"Seems funny we only met this morning," Peter said. "I'm so glad you've come here to live. Holidays are pretty dull for me 'cause I've only got Sally really. Can you ride, David?"

He shook his head.

"I'll lend you Sally, David, and teach you to ride her, too... I've never lent her to anyone before... I'll tell you another thing. When I come and see you at Witchend tomorrow I'll have a big idea. Something that will last us all the hols."

"I've got some ideas too, Peter. There's lots of things I want to do here that will be better if you're with us. Then there's Tom at Ingles. He has to help his uncle at the farm, but he'd be good fun, I know..."

They were talking so hard that they didn't notice where they were going, and were really surprised when the twins jumped out at them from opposite sides of the path.

Macbeth started to growl quietly, so David picked him up and slipped behind a big tree. They had nearly reached the edge of the wood and could see, about two hundred yards below them, a biggish house with a thatched roof. Only the back could be seen from where they were standing, and although there was nobody about, a wisp of blue smoke was coming from the chimney.

Peter sniffed. "Wood fire," she said. "Somebody's at home. Yes. That's Appledore. I remember it. We seem to have missed the main path, but if we're going to ask for a drink we'd better go up to the front door, which is round the other side. What do you think, David?"

"Well, we can't very well go snooping about in the garden," said David. "And we haven't come all this way just to look, have we? I want my drink badly, and so does Mac."

So they came out of the shelter of the trees, cut across some rough and rocky ground, and joined the main track again. Appledore was bigger than Witchend, and older, too. There was a big barn, several outhouses at the back, and a well-tended garden. At the side was a paved yard in which a motor-cycle was standing.

"Come on," said Peter. "There's sure to be somebody at home. There's a car up by the front door. Let's go and see" - and she pushed open the white farm gate and started up the drive. There was a pond with some ducks on the left, and under the apple trees in the orchard the grass was brown and dry. Appledore lay drowsing in the afternoon sun - a lovely, peaceful old country farmhouse.

Peter raised the knocker on the oak door and knocked twice. David still held Macbeth, who had shown some inclination to assault the ducks, and behind stood the twins, side by side.

Peter looked round. "Shall I knock again? I believe I can hear somebody, but they don't come."