CHAPTER IV
“DANNY THE DETECTIVE”
Two days later, the boys having been even worse than usual, Miss Prince shut the door firmly and said: “Now, boys, I am going to give you a new punishment for this disgraceful behaviour. I am going to sit on the floor, and you three are to sit on the floor in a row in front of me, for twenty minutes, and keep perfectly silent.”
“Not much!” said Bill, with his cheekiest air.
Miss Prince sat down on the floor. “There was once a boy called Danny,” she began. “He was always known as Danny the Detective by his friends. One day a wonderful adventure happened to him.” The three boys stopped whistling and listened. Miss Prince went on, talking very quietly. They had to come nearer to hear. It got so thrilling, and they got so excited about Danny and the German spies, that before long they were sitting on the floor, as silent as mice, their eyes fixed on Miss Prince. More than half-an-hour had passed before the story was finished. Then they realized that for once they had done as they had been told, and they began to be as rude as ever.
“Of course, all that is a pack of lies!” said Bill.
David’s eyes were shining with excitement; he did so wish he was Danny himself. But he felt he ought to support his twin and keep up the frightfulness, so he made a rude remark, too.
“Danny is now a Scout,” said Miss Prince. “He is very fond of camping out in the wood and cooking his meals in a billy-can on a wood fire. Perhaps you will come across him one day when you are in Prior’s Wood. But I’m afraid he would not want you as his friends—you’re so awfully rude and selfish. I’m afraid he’d call you ‘little Huns’!”
“I don’t believe anything about Danny,” said Bill.
“Nor do I,” said the other two. But in their hearts they decided to visit Prior’s Wood.
It was the day after this strange new punishment had taken place. Bill, David and Nipper were having tea in the Play-room, when Miss Prince, who had looked anxiously out of the window many times during the last half-hour, heard the wheels of the dog-cart on the drive, and hurried downstairs. The cart had driven round to the stables, and there Miss Prince followed it.
As she came up, a boy had just jumped out, and was taking a kit bag from under the seat. He was a boy of fifteen, medium height, with a very sunburnt, cheery face, and eyes that looked straight at you when he talked, as if he had never had anything to hide or be ashamed of.
“Hullo, Miss Prince!” he cried, with a grin.
“Hullo, Danny!” she said. “How nice to see you again! You seem just like a bit of home!”
She led him into the house, through the great, oak-panelled hall, to her own little sitting-room. There they had a long talk. When they came out Danny was laughing.
“I think it’s a splendid plan,” he said. “I’ll do my best to make it come off successfully.”