“Did you pick up any of the packages?” asked the sergeant. Julian nodded.

“Yes, we did, and I opened one.”

“What was in it?”

“Paper money, dollars!” said Julian. “In one packet alone there were scores of notes and each note was for a hundred dollars, about forty pounds a time! Thousands of pounds worth thrown all around us!”

The sergeant looked at his companion. “Ha! Now we know! This explains a lot that has been puzzling us, doesn’t it, Wilkins?”

Wilkins, the other policeman, nodded grimly. “It certainly does. So that’s what happens! That’s how the gang get the dollars over here, from that printing-press in North France. Just a nice little run in a plane!”

“But why do they throw the packets down for the gypsies to collect?” asked Julian. “Is it so that they can give them to someone else? Why don’t they bring them openly into the country? Surely anyone can bring dollars here?”

“Not forged ones, my lad,” said the sergeant. “These will all be forged, you mark my words. The gang have got a headquarters near London, and as soon as those packets are handed over to them by one of the gypsies, they will set to work passing them off as real ones, paying hotel bills with them, buying all kinds of goods and paying for them in notes that aren’t worth a penny!”

“Whew!” said Julian. “I never thought of them being forged!”

“Oh yes. We’ve known of this gang for some time, but all we knew was that they had a printing-press to print the notes in North France, and that somehow the rest of the gang here, near London, received them and passed them off as real ones,” said the sergeant. “But we didn’t know how they were brought here, nor who took them to the gang near London.”

“But now we know all right!” said Wilkins. “My word, this is a pretty scoop, Sergeant. Good kids these, finding out what we’ve been months trying to discover!”

“Where are these packages?” said the sergeant. “Did you hide them? Did the gypsies get them?”

“No, we hid them,” said Julian. “But I guess the gypsies will be hunting all over the place for them today, so we’d better get on the moors quick, Sergeant.”

“Where did you hide them?” said the sergeant. “In a safe place, I hope!”

“Oh very!” said Julian. “I’ll call my brother, Sergeant. He’ll come with us. Hey, Dick! Come on in here, and you’ll hear a very interesting bit of news!”

Chapter Twenty-one

The end of the mystery

Chapter Twenty-one

Mrs Johnson was amazed to hear that the police wanted Julian and Dick to go out on the moors again.

“But they’re tired out!” she said. “They need something to eat. Can’t it wait?”

“I’m afraid not,” said the sergeant. “You needn’t worry, Mrs Johnson. These boys are tough!”

“Well actually I don’t think that the gypsies can possibly find the packets,” said Julian. “So it wouldn’t matter if we had a bite to eat. I’m ravenous!”