The Ghost at Doringkloof

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"We've done it!" Pepper whooped, as he collapsed onto his bed. "The Supersleuths have solved the mystery and rescued Rajit."

"And now we can be the Famous Four again!" Pete added, relieved that his favourite group had been restored.

"And your head?" Lwazi asked Rajit. "Did Mrs Rabe do that?"

"Yes," said Rajit. "She put the bandages on and all."

"She tried to operate?" Pete asked in awe. "Did she try to look at your brains?"

Rajit laughed. "Course not," he said. "Why should you think that?"

"She wouldn't have found much if she had," Pepper commented. "But tell us what happened . . . and leave nothing out."

"Where do I start?" Rajit asked. "It was all so stupid, you know."

"We were approaching that big box in Bouwer's house," Pepper reminded him. "Pete and Lwazi were so terrified that you volunteered to lead."

"You took Lwazi's torch," Pete added.

"Yes, I remember," said Rajit. "I took Lwazi's torch which had such a poor light. And, as I approached the box, there was that . . . that sort of noise."

"And the thing with the three heads rose out of the box," Lwazi reminded him, his eyes wide as he remembered. "It began to climb out . . . "

"And we all turned and ran," Pete joined in. "But you were behind . . . and then you vanished."

"You took a different route," said Pepper. "Why'd you do that?"

"Can't remember," Rajit replied. "I was just so terrified. And I slipped . . . fell, you know . . . and I dropped the torch. After that . . . I was lost."

He stopped to think, then laughed. "You know," he continued, "the very stupid thing is that I knew them as they climbed from the box."

"You knew them?" Lwazi repeated. "What do you mean, you knew them?"

"I suppose I was closest to them," Rajit explained, "so I saw their faces . . . and I recognised Jumbo and his friends."

"Jumbo!" they all cried, hardly believing their ears.

"It was Jumbo in that box," Rajit explained. "Didn't you know that?"

"Jumbo!" Pepper exclaimed once again. "But why . . . ?"

"He overheard us talking of ghosts that day in the bicycle shed," Rajit explained. "Decided to scare us . . . to get even for the fight."

"And he was in the box?" Pepper repeated.

"I knew it was him," said Rajit, "but then suddenly it wasn't . . . he'd become a ghost again . . . and I just turned and ran, you know."

"And you went into the passage," Lwazi reminded him.

"I couldn't see without the torch," Rajit continued. "There were footsteps behind me . . . and I smashed into something."

"What?" the three asked in unison.

"An obstacle," said Rajit. "There was something in the way . . . and I ran into it . . . it hit me right on the head."

"You ran into the beam?" Pepper asked.

"You mean no ghost swung it?" said Pete, disappointed.

"There wasn't no ghost, Pete," Rajit assured him. "It was only Jumbo, Lennie and Kobus. They'd just dressed to look like ghosts."

"And then?" Lwazi urged. "What happened then?"

"I hit it . . . hit the beam . . . thwock!" Rajit continued. "And I think it knocked me out . . . you know . . . unconscious.

"Sheez," Pete said. "What's it like to be unconscious?"

"I seemed to be having this dream," Rajit explained. "I can't remember what. And then . . . I woke and there were torches all round . . . and . . . and Jumbo was talking to me and all."

"You didn't think you were dead, or something?" asked Lwazi.

"Oh, I got a fright, you know," said Rajit. "I think I might have screamed but Jumbo was shaking me, saying it was all right . . . I was safe . . . and not to worry."

Rajit thought about it for a moment. "He turned out very nice," he continued. "Said his aunt would pick us up . . . said my head was bleeding badly."

"But how did Mrs Rabe know to pick you up?" Lwazi argued. "There's no phone out there."

"She was in on the game," Rajit explained. "Jumbo and them walked out to Doringkloof Farm . . . that's why we saw him yesterday morning . . . and she was to collect him at a certain time."

"So Mrs Rabe picked you up," said Pepper, "and took you to her house?"

"She was very good," Rajit assured him. "Not frightening . . . not really like the Medusa we pretend she is. She washed my head . . . wound it in a bandage . . . gave me the bed in the turret room . . . said we mustn't wake my father so late at night."

"And Jumbo?" asked Lwazi.

"He and his friends slept the night there also," Rajit answered. "Said they would set out first thing in the morning to tell you about my mishap. Didn't you see them?"

"Hayi! That dog!" said Lwazi. "The Jack Russell! That must've been Jumbo on his way to find us."

"But what about your message?" protested Pepper. "We found you at Mrs Rabe's house because of your message to us."

"Message?" asked Rajit, surprised.

Pepper hauled the tatty sheet of paper from his pocket, unfolded it. "REMEMBER THE LONELY GIRL," he read. "That was the riddle. And here," he pointed, "your code numbers which gave us the answer."

"We fitted the numbers to the poem," Pete explained excitedly, "and got your message. FRIENDS, HELD BY THE WOMAN WITH SNAKES FOR HER HAIR. That's the Medusa! And so we found you!"

Rajit laughed. "But that isn't a message, you know," he said. "Jelly told me about her poem the other day and I just wrote its name on this scrap of paper, so's I could find it in the school library."

"But the numbers," Lwazi insisted.

"This one?" Rajit asked, pointing to the first column of digits. "555 1532 . . . that's my new phone number."

"Your phone number!" the three exclaimed.

"And the other . . . 561 2184?" Pepper asked, but he knew the answer even as he voiced the question.

"It's your phone number," Pete shouted, and everyone burst into laughter at Pepper's expense.

"Some mystery!" exclaimed Lwazi. "Running around after our own telephone numbers!"

"I'd written these things so's not to forget," Rajit explained. "It must've been in my pocket . . . I was wearing the same shorts . . . must've fallen out when I hit my head."

"So there was no need to rescue you at all?" Pepper asked.

"I thought you were just playing another game," said Rajit. "I was trying to tell you, Pepper, but you kept pushing me . . . urging me on and all."

"Sherbet!" Pepper muttered. "How could we do it? We'll have to apologise to her . . . and before she gets hold of Mom again."

It was a gloomy group that set out, with dragging feet, to see Mrs Rabe. Whatever would they say? How could they explain their actions, particularly since she had been so kind to Rajit?

They were almost at her gate when a voice hailed them from across the park. It was Kobus and he was running.

"Pepper!" Kobus called, and waved.

They waited for him to reach them. He was drenched in perspiration, his hair saturated and plastered to his skin, as if he had run a long distance.

"You's ous got to help," he gasped. "Jumbo's fallen . . . he's hurt bad."

"Jumbo?" Pepper repeated. "Where?"

"He's out at Doringkloof," Kobus explained, his burning lungs causing him to cough. "I've run all the way . . . got to get help."

"Where's he now?" Pepper demanded.

"We went looking for you," Kobus said. "Were going down a gully . . . lots of loose rocks . . . began to slide . . . and Jumbo . . . Jumbo, he was caught in it."

"How bad is he?" Rajit asked.

Kobus shook his head but there were tears in his eyes. "Dunno," he said. "He . . . he just went down. Lennie's still there . . . I came for help."

"Rajit," Pepper commanded. "Take Kobus to Mrs Rabe. Get help . . . phone the ambulance. And try to find your dad . . . tell him where we are . . . to come quick."

"And you?" asked Rajit.

"We'll take the bikes," Pepper decided. "We'll grab the ropes . . . ride out there again . . . see if we can find Jumbo. You'd better rest your head."

"Don't have much time," Pepper shouted as the trio set off. "It's afternoon already. Jumbo must be rescued before dark."

"Hope Mr Chetty gets there quickly," Lwazi called from the back. "He'll know what to do."

They had eaten nothing since early that morning but somehow that didn't seem to matter now. Their machines sped along the dusty road as if powered by all the energy in the world. It seemed only a short while before they were back at Doringkloof.

"Damn!" said Pepper as they dismounted above the waterfall. "Nobody thought to ask Kobus where they were when Jumbo fell."

"Maybe we could shout," Pete suggested. "Lennie's here somewhere . . . he'd be able to show us."

The idea was a good one. After only ten minutes of yelling, they heard an answering call and Lennie emerged from a gully not far away. They left their bikes where they'd dropped them and ran across to him. Even from a distance it was clear that he had been crying.

"It's only you?" he asked, disappointed. "I thought Kobus would send an ambulance."

"He will," Pepper assured him. "But it's Sunday . . . they'll first have to find the driver. Where's Jumbo?"

"He's down there," said Lennie, pointing to the base of the gully. "I've called and called but he doesn't answer."

He glanced at them, then looked away so they wouldn't see he was crying. "I think Jumbo's dead," he said, and sobs shook his body.