SCREECH!

The train’s brakes screeching as it arrived into Bognor Regis station woke Eric up with a start. Peering out of the window on the platform side, he could see a gaggle of policemen waiting there. One was even holding a giant net.

The policemen at Victoria station must have called ahead. Now there was no escape!

Or was there?

The train came to a juddering halt as Eric began desperately shaking Sid and Gertrude to wake them up.

“Wake up! Wake up!”

In moments, both had come to, Gertrude letting out a terrific yawn.

“UUURRRGGGHHHEEEHHH!”

“Look!” hissed Eric, pointing out of the window at what looked like the entire Bognor Regis Constabulary out in force.

“Oh no,” replied Sid.

“We’ll have to sneak out this side!” said Eric.

He climbed out of the window and landed on the railway line.

KERTUNK!

This was DANGEROUS with a capital D!

If another train arrived, he would be squished in an instant.

Eric’s eyes darted left and right. Checking that the coast was clear, he helped the other two down from the train. Gertrude pushed Sid’s bottom up and out, and then leaped down on to the line herself. Next, the three tiptoed over the track and heaved themselves up the platform on the other side. Peering into the carriage windows they could see the policemen swarming on to the train, searching for them.

The three slid round a corner on the platform, and came across a little office with a sign on the door which read:

It was deserted. No doubt all the station staff had also been enlisted to look out for the three runaways.

“Let’s hide in here!” hissed Eric.

They slipped inside, closing the door silently behind them.

The office was a treasure trove of things folks had left behind at the station over the years. There were umbrellas, bowler hats, books, buckets and spades, rubber duckies, suitcases, kites, deckchairs, dollies, teddy bears, a beach ball, a globe, a pram and even a stuffed cat. Gertrude whipped back her veil, her face a picture of delight. Here were lots of new toys to play with! Immediately, she began bouncing the beach ball…

BOING! BOING! BOING!

…twirled the umbrella as if she were doing a song-and-dance number…

SWISH!

…and took a great big bite out of a bowler hat.

MUNCH!

“Stop that, Gertrude!” hissed Eric. “We may need this stuff. We can use some of these clothes as disguises!”

“Good thinking!” said Sid, reaching for one of the suitcases from a shelf. “The policemen at Victoria station would have given detailed descriptions of us. We have to lose this wedding-party look at once!”

“And now that we don’t have the wheelchair, maybe we can use this!” suggested the boy, holding the handle of the pram.

“A pram?”

“It’s huge. It must be for twins!”

“Or one very big baby?” said Sid slyly.

They both turned to look at Gertrude. The gorilla was not enjoying the taste of the bowler hat at all, but she carried on eating.

MUNCH! MUNCH! MUNCH!

“Do you think she’d even fit in the pram?” asked Eric.

Gertrude frowned and shook her head.

“Well, if you think you can persuade her!” remarked Sid.

The gorilla crossed her arms as if in a ginormous huff!

“Mmm. I’ll try,” replied the boy. He smiled at his furry friend, who frowned back. Her forehead wrinkled like a walnut.

“Good luck!” joked Sid.

“There must be some way to bribe her!”

“Well, we know she loves her food! Maybe we can find something in here, and we need good outfits for us!”

They opened a big battered suitcase. It was jammed full of long, flowery dresses.

“Oh no!” said Eric.

“I’m sure they’ll have your size!” chuckled Sid.

“But—”

“It’ll be the perfect disguise! The police aren’t looking for two ladies with a baby! Are they?”

“No,” agreed the boy.

“Come on, then! Let’s take some other bits and bobs to change into as soon as we are out of the station! And you need a shoe!”

“That I do!”

After a short while, the door of the lost property office slowly opened.

CREAK!

Sid stepped out first. He was wearing a long, flowery yellow dress, topped off with white silk gloves, sunglasses and a sunhat. The old man hid his beard behind a lady’s fan.

Next it was Eric’s turn. He was sporting a lady’s pink bathing costume, a flowery purple bathing hat, goggles and a rubber ring round his waist.

Both pulled out the huge pram, which only just fitted through the door.

Inside the pram, hidden under a number of colourful beach towels, was Gertrude. The old gorilla looked like the most unusual newborn baby you’d ever seen. She was sucking on a huge stick of Bognor Regis rock Eric had found her.

It was just what he’d needed to tempt her into the pram, and so much tastier than a bowler hat.

With just the right swagger, the three waltzed straight past the throng of waiting policemen on the platform, who watched them with great curiosity.

Would the police stop them?

Was the game up?

Not yet!

The policemen studied them for a while, before turning their attention to the other passengers who were coming and going from the station.

Now there was just the ticket barrier between our heroes and freedom.