“Quick, oh quick!” whispered Anne, but it was impossible to go very quickly.

“They must be catching us up,” said Julian, suddenly. “Look round and see, George.”

George looked round. “No, I can’t see anyone,” she said. “Julian, everywhere looks peculiar. What’s happening? Julian, stop. Something queer is happening!”

Julian stopped and looked round. His eyes had been fixed on his feet, trying to see where he was going without stumbling. Anne had shone her torch down for him but it was still difficult to get along properly. Julian gazed all round, wondering what George meant.

Then he gave a gasp. “Gosh! How queer! There’s a mist come up, look. It’s even blotted out the stars. No wonder it seems so jolly dark all of a sudden.”

“A mist!” said Anne, scared. “Not that awful mist that sometimes covers the moor! Oh Julian, is it?”

Julian and Dick watched the swirling mist in astonishment. “It’s come from the sea,” Julian said. “Can’t you smell the salt in it? It’s come just as suddenly as we’ve been told it comes, and look, it’s getting thicker every minute!”

“What a good thing we’re on the railway lines!” said George. “What shall we do? Go on?”

Julian stood and thought. “The gypsies won’t come after us in this mist,” he said. “I’ve a good mind to hide this money somewhere, and then walk back to get the police. If we keep on the lines we can’t go wrong. But we must be sure not to leave them, or we’ll be completely lost!”

“Yes, let’s do that,” said Dick, who was heartily sick already of lugging along his heavy load. “But where do you propose to hide them, Ju? Not in the quarry! We’d have to walk through this awful mist to do that, and we’d get lost at once.”

“No. I’ve thought of a fine place,” said Julian, and he lowered his voice. “Remember that old engine, fallen on its side? Well, what about stuffing these packets all the way down that great long funnel, and then stopping the top of it up with sand? I bet you anything you like that nobody would find the packets there.”

“Grand idea!” said Dick. “The gypsies will be sure we’ve gone off carrying the money, and they’ll not hunt about for it long, once they find the dropped packets are all gone. We’ll be half-way home by the time they try to catch us, if they dare to brave this mist.”

Anne and George thought Julian’s idea was first-rate, a stroke of genius. “I’d never, never have thought of the engine funnel!” said Anne.

“Now, there’s no need for you two girls and Timmy to walk all the way to the engine with us,” said Julian. “You sit down here on the lines, and wait for us to come back. We shan’t be long. We’ll walk straight up the railway, find the engine, pack the money into the funnel, and walk back.”

“Right,” said George, squatting down. “Bring the rugs back with you, though. It’s cold now!”