He looked at Dick, who nodded. Yes — that showed where the tunnel was, out of which the “spook-train” had come, and the lines to the deserted yard. Julian’s finger went back from the yard to the tunnel, where the dotted lines began. His finger traced the dotted lines a little way till they became whole lines again. That was where the train came out into another valley!

Then his finger showed where the tunnel that led from the yard appeared to join up with another one, that also ran for some distance before coming out into yet another valley. The boys looked at one another in silence.

Mr. Luffy suddenly spotted a day-flying moth and got up to follow it. The boys took the chance of talking to one another.

“The spook-train either runs through its own tunnel to the valley beyond — or it turns off into this fork and runs along to the other valley,” said Julian, in a low voice. “I tell you what we’ll do, Dick. We’ll get Mr. Luffy to run us down to the nearest town to buy something — and we’ll slip along to the station there and see if we can’t make a few inquiries about these two tunnels. We may find out something.”

“Good idea,” said Dick, as Mr. Luffy came back. “I say, sir, are you very busy to-day? Could you possibly run us down to the nearest town after dinner?”

“Certainly, certainly,” said Mr. Luffy, amiably. The boys looked at one another in delight. Now they might find out something! But they wouldn’t take George with them. No — they would punish her for her bad temper by leaving her behind!

Chapter Thirteen

A thrilling plan

Anne called them to dinner. “Come along!” she cried. “I’ve got it all ready. Tell Mr. Luffy there’s plenty for him, too.”

Mr. Luffy came along willingly. He thought Anne was a marvellous little camp-housekeeper. He looked approvingly at the spread set out on a white cloth on the ground.

“Hm! Salad. Hard-boiled eggs. Slices of tongue. And what’s this — apple-pie! My goodness! Don’t tell me you cooked that here, Anne.”

Anne laughed. “No. All this came from the farm, of course. Except the lime juice and water.”

George ate with the others, but said hardly a word. She was brooding over her wrongs, and Mr. Luffy looked at her several times, puzzled.

“Are you quite well, George?” he said, suddenly. George went red.

“Yes, thank you,” she said, and tried to be more herself, though she couldn’t raise a smile at all. Mr. Luffy watched her, and was relieved to see that she ate as much as the others. Probably had some sort of row, he guessed correctly. Well, it would blow over! He knew better than to interfere.

They finished lunch and drank all the lime juice. It was a hot day and they were very thirsty indeed. Timmy emptied all his dish of water and went and gazed longingly into the canvas bucket of washing-water. But he was too well-behaved to drink it, now that he knew he mustn’t. Anne laughed, and poured some more water into his dish.