This remark was greeted with ribald laughter by everyone except Mary and the person addressed, but the tension was broken and they all turned towards the house. At the door Mr. Sterling paused, and then those nearest to him saw a look of horror come into his eyes as he looked down at their boots. They were a dirty, bedraggled crew, and Mr. Sterling had never in his long life seen anything like them. His own daughter, who had been licking her grubby handkerchief and trying to clean her face with it, was perhaps the worst. He shuddered.

"It's all right, Father," she said hastily. "I'll take my shoes off round the back..."

David was not much better. His corduroy shorts were torn and his leg badly scratched. He didn't appear to have any shoes on - just black mud spats. Tom, whistling cheerfully and trying a juggling act with two small dead trout he had picked up, was splashed from head to foot. Mary was the tidiest. Dickie the dirtiest. Macbeth the most bedraggled. But Bill was the quickest to solve the problem of Mr. Sterling's kitchen floor.

"Quick, chaps," he said. "Council of war out here in the sunshine. All in a circle. I'm the chief in the middle. Is that right, Dickie? Right! Now then; David tells me that you Mortons promised to be back for dinner, so it's time for you to go. You mustn't worry your mother again. Tom can do what he likes - he can wait for me or go with you, but I've got a lot to talk to Mr. Sterling about, so he doesn't want to be bothered with you now."

David got up. "Bill's right. What about you, Peter? Will you come back with us? Mother said you could come any time and you can sleep if you like. We could call at Ingles on the way and see what's happened at Appledore. Then I think we'll have to do some jobs about the house."

"Come on, Peter," Tom said, "I'm going back, too. I want to see Uncle Alf."

Peter shook her head, although the temptation was very strong. "No thanks. I'd love to be with you, but I'll stay with Father. I expect I can help him tidy up a bit."

David saw the old man's grateful glance at his daughter.

"Righto! Come as early as you can after breakfast tomorrow. We'll wait at Witchend for you till you come."

"I'd like to come up and see your mother before I go back," Bill called. "Maybe I'll come to Witchend tomorrow, too, and see what you've made of it. Good luck to you all. Don't go back along the top and don't go to Appledore. Go back the way you came. The Home Guard fellows will have told everyone what happened here."