So back they all went, tired, dirty, and also feeling very thrilled.

What a night! They told Anne all that had happened, and she told them her story, too. She almost fell asleep in the car as she talked, she so tired.

Mrs. Andrews was sensible and kind, though upset to hear that her husband had been taken off by the police. She got hot water for baths, and laid a meal for the hungry children.

“I wouldn’t worry overmuch, Mrs. Andrews,” said kindly Mr. Luffy. “That husband of yours needs a lesson, you know. This will probably keep him going straight in future. The farm is yours, and you can now hire proper farm-workers who will do what you want them to do. And I think Jock will be happier without a stepfather for the present.”

“You’re right, Mr. Luffy,” said Mrs. Andrews, wiping her eyes quickly. “Quite right. I’ll let Jock help me with the farm, and get it going beautifully. To think that Mr. Andrews was in with all those black marketeers! It’s that friend of his, you know, who makes him do all this. He’s so weak. He knew Jock was snooping about in that tunnel, and that’s why he wanted him to go away — and kept making him have a boy here or go out with him. I knew there was something queer going on.”

“No wonder he was worried when Jock took it into his head to go and camp with our little lot,” said Mr. Luffy.

“To think of that old yard and tunnel being used again!” said Mrs. Andrews. “And all those tales about spook-trains — and the way they hid that train, and hid all that stuff, too. Why, it’s like a tale, isn’t it!”

She ran to see if the water was hot for the baths. It was, and she went to call the children, who were in the big bedroom next door. She opened it and looked in. Then she called Mr. Luffy upstairs.

He looked in at the door, too. The five, and Timmy, were lying on the floor in a heap, waiting for the bath-water. They hadn’t liked to sit on chairs or beds, they were so dirty. And they had fallen asleep where they sat, their faces as black as a sweep’s.

“Talk about black marketeers!” whispered Mrs. Andrews. “Anyone would think we’d got the whole lot of them here in the bedroom!”

They all woke up and went to have a bath one by one, and a good meal after that. Then back to camp with Mr. Luffy, Jock with them, too.

It was glorious to snuggle down into the sleeping-bags. George called out to the three boys.

“Now don’t you dare to go off without me to-night, see?”

“The adventure is over,” called back Dick. “How did you like it, Jock?”

“Like it?” said Jock, with a happy sigh. “It was simply — smashing!”

THE END