming up!” said Fatty, delightedly. “A smasher! The Chief Inspector has just been here, and he wants our help. Can we meet at your house in ten minutes’ time? We can? Good. Ring Pip for me, will you, and get him and Bets along too.”
    He rang off, smiling - but as he turned he heard a reproachful voice. “Frederick! You said the Chief came about that tramp. What did he come for? And what’s this about a mystery? I do think you might tell me.”
    It was Eunice who had come in at the garden door with some daffodils. She had heard every word!
    “Sorry. Can’t stop, Eunice!” said Fatty, and ran straight out of the front door, Buster at his heels. He had meant to change back into flannels, but he felt that Eunice would probably follow him right up to his room and harangue him there about their “mystery”.
    So away he fled to Larry’s, still in running things, leaving a very angry Eunice glaring after him. How maddening that she had overheard him on the telephone!
     

Important Meeting
     
    Larry and Daisy were in their summer-house waiting for him. Pip and Bets had not yet arrived. They were surprised to see Fatty in running shorts again.
    “I say - do you live in those?” said Larry. “I’d better get you a coat. You’ll shiver out here. The wind is blowing straight into the summer-house.”
    Pip and Bets arrived almost immediately, and the five, with a happy and interested Buster, held a most interesting meeting.
    Fatty first of all told them the story of how he had escaped from Eunice the day before and gone down to his shed and practised a little disguising.
    “I put on the tramp rig-out,” he said. “Whiskers and all. So, of course, when Eunice came peeping in at the window and the keyhole, she got a bit of a shock, and yelled for help!”
    They all laughed. “Serve her right for snooping,” said Larry. “Go on.”
    “Well, who should come to her help but old Goon, who was walking down the lane nearby, on his Sunday beat,” said Fatty. “So you can guess I had a Bit of a Do getting away. Buster nearly went mad with excitement and jumped all over me and rushed off beside me - and Goon and Eunice thought he was attacking me - Goon