“No. But there are some biscuits in that tin,” said Anne. “I say, boys, who’s going to go to the farm each day for milk and things? I expect they can let us have bread, too, and fruit.”

“Oh, one or other of us will go,” said Dick. “Anne, hadn’t you better fry something for old Luffy now? I’ll go and wake him. Half the day will be gone if he doesn’t get up now.”

“I’ll go and make a noise like an earwig outside his tent,” said Julian, getting up. “He might not wake with all our yells and shouts, but he’d certainly wake at the call of a friendly earwig!”

He went down to the tent. He cleared his throat and called politely: “Are you awake yet, sir?”

There was no answer. Julian called again. Then, puzzled, he went to the tent opening. The flap was closed. He pulled it aside and looked in.

The tent was empty! There was nobody there at all.

“What’s up, Ju?” called Dick.

“He’s not here,” said Julian. “Where can he be?”

There was a silence. For a panic-stricken moment Anne thought one of their queer adventures was beginning. Then Dick called out again: “Is his bug-tin gone? You know, the tin box with straps that he takes with him when he goes insect-hunting? And what about his clothes?”

Julian inspected the inside of the tent again. “Okay!” he called, much to everyone’s relief. “His clothes are gone, and so is his bug-tin. He must have slipped out early before we were awake. I bet he’s forgotten all about us and breakfast and everything!”

“That would be just like him,” said Dick. “Well, we’re not his keepers. He can do as he likes! If he doesn’t want breakfast, he needn’t have any. He’ll come back when he’s finished his hunting, I suppose.”

“Anne! Can you get on with the doings if Dick and I go to the farmhouse and see what food they’ve got?” asked Julian. “The time’s getting on, and if we’re going for a walk or anything to-day, we don’t want to start too late.”

“Right,” said Anne. “You go too, George. I can manage everything nicely, now that the boys have brought me a bucketful of water. Take Timmy. He wants a walk.”

George was only too pleased to get out of the washing-up. She and the boys, with Timmy trotting in front, set off to the farmhouse. Anne got on with her jobs, humming softly to herself in the sunshine. She soon finished them, and then looked to see if the others were coming back. There was no sign of them, or of Mr. Luffy either.

“I’ll go for a walk on my own,” thought Anne. “I’ll follow that little stream uphill and see where it begins. That would be fun. I can’t possibly lose my way if I keep by the water.”

She set off in the sunshine and came to the little brown stream that gurgled down the hill. She scrambled through the heather beside it, following its course uphill. She liked all the little green ferns and the cushions of velvety moss that edged it. She tasted the water — it was cold and sweet and clean.