The Christmas of Adventure

©2015 June E.

Philip, Dinah, Jack and Lucy-Ann are excited at the prospect of spending their first Christmas together, but by Christmas Eve all their plans lie in ruins. Things get even worse when a severe snowstorm brings the country to a standstill and leaves Bill snowbound, hundreds of miles away. Forced to fend for themselves in Bill's remote moorland cottage, rumours abound of a strange and terrifying creature lurking in the woods nearby... and with a ruthless thief on the loose, striking at night and stealing birds from the local Sanctuary, the scene is set for a frightening and perilous adventure. Can they stop the thief before it's too late? Or will Kiki be the robber's next victim?

Chapter 35: '...now you're going to find out what it feels like to be a prisoner!'

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Working deftly, Bill cut the rope ladder with his penknife until he had reduced it to two long separate pieces of rope. He gave the end of one piece of rope to Lucy-Ann to hold. Keeping a look out in case the man emerged from the hut, Bill laid the rope across the path, burying it under a layer of snow so that it could not be seen. Finally, he tied the far end low down on a sturdy blackthorn trunk, before scuttling back to the waiting Lucy-Ann.

'Hold on to your end of the rope,' he said, 'and when I give the order, pull it with all your might. The rope will become taught and form a kind of trip-wire.'

Lucy-Ann watched as Bill took the second length of rope and fashioned one end into a large loop.

'It's a lasso,' explained Bill. 'When you've tripped him, I'm going to throw it over him and tie him up.'

No sooner had Bill set his trap, when the door of the hut opened again, and the man came out. Lucy-Ann gripped her rope tightly, nervously waiting for Bill to give the command.

'Relax, Lucy-Ann,' whispered Bill. 'We have to wait until he walks down the path towards the trip-wire. Timing is crucial. If you pull the rope too soon he might see it and avoid the trap.'

Lucy-Ann did not like having such a crucial role in the drama. Anxious thoughts swam around in her head.

'What if I pull the rope too soon and he sees the trap? What if I pull it too late and it doesn't trip him up? What if...'

They watched the man walk towards the log pile – then they saw the glint of a large, ferocious-looking axe. Whack! He started to chop some logs, splitting even the thick ones with just one blow! There was no doubt about his immense strength, and the axe would be very dangerous if used as a weapon. Carrying a pile of freshly cut logs, the man went back into the hut. He hadn't come anywhere near their trap! Lucy-Ann breathed a sigh of relief – thank goodness the moment of action had been delayed. Then she remembered that Jack and Philip were trapped inside the hut and might be in danger. She felt guilty and gave herself a shake. She was determined to act boldly, no matter what. She had to play her part in rescuing the boys.

Soon, wisps of smoke began to emerge from the hut's chimney, filling the air with the unmistakable and delicious tang of wood smoke. Evidently the man had made a fire and settled down comfortably. Meanwhile, Lucy-Ann and Bill waited in the bitter cold for what seemed like an age. Lucy-Ann started to shiver, and her fingers grew white and numb with cold.

'Next time he comes out, we have to entice him over this way somehow, so that he walks into our trap,' said Bill. 'We can't wait here freezing all day, and goodness only knows when Harry will arrive with the police.'

Bill hated having to wait around whilst the boys were imprisoned in the hut, perhaps frightened and worried. But he couldn't rescue them unless the man came out and walked into their trap, because that was the only way to tackle him without risking serious injury. If Bill got injured the children would be entirely in the power of the man, and Bill simply daren't risk that. With a deep sigh, Bill pulled the collar of his coat up around his neck in an attempt to gain some protection from the bitter cold, and settled down to wait.

As they crouched there motionless, a little robin hopped onto the bramble bush and eyed Lucy-Ann and Bill.

'It must be the same robin that I saw yesterday,' thought Lucy-Ann. 'They're very territorial birds, and this must be his patch.'

The bird flitted about, close to Lucy-Ann – and it might have been her imagination, but the bird seemed to have a curious expression on his face, as if to say.

'You are a strange little girl! You seem to spend all your time hiding under bushes!'

Suddenly the door of the hut opened, making Lucy-Ann jump out of her skin. Instantly, the robin disappeared up into the blackthorn. The man came out with a small sack, and plunging his hand in, he drew out a gigantic fistful of bird food: seeds, nuts and dried meal worms. He started to scatter it over the snowy ground. A blackbird appeared and immediately and began to devour the seeds. The robin followed suit, pecking at the meal worms – his favourite treat! But still the man did not walk towards the waiting trap, and to Bill's frustration he soon went back inside the hut. Bill simply didn't know how to entice the man to walk across the trip-wire!

Next time the man emerged he was wearing a grey leather glove on his right hand, and sitting on his fist was tethered an enormous grey owl. It was about two feet long, with a grey face and yellow eyes.

'That's one of the stolen birds!' whispered Lucy-Ann. 'It's the great grey owl. I know because Jack showed me a picture of one.'

It was clear that the man had brought out the owl to allow it some much-needed exercise, but he was taking no chances, for the poor bird was tethered to a long line of fine thread, wound around a wooden spool. This allowed the owl to spread his huge wings and fly for short distances, but prevented it from going too far and escaping or getting lost. It was a shame to see such a noble and majestic creature tied up in that way, and unable to fly freely.

Now all this time, Woffly had been sleeping in his cosy den in Bill's pocket. But it was a long time since he had feasted on chocolate cake crumbs on Mrs Grouch's kitchen floor and he was getting hungry again. Peeping out from Bill's pocket, the little mouse spied the nuts and seeds on the ground, and saw the blackbird and robin pecking it up ravenously. Soon there would be none left! So Woffly jumped out of Bill's pocket and made a bee-line for the bird food – he didn't notice the owl at all! Unfortunately the owl had excellent hearing, and turning his great head towards the scurrying mouse he spied what he thought would make a tasty meal. After being cooped up for so long in the shed, his natural hunting instincts took over. He was determined to catch that mouse!

The owl plunged towards Woffly, taking the man completely by surprise. The line to which he was tethered soon pulled tight, but the power generated by his great wings forced the man to stagger forwards – straight towards the buried trip-wire! Then, things happened quickly. Bill gave the order and Lucy-Ann pulled the rope as hard and as fast as she could. As the rope pulled taut it sprang up out of the snow, and before the man knew what was happening he had tripped and landed heavily, giving out a loud yelp, and snapping the tether line – the owl was free! Bill jumped out from his hiding place and threw the rope lasso, which landed neatly over the bewildered man. Bill pulled the lasso tight, securing the rope around the man's arms and fastening his hands together securely at the wrist. Then, with the second length of rope, Bill quickly bound the man's legs so that he couldn't move – within minutes he was trussed up like a turkey!

Luckily, at the same moment that the owl's tether broke, Woffly sensed the danger and dived deep into the blackthorn hedge. As the great grey owl could no longer see his prey, he flew off high into the oak tree, all the time keeping a sharp eye out in case the frightened Woffly reappeared.

With the man was safely tethered and unable to move Bill ran over to the hut, Lucy-Ann following close behind. Bursting through the door, the half-frozen Bill and Lucy-Ann were hit by a wave of stuffy heat from the wood burning stove. They saw the red kite and the kestrel, both securely fastened in separate cages, but there was absolutely no sign of Jack and Philip! Lucy-Ann slumped down on a large wooden trunk and looked around the hut with a baffled expression on her face. Jack and Philip couldn't have vanished! Then, to her amazement, she heard 'tap, tap, tap,' coming from somewhere close by – but where? Looking down she realised the noise was coming from the trunk she was sitting on! She jumped off it in astonishment, and Bill strode forwards, turned the key in the lock and heaved open the heavy lid.

Poor Jack and Philip! They were squashed inside the trunk like sardines in a tin! Their faces were red in the stifling heat of the trunk, and their poor limbs were so stiff that Bill and Lucy-Ann had to help them climb out. Both boys staggered outside into the snow, glad of the chance to stretch their legs and cool down. Bill gave them a cup of water and they gulped it down gratefully. Then Jack spied the fur-clad man, trussed up and lying in the snow. He staggered over to him, followed closely by the others, and pulled the fur hood off his head.

'So it is you, Burt Grouch,' said Bill grimly. 'You are the Midnight Man, and you have been stealing birds from the sanctuary. Well, I've got news for you – the police are on their way, and you will be going to jail.'

Burt had a face like thunder, and he struggled against the ropes trying to wriggle free. But Bill had fastened him securely and there was no escape.

'How could you steal birds and keep them locked up in cages in that miserable shed!' said Jack, his voice trembling with rage. 'Well now you're going to find out what it feels like to be a prisoner!'

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