Bunter the Caravanner - Friardale

that stile waiting for them to pass, and they could not imagine
why.
'Have you been keeping your eyes open for suspicious characters,
since I saw you last?' smiled Mr. Fixer.
'Wide open,' said Bob, 'but we haven't spotted any.'
'Hasn't anybody spotted that man Krinko yet?' asked Nugent.
'Nothing about it on the radio this morning.'
'There may be something about it soon,' said Mr. Fixer. 'We have
received what may prove to be very valuable information. It is
quite interesting, if you would care to hear it.'
'Oh!' ejaculated all the juniors together.
They fairly blinked at Mr. Fixer. Certainly they were
interested: there was no doubt about that. But that a detectiveinspector,
on the trail of a guilty man on the run, should dream
of taking a party of holiday-making schoolboys into his
confidence, was too amazing. Really, they could hardly believe
their ears. They noticed that Jervis gave Mr. Fixer a quick look
- no doubt he was equally surprised. Even Billy Bunter ceased
operations on the toffee for a moment to blink at Mr. Fixer.
The detective's manner, however, was quite casual. He did not
seem to be aware that he had said anything out of the common.
'It was actually a very lucky chance,' continued Mr. Fixer.
apparently unaware of astonished looks. 'A school-master on
holiday was reading his paper at the window of his room at the
inn where he had put up, when a man came to the inn with a
message. He had a very full view of him, without the man being
aware of it, and was struck by his resemblance to someone he had
known years before.'
The Famous Five exchanged looks. This from Mr. Fixer sounded, to
them, remarkably like the episode of Mr. Quelch at the Coach and
Horses at Tatham.
Mr. Fixer went casually on: 'Our friend the schoolmaster was
very much puzzled and perplexed, for although he was assured
that he knew the man, he could not place him. Thinking over the
matter during the day, however, it occurred to him that the man
had made changes in his appearance since their former
acquaintance. He had been at one time a science master at the
same school, but at that time he had worn a beard and longish
hair. This person, however, was clean shaven with close-cropped
hair: also he wore horn-rimmed glasses, and our schoolmaster's
former acquaintance had never needed glasses. The change in his
looks was very great if he was the same man.'
Mr. Fixer paused for a moment. Nobody spoke.
'So what do you think our schoolmaster did?' resumed Mr. Fixer,
still in the same casual tone. 'He decided, the next day, to
follow the person about whom he had these suspicions, and make
absolutely sure of his identity.'
'And - and did he?' gasped Bob.
'He did,' said Mr. Fixer, with a nod. 'The person, as he was
aware, was attached to a caravanning party—'
'A—a—a caravanning party.'