Jo spoke again, pleased at the surprise she had caused. “His name’s Tower, and he’s got red hair, flaming red — so he’s called Red Tower. See?”

“Are you making this up, by any chance?” asked Dick, after a pause. “You have made up things before, you know.”

“All right. You can think I made it up, then,” said Jo, sulkily. “I’ll go. Get yourselves out of this the best you can. You’re mean.”

She wriggled away, but Julian caught hold of her arm. “Oh, no, you don’t! You’ll just stay with us now, if I have to tie you to me all night long! You see, we find it difficult to trust you, Jo — and that’s your fault, not ours. But we’ll trust you just this once. Tell us about Red Tower, and take us to where he lives. If you do that, we’ll trust you for evermore.”

“Will Dick trust me, too?” said Jo, trying to get away from Julian’s hand.

“Yes,” said Dick shortly. He felt as if he would dearly like to smack this unpredictable, annoying, extraordinary, yet somehow likeable ragamuffin girl. “But I don’t feel as if I like you very much at present. If you want us to like you as well as to trust you, you’ll have to help us a lot more than you have done.”

“All right,” said Jo, and she wriggled down again. “I’m tired. I’ll show you the way out in the morning, and then I’ll take you to Red’s. But you won’t like Red. He’s a beast.”

She would say nothing more, so once again they tried to sleep. They felt happier now that Jo was with them and would show them the right way out of the wood. Julian hardly thought she would leave them in the lurch now. He shut his eyes and was soon dreaming.

Jo woke first. She uncurled like an animal and stretched, forgetting where she was. She woke up the others, and they all sat up, feeling stiff, dirty and hungry.

“I’m thirsty as well as hungry,” complained Anne. “Where can we get something to eat and drink?”

“Better get back home for a wash and a meal, and to let Joan know where we are,” said Julian. “Come on, Jo — show us the way.”

Jo led the way immediately. The others wondered how in the world she knew it. They were even more astonished when they found themselves on the wheel-rut path in about two minutes.

“Gracious! We were as near to it as that!” said Dick. “And yet we seemed to walk for miles through this horrible wood.”

“You did,” said Jo. “You went round in an enormous circle, and you were almost back where you started. Come on — I’ll take you my way back to your house now — it’s much better than any bus!”

Chapter Seventeen

Off in George’s boat

Joan was extremely thankful to see them. She had been so worried the night before that if the telephone wires in the house had been mended, she would most certainly have rung up the police. As it was, she couldn’t telephone, and the night was so dark that she was really afraid of walking all the way down to the village.