He settled down again and shut his eyes. Then he opened them. He had heard something! Not an owl or the pattering of some little animal’s feet — but another sound, a bigger one. He listened. There was a rustling going on somewhere. Some much bigger animal was about.

Julian was suddenly panic-stricken. Then he reasoned sternly with himself. There were no dangerous wild animals in this country, not even a wolf. It was probably a badger out on a nightly prowl. He listened for any snuffling sound, but he heard none, only the rustling as the animal moved about through the bushes.

It came nearer. It came right over to him! He felt warm breath on his ear and made a quick movement of revulsion. He sat up swiftly and put out his hand. It fell on something warm and hairy. He withdrew his hand at once, feeling for his torch in panic. To touch something warm and hairy in the pitch darkness was too much even for Julian!

Something caught hold of his arm, and he gave a yell and fought it off. Then he got the surprise of his life. The animal spoke.

“Julian!” said a voice. “It’s me!”

Julian, his hands trembling, flashed his torch round. The light fell on a dirty dark face, with tangled hair over its eyes.

“Jo!” said Julian. “JO! What on earth are you doing here? You scared me stiff. I thought you were some horrible hairy animal. I must have touched your head.”

“You did,” said Jo, squeezing in under the bush. Anne and Dick, who had both wakened up at Julian’s yell, gazed at her, speechless with surprise. Jo of all people, here in the middle of the wood. How had she got there?

“You’re surprised to see me, aren’t you?” said Jo. “I got caught by Jake. But he didn’t know you were following behind. He dragged me off to the cottage he lives in and locked me up. He knew I’d spent the night at Kirrin Cottage, and he said he was going to take me to my Dad, who would give me the worst hiding I’d ever had in my life. So he would, too.”

“So that’s what happened to you!” said Dick.

“Then I broke the window and got out,” said Jo. “That Jake! I’ll never do a thing he tells me again — locking me up like that. I hate that worse than anything! Well, then I came to look for you.”

“How did you find us?” said Julian, in wonder.

“Well, first I went to the caravan,” said Jo. “Old Ma Smith — the one who always sits stirring a pot — she told me you’d been asking for my Dad’s caravan. I guessed you’d go off to find it. So along I went after you — but there was the caravan all by itself, and nobody there. Not even George.”

“Where is George, do you know?” asked Anne.