"But you can't just go and leave us here," said Dickie indignantly. "You just can't beastly-jolly-well do it! Can't you see we're lost - and cold and hungry," he added more brightly.

But Jacob was in a hurry, and was also very angry. He began to back away from them across the clearing.

"Go home!" he shouted. "You are not wanted in this place. You will get into trouble. Go away, I say."

Dickie ran after him.

By now Jacob was almost spluttering with rage while the twins were rapidly recovering their spirits. Anything - even Jacob - was better than being alone on the mountain!

"Come here," Jacob shouted angrily, and made a sudden grab at Dickie, who dodged him easily enough. At the same time Macbeth went into battle and snapped viciously at the man's ankle and then circled round him warily, growling and snarling, before Mary grabbed his lead and pulled him away.

"Don't you dare do that again," she said breathlessly. "Don't you try and hurt us. Dickie and me are brave today, and we're just going where you go till you take us somewhere safe."

Then Dickie spoke up. "And another thing. What were you hootin' for? Have you gone mad or something? Pretendin' to be an owl!"

"Just a silly old man," added Mary scornfully. "Hootin'! Not much like an owl, anyway!"

Jacob's fists were clenching and unclenching at his side, and he was actually hopping first on one foot and then on the other as the twins retired just out of the reach of his long arms. Then the silence was broken first by a sharp bark from the dog, and then by the sudden loud hoot of an owl from somewhere near.

"We heard that just now," said Dickie. "Seems to be some funny people about in this wood today."

At this Jacob actually produced a sickly smile.

"And so you heard the owl cry before, little ones? And where was it you heard it? Over past that rock, you say? Listen! Jacob will take you back to Appledore, and perhaps he take you home later and you forget the adventure in the wood, eh? Now you wait here till Jacob comes back. He goes to find the owl in the nest. That is why he make the owl noise - to catch the early bird in the nest. Ha! ha!"

The twins gazed at this transformation in astonishment. Jacob, smiling and trying to be pleasant, was almost more unpleasant than Jacob in a rage. Then the owl cry came again, and he started off quickly towards the other side of the clearing. The fog was thicker now, and he would soon have been out of sight if the children had not run after him.

"That's all right," Dickie said. "We'll come with you and see the owl in his nest. If you go away now maybe we'll lose you."

"There's another thing we heard," said Mary.