The Rubadub Mystery (The Barney 'R' Mysteries Book 4)

Enid Blyton :
THE RUBADUB MYSTERY
From The Barney 'R' Mysteries
Vol. 4 of 6



THE RUBADUB MYSTERY

Plans For a Holiday

‘Snubby!’ called a cross voice. ‘SNUBBY! Didn’t I tell you to tie Loony up?’
Snubby came flying downstairs to his aunt. ‘Oh, Aunt Susan, I did! Has he got loose again? Oh,
I say - did he make all that mess in the hall?’
The black spaniel sat in the middle of a few sheets of torn-up newspaper, his tongue hanging
out. He looked exactly as if he was grinning.
‘That’s your uncle’s morning newspaper,’ said his aunt. ‘He hasn’t even read it yet. Snubby, you
know that we’re very rushed trying to get everything done before we leave today. I really
cannot have Loony rushing about loose.’
'I’ll shut Loony into my room, Mother,’ said Diana, coming up. ‘And I’ll lock the door and put
the key in my pocket. Then Loony will be safe.’
‘Well, nothing else in your room will be safe!’ said Mrs Lynton. 'Do what you like with him - but
keep him out of my way this morning! We shall never get off this afternoon, your father and
I.’
The Lyntons were going to America for a few weeks. The three children and Loony the dog
were going off to the sea with Miss Pepper, Mrs Lynton’s old governess. She often had
charge of them when the Lyntons had to go away.
Snubby had only arrived the day before, having spent the first week of the holidays with
some other cousins. He had no parents and spent his time staying with various relations - but
of them all he much preferred the Lyntons. He was very fond of his Aunt Susan, and admired
and respected his Uncle Richard. His uncle, however, neither admired nor respected Snubby.
‘I consider that boy to be the world’s worst nuisance,’ was his continual description of poor
Snubby.
Loony was led upstairs by a firm Diana. Sardine the cat was waiting for him at a turn of the
stairs and leapt at him. He sprang back, almost pulling Diana down the stairs, and she
squealed.
‘This house is a mad-house,’ said her father, at the top of the stairs. ‘Where’s Miss Pepper?
Can’t she take you all into some quiet corner till we’ve gone? America will seem a place of
utter peace and quiet after this. Really, when you children come back from school, it’s...’
‘Oh, Daddy - you always say that,’ said Diana, hauling Loony up by his lead. ‘You know you’ll
miss us when you go. Daddy, I wish you’d take us with you to America.’
‘Not on your life!’ said her father, horrified. ‘You’d probably all fall overboard, to start with -
and Snubby would spend his time down in the engine-room with Roger...’
‘Oh, I say, sir - should I be allowed to?’ called Snubby. ‘That would be smashing.’
‘Where do you get those awful words from?’ said his uncle. ‘Can’t you talk Queen’s English?’
‘I bet the Queen says “smashing” sometimes,’ argued Snubby. ‘I bet she...’
‘Move aside and let me pass,’ said his uncle impatiently. ‘What with Diana and the dog on the
stairs, and now you - and is that Sardine I see waiting for me to fall over her as usual - this is
a real mad-house.’
‘Richard dear - do come down and help me with the labelling,’ called Mrs Lynton. ‘We’ll go into
the study and shut the door and the windows, and see if we can’t keep out all the riff-raff!’
‘Gosh - fancy Aunt Susan calling us riff-raff,’ said Snubby indignantly. ‘Hey, Aunt Susan...’
A door slammed down below. Snubby gave it up. He helped to push the reluctant Loony along....