"Oh yes!" said Mary, "We've got a very special friend called Peter. She lives at the reservoir at Hatchholt with her Daddy who is a very tidy man."

He asked them a lot about the reservoir.

They were talking so hard that almost before they realized it they were at the top, and the valley had flattened out into rolling moorland. Every billow of heather looked the same, and there was no trace of a path. Suddenly Dickie felt nervous, and if anyone had suggested it he would have turned back. But when he looked behind him he couldn't really distinguish which way they had come Mary saved the situation by saying suddenly:

"Gosh! I'm hungry. Let's sit down here and eat our rations."

Their visitor seemed impatient to get on, but was easily out-voted. Dickie hoped that after food he would be a more competent leader but was doubtful, as he wasn't prepared to admit that he didn't know the way. They shared the sandwiches, and their new friend produced a slab of chocolate.

"We'd better eat this as we go," he said. "Can you just show me the path now, and then you two guides can get home before they start worrying about you."

"That's all right," Dickie said, "we couldn't leave you now because there's no path. We'll come along with you till we get to Peter's valley, and then we can show you the way to Appledore, and go home another way."

Mary looked at her twin in admiration. Secretly she was very worried, and had been wondering for ten minutes what they were going to do, but Dickie's plan was excellent. Once they could find Hatchholt and Peter or Mr. Sterling, they would have nothing to worry about.

She looked up to see their officer watching them with a strange smile.

"Now then," he said. "Which way, my brave Indians?"

Dickie gulped and explained his predicament.

"You see," he said, "I've not 'zactly been up here before, and there isn't a real path, but I know we've got to go on walking to the right till we get high enough to see over the other side... Then we'll see that old devil's chair, and I'll know where we are..."

Their friend laughed. "Come on, then! We're in this together, and I don't know how I could have done without you. Let's find this Hatchholt valley first, and then you can tell me which direction to go, and you'll be safe on your way home... I'd like to see the reservoir, too," he added.

At last Macbeth found a narrow sheep path through the heather which made it much easier to get along. They were walking single file, with Dickie leading, when suddenly he shouted: "We're up! Look! There's the Stiperstones, and there in front is that pile of stones near the place where we hid, Mary."