“Oh, I didn’t think that,” said Julian, at once. “Of course I didn’t! I’d never think Uncle Quentin would do a thing like that. No — in yesterday’s paper it just said that two of our most famous scientists had disappeared — and I thought perhaps they had been kidnapped. And as Uncle Quentin is really very famous, I just thought I’d ring up to make sure.”

“Oh,” said George. “Well, as Mother hadn’t heard a thing about them she was awfully astonished when you asked her if Father had disappeared. Especially as he was banging about just then in the study, looking for something he had lost.”

“Which he was sitting on as usual, I suppose,” said Dick with a grin. “But listen to this — it doesn’t look as if the two men have been kidnapped — it looks as if they just walked out and took important papers with them! Beasts! There’s too much of that sort of thing nowadays, it seems to me!”

He read out a paragraph or two.

‘Derek Terry-Kane and Jeffrey Pottersham have been missing for two days. They met at a friend’s house to discuss a certain aspect of their work, and then left together to walk to the underground. Since then they have not been seen.

“It has, however, been established that Terry-Kane had brought his passport up to date and had purchased tickets for flying to Paris. No news of his arrival there has been reported.”

“There! Just what I said to Mother!” exclaimed George. “They’ve gone off to sell their secrets to another country. Why do we let them?”

“Uncle Quentin won’t be pleased about that,” said Julian. “Didn’t he work with Terry-Kane at one time?”

“Yes. I believe he did,” said George. “I’m jolly glad I’m not at home today — Father will be rampaging round like anything, telling Mother hundreds of times what he thinks about scientists who are traitors!”

“He certainly will,” said Julian. “I don’t blame him either. That’s a thing I don’t understand — to be a traitor to one’s own country. It leaves a nasty taste in my mouth to think of it. Come on — let’s think about dinner, Anne. What are we going to have?”

“Fried sausages and onions, potatoes, a tin of sliced peaches and I’ll make a custard,” said Anne, at once.

“I’ll fry the sausages,” said Dick. “I’ll light the fire out here and get the frying-pan. Anyone like their sausages split in the cooking?”

Everyone did. “I like mine nice and burnt,” said George. “How many do we have each? I’ve only had those ice-creams since breakfast.”

“There are twelve,” said Anne, giving Dick the bag. “Three each. None for Timmy! But I’ve got a large, juicy bone for him. Julian, will you get me some water, please? There’s the pail, over there. I want to peel the potatoes. George, can you possibly open the peaches without cutting yourself like you did last time?”

“Yes, Captain!” said George, with a grin. “Ah — this is like old times. Good food, good company and a good time. Three cheers for Us!”