he was on holiday but he was not  happy he did not have a motorbike

stuart was 17 years old he left school but he  did not stop work all his mates started work  

immediately but stuart did not want to work he  wanted a long holiday and he needed a motorbike

stuart lived in leeds a big  city in the north of england  

leeds is a busy city full of offices shops and  factories it's not a good place for a holiday

martin a friend of stewards worked in a garage  martin had a bike for sale it was a beauty  

a japanese suzuki martin  wanted 350 pounds for the bike  

but stuart did not have 350  pounds he didn't have any money

stuart went and looked at the bike every  day it was a beauty he wanted to buy it  

where can i find 350 pounds stewart asked himself

stuart left the garage and walked back home his  house was in blenheim street near the university  

there were lots of old empty  houses in blenheim street

the university was one of the biggest in england  the university often bought land and buildings  

most of the old houses in blenheim  street belong to the university

some of these houses have been empty for years  steward often searched through them sometimes he  

found old books and gramophone records one day  he told himself i'll find something valuable

there was a large house at  the corner of blenheim street  

its owner a rich old woman had died a few days  ago the university bought the house immediately

now the house was empty there was wood across  the front door and the windows were broken  

someone looked out of a window it was a man of  

about twenty he had long hair and was  wearing a headband he looked strange

he was a squatter squatters live in old  empty houses and they don't pay any rent  

the stranger waved to stuart he wanted to speak  to stuart what does he want stuart asked himself

hi hello like to help me okay watch  this house how long half an hour okay  

i'm stuart my name's frank i'll go and get  my things are you going to squat here frank  

yes don't let anyone else in  i'll be back soon okay see you

frank walked off slowly down the street his head  was bent forward and he was looking down at the  

pavement he was about 20 but he looked much older  frank went round the corner and stuart turned  

towards the house it looked interesting the window  was low quite near the ground the street was empty  

stuart put one leg over the  windowsill and looked inside

outside the sun was shining brightly inside  the house it was dark stewart stood for a  

few moments and waited slowly the  inside of the room became clearer

there was a calendar on the wall lots of old  newspapers were lying around on the floor  

there was a mattress against  the far wall it looked new  

stuart looked up and down the street there was  no one around he quickly climbed into the room

stuart walked to the middle of the  room and kicked away the old newspapers  

there was nothing underneath them there was no  carpet and the floorboards were covered with dirt

stuart took the calendar down from the  wall it was an old one five years old  

no one had changed it for five years then  stuart remembered the owner of the house  

the old woman had been ill for a long time  she hadn't got out of her bed for five years

the mattress was leaning against the far wall  stuart went over and looked at it carefully  

it was a good mattress stuart picked up  the mattress and turned it over carefully  

there was some stitching along  one side about 10 centimeters long  

stewart held the mattress between  his knees and took out a small knife

stuart cut the stitches carefully  and then put his hand in the hole  

he felt a bundle of newspapers and pulled it out

he quickly unwrapped it

inside the bundle of newspapers  there were some bank notes

suddenly stewart heard a voice it was frank  

hey stuart where are you frank was shouting stuart  quickly wrapped up the money inside the newspapers

he held the bundle behind  his back i'm in here frank  

he shouted frank came up to the  window and looked into the room

what are you doing in there frank asked  nothing replied stuart i'm looking around  

frank climbed into the room  and came closer to stuart  

stewart moved to the wall he held the  bundle of newspapers behind his back

frank looked round the room he didn't  see stuart's knife on the floor  

you haven't taken anything have you asked frank  

i haven't taken anything of yours replied  stuart you've moved this mattress said frank  

frank picked up the mattress and turned it  over carefully then he saw the hole in the side

you cut this mattress it was stitched  

is this your knife yes what were you  doing nothing you found something i didn't

what's that in your hand  where behind your back nothing  

you've got something some old  newspapers hand them over they're mine

stuart remembered the motorbike he needed the  money he was going to keep it it was his money not  

frank's frank was holding stewart's knife  in his hand he came nearer to stewart

give me those newspapers he said again stuart had  an idea there's something else in the mattress  

he said to frank there was something  under the newspapers it's still there  

frank looked at stuart for a few moments he didn't  believe him at first look and see said stuart  

frank put the knife down on the floor he picked  up the mattress and put his hand deep in the hole

stewart did not wait for a moment he turned and  jumped out through the window into the street

he ran quickly there was a turning on the right  

stuart ran round the corner he heard  a shout behind him it was frank

round the corner there was another old empty  house it had a large garden on one side  

thick bushes had grown all over the garden  

stuart jumped over the low wall he ran for  a few meters and then hid under some bushes

stewart heard more shouting and footsteps  the footsteps became louder than they stopped  

stewart waited silently he did not breathe  then the footsteps started once again  

stuart laughed quietly to himself

frank had quickly picked up stuart's knife  he jumped out of the window after him  

frank saw stuart he was running around the corner  

frank ran after him and turned the  corner but the street was empty

frank stopped for a few moments and  looked around he noticed the old garden  

perhaps he's in there thought frank but everything  in the garden was quiet frank saw nothing  

there was another corner farther down the street

frank started running again he  was still holding stewart's knife

stewart was happy he had escaped  from frank with the money

steward sat up under the bushes and opened  out the newspapers the banknotes were wrapped  

tightly together stuart unwrapped them  and countered them carefully 10 20 30

320 325

stuart had found 325 pounds her martin  wanted 350 pounds for his motorbike

it was cool in the garden and  stuart lay back under the bushes  

i'll wait here for half an hour  thought stuart then i'll go to martin

it was now nearly twelve o'clock the day was  getting much hotter a police car was parked in  

a side street there were two policemen in the car  the sergeant a fat round-faced man was half asleep  

the other policeman was younger  and taller he was a constable

suddenly the constable sat up  he had seen something strange  

wake up sergeant he shouted look over there  where what asked the sergeant still half asleep  

over there someone's running with a knife replied  the constable the man's gone mad it's this heat  

quick get out and catch him said the sergeant  the two policemen jumped out of their car  

frank saw the policeman he  threw stuart's knife away  

and started to run the constable soon  caught him and held his arm tightly  

the sergeant found the knife in some long grass  the constable took frank towards the police car  

the sergeant came up to them he was holding the  knife oh it's you the sergeant said to frank

what's going on frank i'm looking for a guy with  a knife what guy he's stolen my money what money

how much money i don't know a lot you don't  know where did you get it in an old house  

come on into the car

where are you taking me asked frank to the police  station replied the constable but i haven't done  

anything the money was mine that guy took it  but what's his name stuart stewart took it oh  

stuart asked the constable i met him in an old  house replied frank where you found the money  

asked the sergeant yes i found it inside a  mattress said frank who's got the money now asked  

the sergeant that guy stewart he ran away with it  so now we have to find stuart said the constable

stuart waited in the garden for half an hour  it was getting hotter it was nearly 12 o'clock  

i'll have to move now thought stewart  martin goes for his lunch at half past 12.

stuart looked out carefully from  the bushes the garden was empty  

he hurried out of the garden onto the  street he walked towards martin's garage

stewart did not see the police car it stopped  outside the garden a few moments later  

look in this garden frank told the  policeman perhaps he's hiding in here

hi martin hello strip  

how much for the bike 350 pounds um i  want it how much for me still 350 pounds

have you any money yes how much 300  pounds no that's not enough 325.

okay she's yours great thanks

the policeman got out of the car frank got out too  

the constable held his arm tightly  the sergeant went into the garden  

he looked around for some time then he came  back he was holding a bundle of newspapers

there's no one there the sergeant  said but i found these old newspapers  

that's them shouted frank something  was wrapped in those newspapers

just then a motorbike drove  up towards the police car  

that's him shouted frank excitedly that's  the guy he's bought a motorbike with my money

stop the sergeant called to stuart stop

steward did not see frank what do the police want  

stuart asked himself i haven't done  anything wrong i'm driving correctly

stuart stopped the bike by the side of the  road he took off his helmet he's up bite  

yours the sergeant asked him yes it's mine replied  stewart i bought it at the garage down the road  

then stuart saw frank what have you told  these cops stuart shouted angrily at frank

we'll all go to this garage said the sergeant  they all walked back to martin's garage

a big black cloud now covered the  sun it was beginning to rain so  

this lad paid you 325 pounds for this bike  the sergeant said to martin martin agreed

and where did you get this money the sergeant  asked steward i found it replied stewart i found  

it in a mattress it was in an empty house  the sergeant took the money from martin  

we'll look after this money  he said you two can go now

it's my money shouted frank do you want  to come to the police station with us  

ask the constable frank walked away still shouting

i'm sorry martin said to stuart it's my  bike again not for long replied stuart  

what do you mean ask the sergeant it  has started to rain now replied stuart  

i don't want a holiday i'm going to get a job i'm  going to save another pounds and buy that bike

you