Mystery Of The Burnt Cottage Read Free

be that. I’m sure I would make a very good find-outer.”
    “No, you’re too little,” said Pip. Bets looked ready to cry.
    “We three older ones will be proper detectives,” said Larry, his eyes shining. “Pip, Daisy and me - the Three Great Detectives!”
    “Can’t I belong?” said the fat boy at once. “I’ve got plenty of brains.”
    The others looked at him doubtfully. His brains didn’t show in his face, anyway.
    “Well, we don’t know you,” said Larry. “My name is Frederick Algernon Trotteville,” said the boy. “What are your names?”
    “Mine is Laurence Daykin,” said Larry, “and I’m thirteen.”
    “Mine’s Margaret Daykin, and I’m twelve/’ said Daisy.
    “I’m Philip Hilton, aged twelve, and this is Elizabeth, my baby-sister,” said Pip.
    The boy stared at them. “You’re none of you called by your names, are you?” he said. “Larry for Laurence, Pip for Philip, Daisy for Margaret and Bets for Elizabeth. I’m always called Frederick.”
    For some reason this seemed funny to the others. The boy spoke in a drawling, affected kind of voice, and somehow the name of Frederick Algernon Trotteville just seemed to suit him.
    “F for Frederick, A for Algernon, T for Trotteville,” said Pip suddenly, with a grin. “F-A-T; it describes you rather well!”
    Frederick Algernon Trotteville looked rather cross at first, then he gave a grin. “I am rather fat, aren’t I?” he said. “I’ve an awful appetite, and I expect I eat too much.”
    “Your parents ought to have known better than to give you three names whose initials spelt FAT,” said Daisy. “Poor old Fatty!”
    Frederick Algernon sighed. He knew quite well that from now on he would be Fatty. He had already been Tubby and Sausage at school - now he would be Fatty in the holidays. He gazed at the little company of four friends.
    “Can I belong to the detective-club?” he asked. “After all, I did tell you about the tramp.”
    “It isn’t a club,” said Larry. “It’s just us three older ones banding together to solve a mystery.”
    “And me too!” cried Bets. “Oh, do say I can too! You’re not to leave me out!”
    “Don’t leave her out,” said Fatty unexpectedly. “She’s only little, but she might be some use. And I think Buster ought to belong too. He might be awfully good at smelling out hidden things.”
    “What hidden things?” said Larry.
    “Oh, I don’t know,” said Fatty vaguely. “You simply never know what you are going to find when you begin to solve a mystery.”
    “Oh, let’s all belong, Fatty and Buster too. Please!” cried Bets. Buster felt the excitement and began to whine a little, pawing at Larry with a small black foot.
    The three bigger ones felt much more inclined to let Fatty join them once they realized that Buster could come too. For Buster’s sake they were willing to have Fatty, plump, conceited and stupid. Buster could be a sort of bloodhound. They felt certain that real detectives, who solved all sorts of mysteries, would have a bloodhound.
    “Well,” said Larry. “We’ll all belong and try to solve the Mystery of the Burnt Cottage.”
    “We’re the Five Find-Outers and Dog,” said Bets. Every one laughed. “What a silly name!” said Lany. But all the same, it stuck, and for the rest of those holidays, and for a very long time after, the Five Find-Outers and Dog used that name continually for thehiselves.
    “I know all about police and detectives,” said Fatty. “I’d better be the head of us.”
    “No you won’t,” said Larry. “I bet you don’t know any more than the rest of us. And don’t think that we’re so stupid as not to see what a very good opinion you’ve got of yourself! You might as well make up your mind straightaway that we shan’t believe half the tall stories you tell us! As for being head -1 shall be. I always am.”
    “That’s right,” said Pip. “Larry’s clever. He shall be the head of the bold Find-Outers.”
    “All