William The Conqueror by Richmal Crompton Read Free Book Online Page A

gathered to spring. I just stood and looked
at him. Simply looked. He turned and began to slink away. Then I raised me rifle and fired – just as I told you. Perfectly simple with a sportsman of my calibre. Lucky it was I who met him.
You’ll find the body somewhere in the garden.’
    They all trooped out. It might have been noticed that the leopard hunter kept modestly in the rear.
    ‘Just over there by those bushes, I believe,’ he said airily.
    Mr Brown strode into the bushes and pulled out – the leopard skin rug. There was certainly a new bullet hole in its head. The gallant sportsman began to splutter inarticulately.
    ‘ What? ’ began Mr Brown.
    William, wearing his most sphinx-like expression, stepped forward.
    ‘I thought it smelt a bit kind of stuffy, an’ so I brought it out here las’ night to be in the fresh air a bit, like what it is in spring cleanin’s an’
that.’
    The gallant sportsman was still gibbering.
    ‘B-but I heard it – I—’
    William turned his inscrutable countenance to him.
    ‘I’ ’fraid p’raps it was me you heard,’ he said. ‘I can’t sleep, so I got up an’ jus’ played about the garden a bit – jus’ to
make me sleep better – fresh air an’ exercise like what they say makes you sleep – I was playin’ mos’ly round the summer-house—’
    Mr Falkner looked sharply at William, but William’s face was a blank.
    ‘Er – excuse me a minute,’ murmured Mr Falkner, and quietly went indoors.
    The gardener came past.
    ‘Did you hear anything about a leopard escaping from the circus at Offord?’ said Mr Brown to him.
    ‘There ain’t no circus at Offord,’ replied the gardener gloomily as he passed on. ‘There ain’t no circus anywheres round here.’
    Mr Brown turned to William.
    ‘Who told you about this leopard?’ he said sternly.
    ‘Ginger,’ said William unblinkingly.
    ‘Who told him?’
    ‘He’s not quite sure,’ said William, in the voice of one repeating a lesson. ‘He’s forgot. He thinks p’raps it was someone in the village.’
    ‘Well, you’d better go and tell Mr Falkner that you’re sorry you made a mistake.’
    William went slowly indoors. But Mr Falkner had gone. He had found a train just going up to Town, and he had accompanied it. He had left a note to say that he had been called suddenly to Town
and would they kindly send his things after him.
    ‘Dear me! What a pity!’ said Mr Brown, looking as if he had suddenly discovered the elixir of perpetual youth. ‘You can’t apologise after all, William. Well, never
mind.’ He slipped a half-crown into William’s hand and went off, his face wreathed in smiles.
    It was two hours later. The Outlaws sat on the floor in their beloved old barn. In the midst of them were large paper bags of bullseyes, liquorice lumps, barley sugar and chocolate cigars. The
half-crown had been well expended. The Outlaws were munching happily.
    ‘What sort’ve a noise did you make?’ Ginger was saying as he puffed out imaginary smoke from his chocolate cigar.
    William emitted a blood-curdling growl.
    ‘An’ what did he say?’
    ‘Oh-h-h-h-h-h! Oh-h-h-h! My holy aunt!’
    It was an excellent imitation of the leopard hunter’s quavering moan.
    ‘An’ what did he do?’
    William rose.
    ‘You come round to our summer-house an’ I’ll show you. Ginger be me growlin’ an’ I’ll be him carryin’ on. Come along.’
    They collected the bags and strode off happily with their leader.

CHAPTER 4
WILLIAM LEADS A BETTER LIFE
    I F you go far enough back it was Mr Strong, William’s form master, who was responsible for the whole thing. Mr Strong set, for homework, more
French than it was convenient for William to learn. It happened that someone had presented William with an electric motor, and the things one can do with an electric motor are endless.
    Who would waste the precious hours of a summer evening over French verbs with an electric motor simply crying out to be experimented on?