Dot has got her way, thanks to her friends the dogs – and they’ve all gone into the woods, to try and help Mr Holmes find his way back to where he nearly caught whoever it is who’s making the scary sights and sounds round Dendringham Hall with strange sights and sounds. But it’s getting really dark now…
If it had been spooky outside the woods of Dendringham hall, it was twice as spooky inside them.
Four times as spooky!
As the big iron gate into the wood clanged shut behind them, Dot shivered. Beside her Mr Holmes strode along, his fierce, eagle-like face pointing forward in the moonlight that glimmered through the trees. Dry leaves crackled under their feet, and every so often Dot had to duck under low branches.
With the wind sighing through the trees, it was as if the whole wood was talking about her, whispering “She shouldn’t be here… she should go home… she’s no business with us… ”
In the dark, she reached out and took Mr Holmes’s hand. It was warm and strong. He looked down at her and smiled. It reminded her of her Dad. If only he was with them now!
YARROWWWPPP!
What ON EARTH was THAT!!!
BARKBARKBARK went the dogs, out far ahead of them!
Mr Holmes swung his torch round. “Don’t worry!” he said calmly. “Only a fox on the prowl!”
But Dot’s heart was beating so fast she could hardly speak. She took a deep breath. She’d wanted to do this, and she was going to!!
“What are we looking for?” she asked, holding Mr Holmes’ hand tighter than ever as they walked along. It was easier now – there seemed to be a bit of a path cleared through the wood.
“I saw this rogue!” said Mr Holmes, looking stern and strict again. “So I fired the gun in the air to try and stop him, but he ran off! Then I heard you coming and thought you were him, trying to get into the hall – that’s why I came out… but now we need to get back to where I saw him again, because I heard him drop something.”
He shook his head, pushing up another big thick branch to let them pass. “I can’t remember exactly where it was, and I’d never find it again in the dark – but with any luck, the dogs will, because whatever it is will have a human scent on it. Aha!”
It was Wiz and Victor and Angharad barking again, but in a different way now – the way that says “Come and see what I’ve found!”
“Come on!” said Mr Holmes, dashing forward.
But - RRIPPP! Dot’s skirt had caught on a thorn bush, and now it had a big tear in it as well as being all muddy!
Aaargghh!
Oh well - TOO BAD, thought Dot, rushing forward with Mr Holmes. Can’t be the first time a girl's torn her skirt, not even at a posh place like Dendringham Hall in the 19th century!
The barking was getting louder now, the deep voice of Victor all mixed up with Wizard’s quick short barks and Angharad’s sharp, growly snapping.
Suddenly the path in front of them opened out, into a grassy clearing with a big old tree leaning over it, all knotted and bent – like a monster leaning over with two thick, dead branches for arms. It looked hundreds of years old – as if it had been there long, long before Dendringham Hall was built.
It had no leaves on it, so the moon was able to shine down onto the clearing – more brightly now, the clouds had nearly all gone. There, in a group, the three dogs stood on guard in a circle, still barking away at something on the ground, their three tails wagging away.
“Great Scott!” said Mr Holmes, shining his torch down on the ground. “What in heaven’s name is that?”
It was a really bizarre thing the dogs had found.
It was a big curved wooden handle, beautifully carved with flowers and birds and insects. On one side was a round brass box, with a shiny silver handle in the middle – a bit like the reel you see on a fishing rod. The handle was attached to a kind of silver bell, with what looked like little brass keys round its rim, which glinted in the moon light. Some of the keys seemed to be missing.
Mr Holmes bent down and touched it, then drew his hand back quickly.
“Still warm!” he said. “Interesting! VERY interesting!” He put his hand on his chin, and, still gazing down at the strange thing they’d found, started murmuring to himself. He was obviously having a big think!
The dogs had stopped barking now, and sat down, still in a circle, watching him. But Mr Holmes was so lost in thought it was as if no-one else was there anyway!
Then Angharad got up again, and sniffed the strange thing. She turned to look up at Dot.
“Thought so!” she whispered. “I know that scent!”
