Anne suddenly yawned. “Don’t start too late or I shall fall asleep!” she said. “It’s getting dark already. All that swimming has made me feel tired!”

Dick yawned too. “I’m jolly sleepy as well,” he said. “I shall bed down in our tent as soon as you’ve gone, Ju. I’ll see you off safely first, papers and all! You’d better go to your tent, too, girls — you look tired.”

“Right!” said Anne. “You coming, George?”

“We’ll all go,” said George. “Come on, Tinker. Bet you I get over the fence and down to our tents first! Good night, Jenny. We’re off!”

She and Anne and Tinker, with Timmy running behind, went off down the darkening garden. Dick and Julian helped Jenny to tidy up, and to draw all the curtains. “Well, good night, Jenny,” said Dick. “All you have to do is to lock the door behind us and go safely up to bed. We’ll go down to our tents now. Sleep well!”

“Oh, I always do,” said Jenny. “Look after yourselves now and don’t get into any mischief! Hide those papers well, where nobody can find them!”

Julian and Dick went off down the garden, having heard Jenny carefully locking the door behind them.

Tinker and the girls were already over the fence, Mischief on Tinker’s shoulder. Anne spoke anxiously to George. “I do hope Julian will be all right going over to Kirrin Island,” she said. “I wish he’d take Dick with him.”

“If he took anyone it should be me!” burst out George. “It’s my island!”

“Oh, don’t be silly, George. The papers would be much safer with Julian,” said Anne. “It would be an awful business for you, cycling by yourself to Kirrin, getting your boat into the water, and rowing over in the dark!”

“It would not!” said George. “If Julian can do it, then so could I. You go into our tent, Anne, and get ready for bed. I’ll come in a minute, after I’ve taken Timmy for a run.”

She waited till Anne had disappeared through the tent opening. Then she went quietly off by herself in the dark, Timmy trotting beside her, rather surprised.

Soon there came the sound of voices, as Julian and Dick reached the fence and leapt over it. They went to their tent, and found Tinker there, yawning and getting ready for bed.

Soon the three boys were all rolled up in their rugs, Mischief cuddled up to Tinker. After some time Julian sat up and looked at his watch, and then peeped out of the tent opening. “Quite dark!” he said. “But the moon’s coming up, I see. I think I’ll get the papers from George now, and set off on my bicycle to Kirrin. I can easily get it out of the shed.”

“You know where George keeps her boat,” said Dick. “You won’t have any difficulty in finding it. Got your torch, Ju?”

“Yes — and a new battery,” said Julian. “Look!”

He switched on his torch. It gave a good, powerful beam. “Shan’t miss the island if I put this on!” he said. “Now — I’ll get those papers. Hey, George — I’m coming to your tent for the papers!”