Milo and the Pirate Sisters Read Free

trolley.
    Strangely enough, when he was gone the horses stopped whinnying.

CHAPTER FIVE
WEDGE AND CRUNCH AGAIN
    T ogether we wheeled the trolley across the bumpy field towards the mill. There was a scruffy-looking boat moored in the river. We laughed when we saw the big, badly painted skull and crossbones flapping on a stick at the rear end of the boat. As we came nearer we could see two guys fishing. They were turned away from us, but therewas no mistaking the backs of their bony heads.
    ‘It’s Wedge and Crunch!’ exclaimed Shane.
    ‘It’s OK, Shane,’ I said. ‘You’ll sort them out, won’t you, Mister Lewis?’
    We both looked around, but there was no sign of our ghostly buddy.
    ‘Mister Lewis,’ Shane hissed.
    But there was still no sign of the only person who could sort out those two bullies.
    ‘Quick!’ said Shane, wobbling with fear. ‘Let’s move it.’
    We tried to turn the trolley around, but it was too late. They’d spotted us. There was no point in running away as they’d catch us anyway because of the trolley.
    ‘Well well, it’s the dozy duo again,’ said Wedge with a smirky smile. ‘We’ll have to stop meeting like this.’
    They both put down their rods, hoppedoff the boat and came towards us, Crunch waving a cheapo toy sword.
    ‘Going for a picnic, guys?’ Crunch called out, his bee-stung nose covered with green ointment.
    ‘Yeah,’ shouted Wedge. ‘What’s all that stuff in the stolen supermarket trolley? Tut, tut, Milo. Won’t Daddy-the-cop throw a fit?’
    As they came closer, Shane and myself stood together like a pair of clowns in a circus waiting for someone to throw a bucket of water over them. But the thing that hurt me the most was that Mister Lewis had abandoned us.
    ‘Milo,’ whispered Shane as I braced myself for the first whack.
    ‘Shush,’ I said through my clenched teeth. The enemy were almost on us.
    ‘But Milo,’ Shane hissed. ‘Look behind!’
    So I did, and my lungs began workingagain when I saw a pair of dusty boots beginning to materialise. Just as Wedge grabbed my tee-shirt and Shane was being hassled by Crunch, the almost complete body of Mister Lewis rose up – apart from one side of his head, which was missing!
    ‘Hello boys,’ he said softly.
    Wedge and Crunch froze, then screamed and ran like they’d seen a ghost – which is what they did see, of course.
    ‘Wait, you chaps!’ Mister Lewis shouted, waving his hat as he wafted after them.
    Howling like sick wolves, Crunch and Wedge were racing across the bridge.
    Mister Lewis stopped and wafted back to us, most of his head in place again, except for an ear and an eyebrow.
    ‘Not using your head was a mighty stroke, Mister Lewis. How did you do that?’ I asked.
    ‘Do what, Milo?’ he asked.
    ‘Your head,’ laughed Shane. ‘Half of it was missing.’
    ‘Oh dear, my head,’ sighed Mister Lewis. ‘Not again! Last time that happened was years ago when I first moved into the castle in town.’
    ‘What’s that got to do with losing heads?’ I asked.
    ‘Oh,’ Mister Lewis sighed again. ‘It’s a well known fact that moving house is one of the most stressful things in one’s life. And here I am about to move into a derelict old mill. And,’ he went on, ‘the bees, I was sorry about the bees. I just wanted to apologise to those young boys.’
    ‘You
what
?’ we both cried out.
    ‘But … but they’re the ones who snatched the bag,’ I reminded him.
    ‘I know,’ Mister Lewis sighed again.
    ‘And why did you disappear, anyway?’Shane asked. ‘We thought you’d done a runner on us.’
    ‘I’d never do anything like that to my best friends,’ Mister Lewis said. ‘I disappeared when we saw people on the boat and then I simply decided that I should come together very slowly so that those boys wouldn’t be scared.’
    Shane and I hooted with laughter so much that I thought Shane would choke as he rolled around on the grass.
    ‘Why is that funny?’ Mister Lewis muttered