It was exciting. A big elephant was tethered by a hind leg to a stout tree. Five tigers in a very strong cage roared for their dinner. Seven beautiful black horses were being ridden round the field by the grooms, who were giving them a little exercise.
Smoke rose from the chimneys of the gay caravans, and all kinds of exciting smells rose on the air.
"What's our plan?" said Larry, jumping off his bicycle and leaning it against the fence. "Do we hunt round for Luke, or do we ask for Jake?"
"We'll all go, except Bets," said Larry. "It can't matter us wandering separately round the field. I can see other children doing it too. But Bets had better stay and look after the bikes."
The others climbed over the fence and went in to the field. They separated and wandered about, waiting to meet someone they could ask about Jake.
It was Pip who found Jake. He had asked a cheeky little circus-girl if she knew where Jake was, and she had first put out her tongue at him, then called him an impolite name, and then pointed to where a big man was giving a pail of water to a horse.
Pip went across to him. The man looked up. "What do you want?" he said.
"I say," said Pip, "I'm looking for a boy I know, called Luke. I've got a message for him. Is he here?"
"Nope," said the man shortly. "Haven't seen him for weeks."
Pip was disappointed. "Oh," he said. "I did want to talk to him. You don't know his address, do you?"
"Nope," said the man again. "I don't give addresses to little busybodies. You go away and mind your own business."
Fatty came up when he saw Pip talking to the man. "Is this Jake?" he said to Pip. Pip nodded.
"But he says he hasn't seen Luke for weeks," said Pip.
"We're his friends," said Fatty earnestly. "Please believe us. We just want to talk to him."
"I've told you I don't know where he is," said the man. "Now you get out of this field; and just remember what I say, I haven't seen Luke for weeks."
Bets stood by the bicycles, watching the others wandering about the camp. She kept an eye open for old Clear-Orf, and hoped he wouldn't stop and ask her what she was doing there if he came by. She decided to creep through to the other side of the hedge, where she would be hidden from any passer-by.
So she crept through and settled herself comfortably there. She was near a bright-red caravan. She looked up at it, and saw something that gave her an enormous surprise. Somebody was peeping at her from behind the little lace curtain — and that somebody was Luke!
"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!
Pip drew Luke into the summer-house. Bets sat on one side of him and Pip on the other. Bets slipped her little hand into Luke's big rough paw. The big boy held it there gently.
"Yes. I left the circus camp," he said. "That policeman went to my Uncle Jake, and he told him all about the stolen cat and that he thought I'd taken it — and he said did my uncle know anything about the cat."
"And I suppose your uncle sent you off when he heard all that," said Pip.
"He didn't give me away to the policeman," said Luke. "He said he hadn't heard of no stolen cat, and he hadn't seen me for weeks and didn't want to. I reckon a search will be made of the circus, though, because that bobby is quite certain Dark Queen is somewhere there."
"I suppose they'd make a search for you too," said Bets.
"Yes," said Luke. "Well, my uncle waited till the bobby was safely out of sight, then he came to me and told me to go. Said he didn't mind me running away from my stepfather, but he wasn't going to help me run away from the police."
"But you can't go back to your stepfather!" said Pip. "He's awful to you."
" 'Course I can't," said Luke. "Don't want to be half killed, do I? Thing is — what am I going to do? I came here tonight because I thought you might be able to give me something to eat. I've had nothing since twelve o'clock and I'm fair starved."
"Oh, poor Luke!" said Bets. "I'll go and get you something at once. There's a steak-pie in the larder and a plum-tart. I saw them both."
"Here, Bets, don't be an idiot," said Pip, pulling her back. "What do you suppose Mother will say in the morning if she finds both pie and tart gone? You can't tell a lie and say you don't know anything about it. Then, if you have to own up, people will ask you whom you gave the stuff to and they'll guess it's Luke."
"Well, what shall we give him then?" asked Bets.
"Bread and butter," said Pip. "That won't be missed. And we could take a small bun or two out of the tin. And there's lots of plums and greengages."
"That'll do fine," said Luke gratefully. Bets sped off at once to the kitchen. Soon she had collected the food and was back with Luke and Pip. Luke began to munch hungrily.
"I'm feeling better now," he said. "Nothing like hunger to make you feel miserable, I always say."
"Where are you going to sleep tonight?" asked Pip.
"Don't know," said Luke. "Under a hedge somewhere. Reckon I'd better go tramping."
"Don't do that," said Bets. "You stay with us for a little while. You can sleep in this old summer-house. We can put the mattress from the swing-seat on the bench here and you can sleep on that."
"And we'll bring you food each day till we think of some plan for you," said Pip, feeling rather excited. "It will be fun."
"I don't want to get you into no trouble," said Luke.
"Well, Luke, you won't," said Pip. "You stay in our garden, and maybe we'll be able to solve the mystery of Dark Queen, and then you can go back to your job and everything will be all right."
"I'll get the mattress off the swing-seat now," said Bets, and she ran to get it in the dark. She was more used to the dark now, and she found the swing-seat without difficulty. Pip went to help her. Together the two dragged the mattress up the garden to where Luke sat in the summer-house.