Timmy was sitting on the warm stone with the others. He had his share of the sandwiches, but had to be rationed, as Martin had to have some too.

He was funny with Martin. He took absolutely no notice of him at all. Martin might not have been there!

And Martin took no notice of Timmy. He did not talk to him, or pat him. Anne was sure he didn’t really like dogs, as he had said. How could anyone be with Timmy and not give him even one pat?

Timmy did not even look at Martin, but sat with his back to him, leaning against George. It was really rather amusing, if it wasn’t so odd. After all, George was talking in a friendly way to Martin; they were all sharing their food with him — and Timmy behaved as if Martin simply wasn’t there at all!

Anne was just about to remark on Timmy’s odd behaviour when he yawned, shook himself, and leapt down from the rock. “He’s going rabbiting again,” said Julian. “Hey, Tim — find me another arrow-head will you, old fellow?”

Timmy wagged his tail. He disappeared under the shelf of rock, and there came the sound of digging. A shower of stones and soil flew into the air.

The children lay back on the stone and felt sleepy. They talked for some minutes, and then Anne felt her eyes closing. She was awakened by George’s voice.

“Where’s Timmy? Timmy! Timmy! Come here! Where have you got to?”

But no Timmy came. There was not even an answering bark. “Oh blow,” said George. “Now he’s gone down some extra-deep rabbit hole, I suppose. I must get him. Timmy! Wherever are you?”

Chapter Nine

George makes a discovery — and loses her temper

George slipped down from the rock. She peered under it. There was a large opening there, scattered with stones that Timmy had loosened in his digging.

“Surely you haven’t at last found a rabbit hole big enough to go down!” said George. “TIMMY! Where are you?”

Not a bark, not a whine came from the hole. George wriggled under the shelf of rock, and peered down the burrow. Timmy had certainly made it very big. George called up to Julian.

“Julian! Throw me down your trowel, will you?”

The trowel landed by her foot. George took it and began to make the hole bigger. It might be big enough for Timmy, but it wasn’t big enough for her!

She dug hard and soon got very hot. She crawled out and looked over on to the rock to see if she could get one of the others to help her. They were all asleep.

“Lazy things!” thought George, quite forgetting that she too would have been dozing if she hadn’t wondered where Timmy had gone.

She slipped down under the rock again and began to dig hard with her trowel. Soon she had made the hole big enough to get through. She was surprised to find quite a large passage, once she had made the entrance big enough to take her. She could crawl along on hands and knees!