Afternoon of Adventure

by Chris Asker

“I’m glad we got back in time for tea,” said Dick as he spread lashings of butter upon his third hot crumpet. “No matter how good it is to fight for justice, crumpets and cake are better.”

Pip nodded heartily in response, wiping her chin as the butter oozed deliciously onto her napkin. “You must surely agree, though, that it was capital to watch that smuggler getting taken away by the police. Who’d have thought that a holiday by the sea would give us such excellent adventures? ”

Indeed, this holiday had brought splendid opportunities for Dick and Pip to show just how brave and clever they were. In the three days they had been staying with Aunt Nellie and Uncle Albert, the two cousins had broken up an international smuggling operation, rescued three puppies from certain death as a tree fell down towards them and still managed to provide the winning runs and the most glorious of teas in the annual cricket derby between Blytheham and Wicket-St.-Andrews. Dick’s stroke through extra cover was, even now, raising admiring glances from the villagers.

“I knew when we woke up this morning and saw those horrid clouds that there would be something exciting to do today,” exclaimed Pip, “but following those rushing waters into that dark cave was even more exciting than I had imagined.” Her eyes gleamed as she remembered stumbling on a rock and accidentally opening the secret door into the smuggler’s lair.

“It was a jolly good job that Father had given me the torch that shines round corners for my birthday,” added Dick. “That meant we could see the smuggler before he saw us, and gave us time to lay that brilliant trap you designed last term at school. He looked awfully surprised when the sack came down over his head! By the way, Aunt Nellie, this chocolate cake is simply heavenly.”

“And thank goodness for Nibbles, your rat,” declared Pip. “If she hadn’t run to get the police then, I don’t know how we would have coped with the smuggler; I’d designed that trap for bullies at school, and I don’t think it would have held up much longer.”

“I suppose one might say that you ratted on him,” chuckled Uncle Albert, and the four of them laughed happily as they watched Nibbles running around in his cage.

“I wonder what will happen tomorrow,” pondered Dick quietly. “Maybe there will be another adventure for us this holiday.”

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