“Don’t you get the police, Julian!” said Jo, urgently. “You won’t get anything more out of Spiky, if you do. Not a thing.”

“I’m going,” said Spiky, still looking terrified.

“No, you’re not,” said Dick, and caught hold of him. “We shan’t go to the police. They might frighten off Gringo and make him smuggle George away at once. I’ve no doubt he has plans to do so at any minute. We shan’t say a word, so sit down and be sensible.”

“You can believe him,” Jo told Spiky. “He’s straight, see?”

Spiky sat down, still looking wary. “If you’re coming to the Fair, come at four,” he said. “It’s half-day closing today for the towns around, and the place will be packed. If you want to do any snooping, you won’t be noticed in that crowd.”

“Right,” said Julian. “We’ll be there. Look out for us, Spiky, in case you’ve got any news.”

Spiky then left, and the boys couldn’t help smiling at his back view — the spikes of hairs at the top of his head were so very noticeable!

“You’d better stay to lunch with us, Jo,” said Dick, and the delighted girl beamed all over her face.

“Will Joan’s cousin mind you not being back to dinner?” asked Julian.

“No. I said I wouldn’t be back all day,” said Jo. “It’s still school holidays, you see. Anyway, I can’t stand that Jane — she moons about all the time — and she’s got some of my clothes on, too.”

Jo sounded so indignant about Berta that the boys had to laugh. They all went back to Kirrin Cottage, and found Joan and Anne hard at work in the house.

“Well, you monkey!” said Joan to Jo. “Up to tricks as usual, I hear. Throwing stones at people’s windows in the middle of the night. You just try that on my window and see what happens to you! Now, put on that apron, and help round a bit. How’s Miss Jane?”

Joan was most excited to hear about the boys’ latest ideas as to where George might be. Julian gave her a warning.

“But no ringing up the police behind our backs this time, Joan,” he said. “This is something best done by Dick and me.”

“Can’t I come with Sally?” asked Anne.

“We can’t possibly take Sally,” said Dick, “in case Gringo’s about and recognises her. So you’d better stay and look after her, and we’ll take Timmy. He would be sure to smell where George is, if she’s hidden anywhere in the camp. But I think she’s probably in Gringo’s own caravan.”

Timmy pricked up his ears every time he heard George’s name mentioned. He was a very miserable dog indeed, and kept running to the front gate, hoping to see George coming along. Whenever they missed him, they knew where to find him — lying mournfully on George’s empty bed — probably with an equally mournful Sally beside him!