"We trailed him for a bit till Mary saw a snake," he said. "But we expect he was just on a walking holiday. We did wonder, though, why he was wearing a raincoat on a lovely day like this, and we expected he'd come down this way because he disappeared up by the path at the top. He had a map, too... But we must go back to the top now and get home to Witchend. It's getting late and we ought to start. Thank you very much, Mrs. Thurston, for a lovely tea."

"But you don't have to climb up to the top through the wood to get back to Witchend, surely?" she said.

"It's easily the best way," said Peter. "It's much too long to go round by the road. I'll show them the way along the top to the Witchend valley, and then they'll be home in half an hour. And I must go over the top to Hatchholt, else I'll never get home and father will be mad with me."

Mrs. Thurston got up and threw her cigarette in the fire.

"I shouldn't dream of letting you climb up there now. You're much too tired... Oh yes, you are. Of course you are, and especially the twins. I'll take you in the car now and drop you at the end of your lane on the Onnybrook road."

Peter protested still that her quickest way was to walk over the top, but Mrs. Thurston wouldn't consider it. She seemed in a great hurry to get them away, and spoke almost sharply when Peter explained that the Hatchholt valley was miles past Witchend.

"Don't argue, my child," she said. "I'm going to take you as well. Please get ready to leave at once."

They went outside and released Macbeth, who was frantic with joy at the reunion.

Peter whispered, "It's jolly decent of her, David, but I wouldn't have minded walking back, would you? Do you like her? I think she's really nice, but she does ask a lot of questions."

Before he could answer Mrs. Thurston came out on to the porch with a tweed coat on her arm. She had just opened the door of the car when, from somewhere up in the pine wood, came the unmistakable cry of an owl.

"How strange," said Peter. "You don't often hear an owl cry like that in the daytime. I wonder why it's making that noise."

"Stay here, children, and don't move. Get into the car, please, and stop there till I come back. I shan't be long," said Mrs. Thurston sharply, and she went back into the house.