The Big Six: A Novel

by Arthur Ransome

  “Shall we take the map down?” said Tom.

  “Better have it where it is,” said Dick, “so that we can get a general view.”

  A few minutes later they stood back from the wall to look at the half of the big map that showed the Northern Broads. A cluster of black flags at Horning staithe, a few black flags along Horning Reach, black flags at Ranworth and black flags at Potter Heigham showed where the criminals had been at work.

  “But them’s just the places we’ve been,” said Bill.

  “How do we know boats haven’t been cast off at other places too?” said Tom.

  “Crumps,” said Joe. “If they’ve been doing it in places where we wasn’t things’ll look a sight better.”

  “That’s it,” said Tom. “We’ve got to set all the Coots on the look out in case any more boats get cast off, and we’ve got to find out if any have been cast off already that we don’t know about.”

  ‘Too late to do it today,” said Bill.

  “Tomorrow,” said Dorothea.

  “How many bikes can we get hold of?” said Joe. “There’s Bill’s, but it ain’t here and how’s he to get it without showing up on the staithe?”

  “I’ll slip round and bring it. We can keep it in here.”

  “At headquarters,” said Dorothea. “And then there’s Dick’s and mine. That’s three.”

  “And mine,” said Tom.

  “Four anyway,” said Joe.

  “We’ve an awful lot of places to go to,” said Tom.

  “Split up and we’ll do the lot in a day,” said Joe.

  SCOTLAND YARD

  “We ought to get that done first of all,” said Dorothea. “It’s awfully important to know at once the moment the villain does anything else. The detectives ought to come charging in while all the clues are fresh.”

  “What do we do now?” asked Pete, looking over Dorothea’s shoulder at Dr. Dudgeon’s prescription forms, on which she was ruling lines with a pencil.

  “We want separate notes for each case,” said Dorothea. “Then they compare them and the truth comes leaping out.”

  “Hope it do,” said Bill.

  “What was the first?” said Dorothea.

  “That cruiser at the staithe,” said Tom.

  Dorothea wrote “Place” at the top of her first column and under it “Horning staithe”. “Where was the Death and Glory?”

  “Horning staithe,” said Tom.

  “We wasn’t the only ones there that night,” said Pete. “What about the bloke what bung the brick back with my tooth?”

  Dorothea wrote busily, in a column marked “Possible clues”. Then she took another prescription form. “What was the next?” she said.

  “We were at the eelman’s,” said Tom, “and we found that boat with her mast in the trees on our way back in the morning.”

  “And there was boats cast off that night all down the Reach,” said Bill.

  “Place …” said Dorothea, “Horning staithe and Horning Reach … D and G at eelman’s … Possible clues … I’ll just have to leave that blank.”

  “We never saw nobody,” said Pete.

  “Next,” said Dorothea.

  “That were Sir Garnet,” said Bill. “And there ain’t no clues neither.”

  “Old Simon ask us to keep an eye on her,” said Joe. “And last thing I go round her ropes and then in the morning she ain’t there.”

  “Horning staithe,” wrote Dorothea. “Sir Garnet….”

  “Sir Garnet weren’t next,” said Pete. “There was that lot at Potter Heigham.”

  “Good thing I’m doing it on separate sheets,” said Dorothea. “Now, Potter Heigham…. Boats cast off? …”

  “Lot of Sonning’s yachts. Half a dozen, that Tedder say.”

  Dorothea wrote “Six yachts”. “Clues?” she asked.

  “We never saw nobody there neither,” said Joe. “We was up above bridges for the night and next day we come straight through. We see young Bob Curten, but that was when we was coming away being towed and couldn’t stop.”

  “Bob Curten,” wrote Dorothea.

  “What about those shackles?” said Tom. “Uncle Frank said that whoever took them would probably sell them and get found out that way.”

  “Hope he do that quick,” said Bill.

  Dorothea wrote “Shackles …” “If we could only find out who’s got them,” she said, “that would clear the Death and Glories.”

  “That wouldn’t,” said Bill. “Not about the boats.”

  “It would help an awful lot,” said Dorothea.

  “And then there’s Ranworth,” said Tom.

  “There was Rob,” said Joe. “Night and morning…. But he wouldn’t cast off them boats. Couldn’t neither.”

  “He didn’t know anything,” said Tom. “He thought you’d done it.”

  “Silly young turmot,” said Bill.

  “But we do know something about Ranworth,” said Dick, looking at the clues hanging on the wall.

  “Possible clues,” wrote Dorothea. “Someone crossed Ferry in middle of night. Bicycle with Dunlop tyres. Punctured tyre gone flat and pumped up. Bit of his pump missing and held at Scotland Yard.”

  “We’ve got a jolly good lot about Ranworth,” said Tom.

  “That’s because the detectives were on the spot at once,” said Dorothea. “If we get the plain-clothes men working everywhere so that we all get quickly to the scene of the crime we’ll probably be able to grab the villain the next time he tries to do anything.”

  She laid the five sheets of paper in a row on the table and pored over them.

  “Scientifically,” began Dick and hesitated.

  “What?” said Tom.

  “Greatest Common Factor,” said Dick. “We ought to compare all the crimes and see what was the same in each case.”

  “They was all different boats,” said Pete.

  “Yes, I know,” said Dick, looking from one sheet of paper to another.

  “The Death and Glory was there each time,” he said, “but that won’t be a Common Factor if we can only find some other boats have been cast off in other places. And, I say, there’s one other thing. All the crimes were done at night….”

  “Who’d cast boats off in broad daylight?” said Bill.

  “Let’s make a list of things to do,” said Dorothea.

  By the time Mrs. Dudgeon’s cook had brought them a jug of tea and a large seed-cake, their list was already a long one. Tomorrow was to be a busy day. Messengers were to go from Scotland Yard to the Coots all over the district to turn them all into plain-clothes men and to arrange for them to report at once if any boats should be cast adrift anywhere. The messengers were also to find out if any boats had been cast adrift already and if so, when and where. Then there was to be a general examination of Horning bicycles and a list made of those which had Dunlop tyres. Further, Scotland Yard was to make inquiries about anybody who had been seen mending a puncture or had taken a bicycle to the shop to have a puncture mended. With all these things to do, the detectives were in high spirits, and even Bill began to think their innocence as good as proved.

  “Meet at Scotland Yard at nine tomorrow,” said Tom when at last they separated and Dick and Dorothea went back to Mrs. Barrable’s and Tom went off to get hold of Bill’s bicycle for him, and Joe and Bill and Pete went back to their hiding place in the Wilderness to fry perch for supper in the Death and Glory.

  “You’d never think that Dot got such a head on her,” said Bill, as they climbed over the fence.

  “And that Dick get things taped, don’t he?” said Pete. “Wonder if that chap mend his puncture himself or go to old Bixby’s to get it done.”

  *

  But they were not the only detectives who had been at work that day. They had skinned, fried and eaten their perch and were topping up with stewed peaches when they heard heavy steps among the osier bushes and then a heavy hand thump on their cabin roof. They came out into the cockpit to meet Mr. Tedder.

&nb
sp; “Now, you listen to me, Joe, and Bill, and you, young Pete,” said Mr. Tedder, who had been thinking just how best to surprise a confession out of the criminals. “What have you done with all them shackles you took that night you was casting off boats at Potter Heigham?”

  “We ain’t never touched a shackle,” said Joe angrily.

  “And we ain’t been casting off no boats,” said Bill.

  “We got a lot of clues,” said Pete, but shut up quickly on catching Joe’s eye.

  “I got all the clues I want,” said Mr. Tedder solemnly. “You cast off that cruiser from the staithe and then you was seen casting off that sailing yacht. And then you go off to Potter and play old Harry. You come back and first thing you do, you cast off Jim Wooddall’s wherry who ain’t done you no harm. And last night…. Do you think I don’t know what you was doing at Ranworth?”

  “We tie up by the staithe there and in the morning there was a lot of boats blow across the Broad,” said Joe, “but we ain’t touch none of ’em.”

  “Why did you clear out instead of helping chaps bring ’em back?” said Mr. Tedder. “And you claiming to be salvagers.”

  “Bring ’em back and be told we cast ’em off!” said Joe. “That’s what happen when we find that yacht with her mast in the trees.”

  “Listen to me,” said Mr. Tedder. “I know your Dads and got nothing against ’em. I don’t want to be harder on you than need be. You own up honest and hand over them shackles and I’ll make things as easy as I can.”

  “We haven’t got no shackles,” said Joe.

  “It’ll be worse for you in the end,” said Mr. Tedder. “There’ll be a notice on the staithe in the morning. Printing it now, they are.”

  “Giving a reward?” said Joe.

  “Giving a reward they are,” said Mr. Tedder. “You ain’t got a dog’s chance.”

  “Maybe we have,” said Joe. “We’ll have a try for the reward.”

  Mr. Tedder grunted. He had made up his mind not to lose his temper. “There’s another thing,” he said. “Maybe you ain’t got them shackles, not now, but you know who has. You been spending a lot of money.”

  “We earn it,” said Joe.

  “Who did you work for?” said Mr. Tedder. “They tell me you was throwing it about. And you didn’t get it from your Dads. I know that.”

  “We earn it selling fish,” said Pete.

  “What fish?”

  “Pike,” said Pete. “We catch a whopper.”

  “Pike!” exclaimed Mr. Tedder. “Who’d give you a penny a pound for it to throw it away?”

  “Chap fishing,” said Pete.

  “Where is he?”

  “Gone away to Norwich,” said Joe.

  “So he would,” said Mr. Tedder. “Now, don’t you tell me lies like that. You’ve been good lads all of you till you take silly and start acting silly. Just you own up and make it easy for yourselves.”

  “We ain’t got nothing to own up,” said Joe.

  “There’s other ways of finding out,” said Mr. Tedder, and went off through the bushes.

  “How did you know we was in here?” Pete called after him.

  “There ain’t very little as the police don’t know,” said Mr. Tedder. “As you’ll find out.”

  CHAPTER XVI

  SPREADING THE NET

  AT nine in the morning Joe, Bill and Pete were just turning in at Dr. Dudgeon’s gate when Dick and Dorothea came into sight on their bicycles. They went through the garden together and found Tom waiting for them in Scotland Yard.

  “They’ve done it,” said Tom. “Uncle Frank told Dad.”

  “What?” said Dorothea.

  “Put up that notice,” said Tom grimly.

  “Papered us,” said Joe. “That Tedder tell us last night they was printing it.”

  “You didn’t go to see him?” said Tom.

  “He come to see us,” said Joe, “wanting them shackles we ain’t got.”

  “You didn’t tell him about our clues?” said Dorothea.

  “We tell him we ain’t got no shackles,” said Joe.

  “Let’s go and look,” said Pete.

  “But ought they to go to the staithe?” said Dorothea.

  “Nothing to stop us now,” said Bill. “That Tedder know where we are.”

  “We’ll go in a minute,” said Tom. “But there’s no point in going and coming back again before we start out. Some of us’ll be going that way anyhow.”

  “Who’s going where?” said Bill.

  “Four bicycles,” said Tom. “I got yours last night. Oh, and I had to tell your mother where you were. She wanted to know if you were still at Ranworth. She wanted to come and see you today, but I told her not till tomorrow, because you were going bicycling.”

  “Did you see my Mum too?” asked Pete.

  “No,” said Tom.

  “Mine’ll tell her,” said Bill.

  “Now look here,” said Tom. “It’s no good Dick and Dot going. They don’t know the other Coots and the other Coots don’t know them. We’ll have to borrow their bicycles. You don’t mind, do you?”

  Dorothea minded very much. But she knew Tom was right. This spreading of the net was not a job for strangers. So all she said was, “Mine’s a girl’s, but if it’ll do.”

  “Pete’s smallest,” said Tom. “He’ll be all right on it. Now have a look at the map. We’ve got members pretty well everywhere. I’ll do Potter and then go on to Hickling. Somebody else’ll have to do Irstead and Barton and Stalham. I’ll do Ludham on the way to Potter. Then somebody’s got to do Wroxham. And then there’s Ranworth, South Walsham and Acle. Acle’s a likely place. I wish we’d thought of it yesterday while we were at Ranworth so as not to have to go there again. But we’ve got to put Rob on the watch.”

  “Ranworth chaps’ll be looking for us,” said Bill.

  “Mustn’t be caught,” said Joe. “I’ll go there.”

  “Yes,” said Tom. “Joe goes to Ranworth and Acle.”

  “I’m as good as Joe,” said Bill. “They’ll as likely catch him as me.”

  “Toss for it,” said Joe.

  Tom tossed. Joe called, and won, and began to look with interest at Dick’s bicycle.

  “I can move Dot’s saddle a bit lower,” said Dick measuring Pete with his eye.

  “Don’t get into rows, anybody,” said Dorothea. “That won’t help. All we want now is information … and getting detectives on the look out in each place.”

  “Dot’s right,” said Tom. “No rows. Just find out if there’s been trouble with any other boats and tell all Coots to report full tilt to Scotland Yard the moment they hear of a boat being cast off anywhere. Bill does Irstead and Stalham. Stalham’s the likelier place. Pete’ll do Wroxham. Not so far to ride…. Coltishall too if he likes, but we haven’t got a member there.”

  “I can easy ask the chaps with the boats,” said Pete.

  “What are we to do?” asked Dorothea.

  “Somebody ought to be about at the Yard,” said Tom. “And keep a look out generally.”

  “And keep that Tedder off the Death and Glory,” said Pete.

  “We’ve got to have lunch with the Admiral if we’re not going anywhere,” said Dick.

  “You see we’re staying with her and we’ve been out nearly all the time,” said Dorothea. “She was very decent, and said she wouldn’t mind if we were taking our bicycles anywhere…. But if we’re not ….”

  “That’s all right,” said Tom. “So long as there’s someone at the Yard to get the reports when the detectives come in. That won’t be till afternoon. I say, what about grub?”

  “We got ours,” said Bill, patting a fat pocket.

  “And I’ve got mine,” said Tom.

  “Let’s start,” said Pete.

  The four detectives who were to spread the net of Scotland Yard all over the northern Broads wheeled their bicycles out of the Doctor’s gate. The other two came with them. Dick took a spanner from the tool case that hung behind his saddle an
d lowered Dorothea’s saddle an inch to make it easier for Pete.

  “That looks about right,” said Tom.

  “Let’s try it,” said Pete. He put a foot on one pedal, pushed off and flung his other leg across. Dorothea laughed.

  “That’s not the way to get on,” she said.

  “Never mind,” said Tom. “He’s on all right.”

  Pete wobbled a little but presently steadied himself. He turned in the narrow road without falling, rode back to them and got off in the same way that he had used when getting on.

  “It ride same as a boy’s,” he said. “It only look different.”

  The six of them walked together to the staithe. A couple of Jonnatt’s boatmen looked at them in no very friendly way, and turned round to watch them as they went up to the notice-board.

  Tom read the notice aloud. Yes, there was no doubt about it. There it was, in two parts …. “Damage done to private property by interference with moored craft….”

  “But there ain’t been no damage,” said Bill.

  “There may have been,” said Tom.

  He went on reading. “STOLEN. From Sonning’s boat-yard at Potter Heigham … one gross of two-inch gunmetal shackles … half a gross of inch shackles … information leading to conviction … to Messrs. Farland, Farland & Farland or to any Police Station … reward will be paid ….”

  “Gosh! That do sound awful,” said Pete.

  “Well, it ain’t us anyhow,” said Joe.

  “Everybody think it is,” said Bill.

  “But it isn’t,” said Dorothea. “And won’t it be a sell for everybody if the Coot Club gets the reward?”

  That was a better way of looking at it. But it was with serious faces that the detectives made ready to set out.

  “Scotland Yard this afternoon,” said Tom.

  “We’ll be there,” said Dorothea. “Hi! Dick!”

  Dick had forgotten everything but a row of swallows on the telephone wire.

  “Sorry,” said Dick. “I didn’t hear. I was just wondering how they know when to go.”

  “They’re going now,” said Dorothea.