David, who was standing on a wobbly chair on the top of the trestle-table trying to tie a branch of feathery larch to one of the rafters, looked down and said:

"I meant to ask you before, Jenny. Have you run away again? What did Mrs. Harman say when Tom came?"

"Don't you worry about that," Tom answered. "Jenny's one of us now, and Mrs. Sterling gave me a proper invite for her. The old woman pretended she was glad Jenny was asked, but I dunno what'll happen if there's a run on stamps this afternoon, as Jen's not there to help."

David looked surprised and dropped the hammer.

"That's grand, Jenny," he said. "And I'm glad, but I thought it was rather a rag when you kept running away."

"Close the castle doors," Dickie shouted suddenly. "Let down the drawbridge, 'cos it's going to rain!"

"It's raining," Mary confirmed. "Quickly! The table's getting wet this end."

So they closed the big doors, as a fierce storm swept up over the pinewood and sent old Humphrey scurrying for shelter.

"It's dark with the doors closed, and I expect it will be dark for the feast," Jenny said. "Can't we find some lanterns? That paper sort that used to catch on fire would be fun."

When Mrs. Sterling was asked if she had any such treasures she stopped rolling her pastry long enough to put a dab of flour on Jenny's freckled nose and say, "Try the attic. There's any amount of rubbish up there."

After ten minutes' hectic exploration with Tom, they found ten splendid specimens which David helped them to hang with wire to the rafters of the barn. They closed the doors again, and tried out the effect by lighting the candles in each, and at once the old barn glowed with colour.

But the twins soon got bored with the display and climbed up to the loft, where they sat on Peter's mattress and watched another rain-storm whipping the puddles in the yard into a fury and turning the cart-ruts into miniature torrents. Mary was the first to hear the lorry coming up the track, but it was Dickie who saw Jake jump out to open the last white gate. By the time the lorry had pulled up in the yard, the twins had dashed down and flung back the white doors of the barn.

"Hyar there, pards!" Dickie called. "Howdy, folks!"

Then the head of Jerry and a stranger poked out from the canvas covering of the lorry, while Uncle Charles opened the door at the front and called:

"Hello, kids! Had your sleep out? We've come to your party."

Jake helped him down and he limped over to the house, remarking that he would see them later, while the twins made a great business of introducing the other Lone Piners.