"I want a farm called Appledore," he said. "My aunt lives there, and I've a bit of leave and have come to see her. I came on the early train and started to walk, but I've got lost. I came through that wood, and it looked like a path through the bracken up there" - the twins looked at each other reproachfully - "so I followed it. I suppose that's my aunt's place down there?" And he pointed to Witchend.

They told him "No,"

"Is Appledore far away?" he asked.

"It's over the other side of the mountain," said Mary. "Quite a long way, and difficult to find. We know your aunt. We explored Appledore the other day."

Then he asked their names and about their mother and David, and asked where they were. When they told him he laughed.

"I suppose I'm really your prisoner," he said, "but if I give my parole not to escape or to divulge your secret here, I was wondering whether you would do something for me?"

The twins looked at each other doubtfully.

"I expect you two are jolly good trackers," he went on. "You'd be fine guides, wouldn't you, to a chap lost in the jungle?"

Dickie brightened at this. He knew he was a good guide so he nodded modestly.

"Wouldn't you both like to guide me to Appledore? Or some of the way? Just show me the best path so that I don't waste any more time. If you like you can blindfold me so that I don't know the path out of here. What d'you say? Would you do that to help a poor pilot down on his luck?"

"Of course we will," said Mary.

"Very well," said Dickie. "Now we blindfold you. But what with?"

Their prisoner proved very helpful. "I've got a handkerchief in my bag," he said. "Let's use that."

They couldn't help noticing that the bag seemed very full, but he did produce a new blue silk handkerchief which did splendidly.

At the stream Dickie relented.

"That'll do," he said. "Now you can just follow us."

Dickie remembered that Peter had told them that there was a way along the top of the mountain, and if they could find the track he knew he must go north and on past the piled stones marking the summit until they came to the Appledore path. It was just the difficulty of finding the main track at the top of the valley.

Their new friend was very sensible. He seemed to know quite a lot about Indians, and tracking, and camps and all the exciting things that could happen to intrepid explorers. He was also very interested to hear how they first met Mrs. Thurston, and said that it was years since he had seen her, but that he had always promised to come and see her when he could. He asked them whether they knew anyone else here.