He listened. The scratching seemed to come from outside the barn, not inside. Then it stopped. After an interval it began again. Then there came a gentle tapping at the broken window just above Dick’s head.

He felt very startled. Rats scratched and scrabbled about - but they didn’t tap on windows. Who was tapping so very very cautiously on the little window? He held his breath and listened, straining his ears.

And then he heard a voice - a hoarse whisper.

“Dick! Dick!”

Dick was amazed. Could it be Julian? If so, how in the world did he know that he, Dick, was in the barn? He sat listening, stiff with surprise.

The tapping came again, and then the voice, a little louder. “Dick! I know you’re there. I saw you go in. Come here to the window - quiet, now!”

Dick didn’t know the voice. It wasn’t Julian’s, and it certainly wasn’t either George’s or Anne’s. Then how did the owner know his name and that he was there? It was astounding. Dick didn’t know what to do!

“Buck up!” said the voice. “I’ve got to go in half a tick. I’ve got that message for you.”

Dick decided to go nearer to the window. He was quite certain that he didn’t want whoever it was outside to come into the barn. He cautiously knelt up in the straw and spoke just underneath the window.

“I’m here,” he said, trying to make his voice deep and grown-up.

“You’ve been long enough coming,” grumbled the one outside, and then Dick saw him through the window - just a face, dim and wild-eyed, with a round bullet-like head. He crouched back, thankful that the face couldn’t see him in the darkness of the barn.

“Here’s the message from Nailer,” said the voice. “Two-Trees. Gloomy Water. Saucy Jane. And he says Maggie knows. He sent you this. Maggie’s got one too.”

A bit of paper fluttered in at the broken pane. Dick picked it up in a daze. What was all this? Was he dreaming?

The voice came again, insistent and urgent. “You heard all that, Dick? Two-Trees. Gloomy Water. Saucy Jane. And Maggie knows too. Now I’m going.”

There came the sound of someone cautiously creeping round the barn - and then there was silence. Dick sat amazed and bewildered. Who was this wild-eyed fellow, who called him by his name in the middle of the night and gave him extraordinary messages that meant nothing at all to a sleepy boy? But Dick was wide awake now. He stood up and looked out of the window. There was nothing and no one to be seen except the lonely house and the sky.

Dick sat down again and thought. He put his torch on cautiously and looked at the piece of paper he had picked up. It was a dirty half sheet, with pencil marks on it that meant nothing to Dick at all. Words were printed here and there, but they were all nonsense to him. He simply couldn’t make head or tail of his visitor, his message or the bit of paper!