Cecil was wandering round by himself. To his enormous horror, as he turned a corner, a most terrifying figure rose up from behind a wall, gave a horrible yell and pounced on him, waving what looked like a dangerous chopper.

Cecil turned and fled, howling loudly, with Jock leaping madly after him, whooping for all he was worth, and thoroughly enjoying himself. He had had to play at soldiers all the day before with dear Cecil. He didn’t see why Cecil shouldn’t play Red Indians all day with him to-day!

Just at that moment, the four campers arrived to fetch food, with Timmy running beside them. They stopped in amazement at the sight of Cecil running like the wind, howling dismally, and a fully-dressed and painted Red Indian leaping fiercely after him.

Jock saw them, did a comical war-dance all round them, much to Timmy’s amazement, yelled dramatically, pretended to cut off Timmy’s tail, and then tore after the vanishing Cecil.

The children began to laugh helplessly. “Oh dear!” said Anne, with tears of laughter in her eyes, “that must be Cecil he’s after. I suppose this is Jock’s revenge for having to play soldiers all day with him yesterday. Look, there they go round the pig-sty. Poor Cecil. He really thinks he’s going to be scalped!”

Cecil disappeared into the farm kitchen, sobbing, and Mrs. Andrews ran to comfort him. Jock made off back to the others, grinning all over his war-painted face.

“Hallo,” he said. “I’m just having a nice quiet time with dear Cecil. I’m so glad to see you. I wanted to come over, but my stepfather said I wasn’t to — I must play with Cecil. Isn’t he frightful?”

“Awful,” everyone agreed.

“Why doesn’t he get his hair cut?” said Julian in disgust. “Boys with long hair are just too sissy for words. I say — will your mother be wild with you for frightening Cecil like that? Perhaps we’d better not ask her for any food yet?”

“Yes — you’d better wait a bit,” said Jock, leading them to the sunny side of the haystack they had rested by before. “Hallo, Timmy! Did you get back all right last night?”

Jock had completely forgotten that the girls didn’t know of the happenings of the night before. Both Anne and George at once pricked up their ears. Julian frowned at Jock, and Dick gave him a secret nudge.

“What’s up?” said George, seeing all this by-play. “What happened last night?”

“Oh, I just came up to have a little night-talk with the boys — and Timmy walked back with me,” said Jock, airily. “Hope you didn’t mind him coming, George.”

George flushed an angry red. “You’re keeping something from me,” she said to the boys. “Yes, you are. I know you are. I believe you went off to that railway yard last night! Did you?”

There was an awkward silence. Julian shot an annoyed look at poor Jock, who could have kicked himself.