“We’ll go to the post-office, and telephone from there,” said Julian.

The old man was pleased to see them again. “Had a nice time?” he said. “Did you find Two-Trees?”

Julian left him talking to the others while he went to look up Mr Gaston’s telephone number. He found it - and hoping devoutly that Mr Gaston wouldn’t mind giving his help, he rang him up.

Mr Gaston answered the telephone himself. “Hallo? Who? Oh, yes, of course I remember you. You want a bit of help? Well, what can I do for you?”

Julian told him. Mr Gaston listened in amazement.

“WHAT! You’ve found the Fallonia jewels! I can’t believe it! In your rucksacks now, you say! Bless us all! You’re not spoofing me, are you?”

Julian assured him that he wasn’t. Mr Gaston could hardly believe his ears. “Right. Right - of course I’ll put you in touch with the police. We’d better go to Gathercombe - I know the Inspector there, a fine fellow. Where are you? Oh yes, I know it. Wait there and I’ll fetch you in my car - in about half an hour, say.”

He rang off and Julian went to find the others, delighted that he had thought of getting into touch with Mr Gaston. Some grown-ups were so jolly decent - and they knew exactly what to do. The other three were delighted too, when he told them.

“Well, I must say that although it’s nice to have things happening to us, it’s a sort of safe, comfortable feeling when we hand over to the grown-ups,” said George. “Now I only want one thing - breakfast!”

“We’d better have a mixture of breakfast and lunch,” said Julian. “It’s so late.”

“Oh yes - let’s have brunch!” said Anne, delighted, “I love brunch.”

So they had some ‘brunch’ - sandwiches, buns, biscuits and ginger-beer, which they bought at a little shop down the road. And just as they were finishing, up swept Mr Gaston in an enormous car!

The four children grinned at him with pleasure, Julian introduced Anne and Dick. Timmy was thrilled to see him again and offered him a polite paw, which Mr Gaston shook heartily.

“Nice manners your dog’s got,” he said, and pressed down the accelerator. Whoooosh! Away they went at top speed, with Timmy sticking his head out of the window as he always did in a car.

They told their extraordinary story as they went. Mr Gaston was full of admiration for all they had done. “You’re a bunch of plucky kids!” he kept saying. “My word, I wish you were mine!”

They came to the police station. Mr Gaston had already warned the inspector they were coming, and he was waiting for them.

“Come along into my private room,” he said. “Now first of all - where are these jewels? Have you really got them with you? Let’s have a look at them before you tell your story.”

‘The children undid their rucksacks - and out of the hankies inside they poured the shining, glittering jewellery on to the oak table.