In a few minutes Fatty was telling her all about the braise he had had once that was shaped like a church-bell, and the other that looked like a snake.
"I'm a really marvellous bruiser," he said. "I shall be a wonderful sight tomorrow when I'm in the yellow stage."
"Come on," whispered Larry to Pip. "I can't stick this. This is Fatty at His worst."
Leaving Fatty talking eagerly to Pip's mother, the four children crept off. Buster stayed with Fatty, wagging his tail. He really seemed as much interested in his young master's bruises as the grown-up!
"Let's go for a bike-ride and leave old Fatty to himself," said Pip, in disgust. "I can't bear him when he gets like this."
So the four of them went for a bike-ride and Fatty was surprised and hurt to find that he was all alone in the garden, when Pip's mother left him. He couldn't think why the others had gone, and he spent a miserable hour by himself, thinking how unkind they were.
When they came back, he greeted them with a volley of complaints.
"You are mean! Why did you go off like that? Is that the way to behave. Pip, when people come to tea with you? You're horrid!"
"Well, we thought you'd probably be about an hour boasting to Pip's mother," said Larry. "Don't look so fierce, Fatty. You shouldn't be such an idiot!"
"Going off like that finding clues and things without me," said Fatty angrily. "Aren't I a Find-Outer too? What have you been doing? Seeing Horace Peeks - or Lily again? You are mean!"