(Or the Cranham Five and the Beast of Bodmin)
Danny was the youngest of the gang. Having once managed to amaze the other members of the. "Cranham Five" by his invention of a drink so potent that it had laid low a notorious criminal, he was always on the look out for another chance to do
something equally impressive. (He was certainly not going to let on about the. generous measure of brand)', which was already in the bottle he had used for his "Jungle Juice")
It was now a few weeks into the new term for the five boys. The novelty of their school in Stroud was beginning to wear off and the realisation that homework would now be occupying most of their evenings was depressing. So at the weekend, the boys tried to think of something different to do.
Danny tried especially hard. By doing so he hoped that one day he could equal the authority of Gareth. the wisdom of Stuart, the practicalness of Jamie and the all-round common sense of Rob.
He had no need to feel inferior, as you will see.
On this Saturday in September the boys met at their H.Q. in Rob's outhouse. While Gareth and Rob waited for the others they were reading a report in the local newspaper, which was spread out on an upturned packing case. Stuart and Jamie arrived next and were eager to see what was so interesting. As usual Danny came in last. As soon as they were all paying attention Gareth (as leader) addressed them.
"Just look at tins. you lot!" he said and he held up the page. which showed a picture of a large black cat slinking through a field at the edge of a wood. He went on to read the caption beneath it.
"The Beast of Bodmin sighted near Painswick."
Surprised reaction all round.
"What do you think of that?" he went on. "It could be anywhere around here by now. What do you say we have a go at catching it?"
"And how do you suggest we would do that?-'" Rob objected. "Stand about in some field waiting until it comes along and then chase it?"
"No. stupid." The practical Jamie interjected. "We’d make a trap - a sort of pit with bait at the bottom, it would go in after the bait. get stuck in there and in the morning we'd catch it! Easy!"
Stuart disagreed. "Then why haven't they done that long ago'?"
"Wrong sort of trap. perhaps." said Gareth.
"Wrong sort of bait!" chimed in Danny. They all looked at him. Thinking of his 'Jungle Juice".
“Well. what sort of bait do you suggest?" asked Gareth. “If it's a cat sort of thing - how about milk?" said Danny.
“Can’t you just see the headlines? Beast of Bodmin caught with a saucer of milk!" Gareth scoffed. “Oh no! I think it would have to be meat. My mum has plenty of old bags of mince in the freezer. We could use that."
So the mince, had it. and Danny was left smarting after his 'put-down" and quietly making plans of his own.
It was after lunch that Gareth put his head around the kitchen door to announce to his mother that the gang was going out.
"We're only going up into the woods," he told her.
"We're taking the trolley so that we can bring back some leaves for Dad's compost heap."
In fact the trolley held a spade, some shears and a bag of frozen mince.
The boys knew Cranham woods very well. They often held a pow wow under the climbing tree near the road to Cranham Corner. Further into the woods there were many humps and hollows m the ground, which made splendid hiding places. One of these hollows would make an ideal spot for digging their pit. They soon found one that was well out of sight of any passing walker and digging commenced. It was very hard work. but by taking it in turns they managed to reach quite a satisfactory depth. (Danny acted as 'look-out")
At last. Jan-lie enquired. "About how big do you think this Beast is'? I think we've got down far enough." His hands were getting sore.
Gareth took a critical look at the job so far. Obviously they weren't going to be able lo go much further down. "Well. I'd think it'd be about the size of a lynx." He said. "So. You could stop now." They all breathed a sigh of relief.
The mince was placed, with some ceremony, at the bottom of the hole. Branches were cut to place across the top and leaves scattered all over them to form a perfect Trap. In the morning they would come back with some garden netting and a camera - to record the capture, which would make them all famous. Lastly, the trolley was filled with dead leaves for compost and the gang returned to the village in secret triumph.
Danny's time as 'look-out" had been well spent consolidating his plans for a trap of his own. He'd show them! He'd show Gareth that his idea of milk as bait wasn't so silly after all. He had a secret of his own. once more.
Back in the village each boy dutifully returned to his own home. but Danny still had work to do. He collected half a bottle of milk. a large shallow tin lid and some flour in the bottom of a bag. With these carefully packed into his rucksack he set off for the woods once more.
It was getting dusk by now. so to make sure that he didn't fall down the pit himself. Danny entered the wood by quite a different path. He found a clear space under some hazel bushes for his trap making sure that it was well hidden from the road. First he sprinkled flour all over the ground so that any paw-marks would show up. Then he placed the tin lid in the centre, and filled it with milk.
Much easier than all that stupid digging, he thought. And much more likely to succeed!
The next morning, being Sunday, the gang was able to muster without the grown-ups noticing what was going on.
They certainly did not see the five boys setting out for the woods with a bundle of netting and a rucksack, which contained Stuart's camera and Rob's cricket bat. Danny just carried a length of rope.
When they were still some yards from the pit they could tell that there was no need for the net or the bat. All was peaceful and the branches and leaves lay undisturbed across the hole. They were all bitterly disappointed. All. that is. except
Danny. He now came into his own.
"'Gareth." he said sweetly. "Perhaps you'd like to have a look at my trap now? It's just along here. Come and see!"
He hoped that they would see something. He only needed some proof that the Beast had been to his trap and had drunk the milk.
The boys followed Danny along a path towards the hazel bushes, which had a white patch underneath. There was indeed something to see. They stood around the empty tin lid in amazement and counted the large paw-marks in the flour. A
trail of these led away into the trees.
Gareth managed to say. "Good for you Danny! I believe you've really done it this time!"
Stuart took some photographs, as evidence, and the\cf1 ' setoff excitedly to follow the Beast's footprints. They hoped to find it curled up in a drugged sleep somewhere close.
It was a shame, but even the indomitable Cranham Five found it impossible to pick up the trail when the prints gradually got fainter and then disappeared altogether. Afterwards they swore that the Beast had been heading straight for the village.
The photos came out quite well and were passed around amongst admiring and wondering friends. Dannv basked in the glory of his success never dreaming that Rob had a secret, which could change everything if it were ever told. But that would never happen - Rob would make sure.
He would never tell how he had gone back alone to the woods on that Sunday evening to check up on the pit and to make it safe. He had found branches and leaves scratched aside.
There were deep grooves on the edge of the hole where some creature had clawed its way out. He even found a tuft of black fur caught on a bramble. And of the mince there was no trace………………………….
Lucy Wright