“Fine,” said Dick, and described it. Mr. Luffy seemed very interested in everything, even in Mr. Andrews’s rather frightening warning about the railway yard.

“Silly chap he sounds,” said Mr. Luffy, shaking the crumbs off his front. “All the same — I should keep away from that yard, if I were you. Stories don’t get about for nothing, you know. No smoke without fire!”

“Why, sir — surely you don’t believe there’s anything spooky about the trains there?” said Dick, in surprise.

“Oh, no — I doubt if there are any trains,” said Mr. Luffy. “But when a place has got a bad name it’s usually best to keep away from it.”

“I suppose so, sir,” said Dick and Julian together. Then they hastily changed the subject, afraid that Mr. Luffy, like Mr. Andrews, might also be going to forbid them to visit the railway yard. And the more they were warned about it and forbidden to go, the more they felt that they really must!

“Well, we must get back,” said Dick. “We’re expecting Jock — that’s the boy at the farm — to come up for the day, and we thought we’d go out walking and take our food with us. Are you going out, too, sir?”

“Not to-day,” said Mr. Luffy. “My legs are tired and stiff with so much scrambling about yesterday, and I want to mount some of the specimens I found. Also I’d like to meet your farm friend — what’s his name — Jock?”

“Yes, sir,” said Julian. “Right. We’ll bring him along as soon as he comes, then off we’ll go. You’ll be left in peace all day!”

But Jock didn’t come. The children waited for him all the morning and he didn’t turn up. They held up their lunch until they were too hungry to wait any longer, and then they had it on the heather in front of their tents.

“Funny,” said Julian. “He knows where the camp is, because we pointed it out to him when he came half-way home with us yesterday. Perhaps he’ll come this afternoon.”

But he didn’t come in the afternoon either, nor did he come after tea. Julian debated whether or not to go and see what was up, but decided against it. There must be some good reason why Jock hadn’t come, and Mrs. Andrews wouldn’t want them all visiting her two days running.

It was a disappointing day. They didn’t like to leave the tents and go for even a short stroll in case Jock came. Mr. Luffy was busy all day long with his specimens. He was sorry Jock had disappointed them. “He’ll come to-morrow,” he said. “Have you got enough food? There’s some in that tin over there if you want it.”

“Oh, no, thank you, sir,” said Julian. “We’ve plenty really. We’re going to have a game of cards. Like to join us?”

“Yes, I think I will,” said Mr. Luffy, getting up and stretching himself. “Can you play rummy?”