"Mount Everest now," Dickie said.

"Just coming to the glaciers," Mary explained to Bill.

At last they came to the Lone Pine. The fire, lit earlier in the afternoon by Tom and David, was burning brightly and the kettle was steaming. The sides of the clearing were strewn with bracken as a welcome resting-place for the weary guests, and on one side of the fire was spread a cloth covered with plates of sandwiches and cups.

"You can take off your blindfolds now," said David. "Peter! Will you please take charge of the cooking and the food? We brought some potatoes for roasting presently, and it looks as if the kettle is nearly boiling." Then he turned to Mrs. Morton, "What do you think of it, Mother? Isn't it a grand place? We've never had a better camp, and you do understand why we had to keep it a secret, don't you?"

"It's splendid, David. You must keep it nice and show it to your father when he comes home on leave. He'd love it."

The other grown-ups were looking round with varying expressions. Bill was laughing as usual, while his father offered a cigarette to Mrs. Morton. Mrs. Ingles, very red in the face, was being helped to the bracken couch by Peter while her husband roared, "Well I be jiggered! I never knew this place before, although I suppose I've seen the tree often enough."

Mr. Sterling looked fixedly at the crockery and the table cloth, but as everything was spotless he turned his attention elsewhere. Agnes, now looking battered and weary, leaned against the trunk of the pine, mopped her face with her handkerchief and wondered whether the children had really brought enough food for this big party.

Dickie climbed the tree to act as look-out, but soon came down when he saw Peter making tea. Then all except Peter and David - cook and host respectively - sat down in a big circle and when every cup was full David looked over to Captain Ward and said, "We do hope you're going to tell us all about Appledore, sir, and what's really happened there. If you like we'll all give our separate stories, but I expect there's nothing new we can tell you."

Captain Ward put his tea cup down and looked round the circle of eager faces. The twins were struggling hard to keep back their questions until he had spoken. Bill, his only son, was tickling the back of Mary's neck with a piece of bracken and laughing as she shook him off. Peter, flushed and excited, was handing round sandwiches, while the two elder boys watched him from the foot of the tree. Mr. Sterling, with a clean handkerchief spread across his knees, was looking at him a trifle anxiously, Mrs. Morton nodded imperceptibly as he caught her eye, and Mr. Ingles winked encouragement. Agnes was concentrating upon a few curious flies who wished to sample the dangling cherries in her hat.