“But how would you know the way?” said George.

Sniffer made a scornful movement with his hand. “Easy! They’ll leave me patrins to follow,” he said.

“Oh yes,” said Dick, remembering. He turned to the silent gypsy fellow. “Well, what about it? It seems that Sniffer here has quite a good idea, and you most certainly can’t have the horse today anyway.”

The man turned and said something angry and scornful to poor Sniffer, who shrank away from the words as if they were blows. The four children couldn’t understand a word, for it was all poured out in some gypsy talk that they could not follow. Then the man turned on his heel and without so much as a look at them, slouched away, his ear-rings gleaming as he went.

“What did he say?” asked Julian.

Sniffer gave one of his continual sniffs. “He was very angry. He said he’d go with the others, and I could come on with Clip the horse, and drive our caravan,” he said. “I’ll be all right there tonight with Liz.”

“Who’s Liz?” asked Anne, hoping that it was someone who would be kind to this poor little wretch.

“My dog,” said Sniffer, smiling for the first time. “I left her behind because she sometimes goes for hens, and Captain Johnson, he doesn’t like that.”

“I bet he doesn’t,” said Julian. “All right, that’s settled then. You can come for Clip, or Clop, or whatever your horse is called, tomorrow, and we’ll see if it’s fit to walk.”

“I’m glad,” said Sniffer, rubbing his nose. “I don’t want Clip to go lame, see? But my father, he’s fierce, he is.”

“So we gather,” said Julian, looking at a bruise on Sniffer’s face. “You come tomorrow and you can show us some of the patrins, the messages, that you gypsies use. We’d like to know some.”

“I’ll come,” promised Sniffer, nodding his head vigorously. “And you will come to see my caravan? I shall be all alone there, except for Liz.”

“Well, I suppose it would be something to do,” said Dick. “Yes, we’ll come. I hope it’s not too smelly.”

“Smelly?” said Sniffer, surprised. “I don’t know. I will show you patrins there and Liz will show you her tricks. She is very very clever. Once she belonged to a circus.”

“We must certainly take Timmy to see this clever dog,” said Anne, patting Timmy, who had been hunting for rabbits and had only just come back. “Timmy, would you like to go and visit a very clever dog called Liz?”

“Woof,” said Timmy, wagging his tail politely.

“Right,” said Dick. “I’m glad you approve, Tim. We’ll all try and come tomorrow, Sniffer, after you’ve been to see how Clip is getting on. I don’t somehow think you’ll be able to have him then, though. We’ll see!”

Chapter Four

A bed in the stable

The boys slept in one of the stables that night. Captain Johnson said they could either have mattresses sent out, or could sleep in the straw, with rugs.