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round?» shouted Colin, and the others looked eagerly at the caretaker. If only he would say yes!
    But he didn't, of course. «What are you thinking of, asking to come in!» he cried. «I know you kids – pestering creatures – wasting my time like this. You clear out and don't you come here again with your tale of burglars and such. You keep away. Kids like you are always up to mischief.»
    Just at that moment Scamper came bounding up. He saw the old caretaker at the window and leapt up at him, in a friendly manner. The man jumped in alarm. He thought Scamper was trying to snap at him. He leaned forward and aimed a blow at him through the window with his stick. Scamper dodged and barked.
    «I'm going to teach that dog a lesson!» cried the old fellow, in a fury. «Yes, and you too – standing out there cheeking me! I'll teach you to make fun of me, you and your dog!»
    He disappeared. «He's going to dart out of the side door», said Peter. «Come on – we've learnt all we want to know. We'll go!»

8 – Another Meeting
     
    The meeting that afternoon was very interesting and full of excitement. Everyone had something to report. They came punctually to the old shed, giving the password without a pause.
    «Weekdays!»
    «Weekdays!»
    «Weekdays!» One after another the Seven passed in, and soon they were sitting round the shed. They all looked very important. Scamper sat by Peter and Janet, his long ears drooping down like a judge's wig, making him look very wise.
    «Pam and George – you report first», said Peter.
    So they reported, telling how they had found out that the old house had been sold to a Mr. J. Holikoff some time back, although he had never lived in it.
    «Did you get his address?» asked Peter. «It might be important.»
    «Yes», said George, and produced his note-book. He read the address.
    «Good. We might have to get in touch with him if we find that he ought to know something queer is going on in his empty house», said Peter.
    Pam and George felt very proud of themselves. Then the two girls reported. They told how they had discovered that the tracks came from the direction of the town of Templeton, and had gone down to the gates of the old house, where it was plain that they had stopped, as Jack had noticed the night before, when he heard the car. Then they told how the tracks had gone into the field, circled round and come out again – and had clearly gone up the lane and back the way they came.
    «Good work», said Peter.
    Janet took out her notebook and went rather red in the face. «I've got this to report, too», she said. She put on the table a page of the notebook on which she had drawn the tyre pattern. «I don't expect it's a bit of use: the pattern on the tyres of the van or trailer or lorry, or whatever it was that was pulled behind the car. And I measured the width, too.»
    Everyone looked at the scribbled pattern. It didn't look anything much, but Peter seemed pleased.
    «Even if it's no use, it was a good idea to do it», he said «Just suppose it was some use – and the snow melted – your drawing would be the only pattern we had to track down the tyres.»
    «Yes», said Colin, warmly. «I think that was good, Janet.»
    Janet glowed with pride. She put away her notebook. «Now you three boys report», she said, though she herself had already heard part of it from Peter while they were waiting for the others to come that afternoon.
    Peter made the report for the three of them. Everyone listened in silence, looking very thrilled.
    «So, you see», finished Peter, «somebody went to the old house last night, got in through the kitchen door, because the footsteps went right to there – and I think they left a prisoner behind!»
    Pam gasped. «A prisoner! What do you mean?»
    «Well, isn't it clear that there was a prisoner in that big window-less van – a prisoner who was not to be seen or heard – someone who was dragged round to the kitchen and forced inside – and hidden