"He's locked my friend into a room upstairs," howled Fatty. "I was just going up to rescue him when Mr. Smellie caught me and pummelled me and threw me down the stairs. Oh, I'm covered with bruises! What my mother will say when she sees them I really don't know. She'll have Mr. SmeLlie up for injuring a child! She'll call in the police!"
"Now you can't possibly be bruised yet," said Miss Miggle. "I'm sure such a kind old man as Mr. Smellie wouldn't throw you down the stairs. Don't be a naughty little story-teller!"
"I'm not, I'm not!" said Fatty, pretending to weep. "I'm covered with bruises. Look - here - and here - and there - and there! Oh, fetch a doctor, fetch a doctor!"
To Miss Miggle's extreme astonishment and to Mr. Smellie's horror, the boy in the hall was really and truly covered with the most terrifying purple, green and yellow bruises. They stared at Fatty as he showed them his curious markings. It did not occur to either of them that the boy had had them for one or two days already.
"Mr. Smellie!" said Miss Miggle, in a most reproachful tone. "Just look at the poor child! How could you knock a little boy about like that? What His parents will say I really do not dare to think."
Mr. Smellie was simply horrified when he thought that he had been the cause of Fatty's awful bruises. He swallowed hard once or twice, and stared at Fatty. "Better put something on the bruises," he suggested at last.
"I'll do that whilst you phone for the police," said Miss Miggle, remembering the other robbers whom she still supposed were locked up in the box-room above.
But Mr. Smellie didn't seem to want to phone for the police now. He looked a bit sheepish, and said, "Well, Miss Miggle, perhaps it would be better to ask the boys for an explanation of their curious behaviour in my house before I call in the police."
"Will you let my friend out, please?" said Fatty. "We didn't come here to rob you. It was only a joke, really. Let's call it quits, shall we? If you don't say anything to the police, we won't tell our mothers - and I won't show my bruises."
Mr. Smellie cleared his throat. Miss Miggle looked at him. "So the robbers and thieves were only two small boys!" she said. "Dear, dear! Why didn't you caE me! I could have settled the matter without all this noise and commotion and throwing down the stairs!"