And when the twins were balanced precariously on the top bar of the gate looking over David's shoulder the envelope bearing the familiar silhouette of the Lone Pine was opened. On a sheet of paper torn from a common pad was an unintelligible jumble of words. There was no address and no date, and this is what they read:

"SAUCEPANS AND ALL EGGS AND LONE EVERY DAY PINERS MUST EXCEL COME YESTERDAY THEN SEVEN EIGHT MARJORIE GATES TOO MUST TO AFTER ALL STAY AND THEN FOR HIS FIRST WEEK DON'T GUESS EVERYTHING BUT SEE ARRANGED AND THEN ASK UNCLE JACK YOUR OF THE MOTHER MUST BE COME WITH US ON BETTER NOT BIKES AND BETTER BETTER THEN TO BRING THEODORE OLIVER SALLY ALSO COMES AS EVERYONE MUST PACK FOR EVERY HORSE ANOTHER DAYS GREAT AHEAD OF SURPRISE FOR YOU FOR KENNETH AND YOU BECAUSE SEEN EVERYTHING MUST BE ALL ON THE RIGHT LINES BEFORE NOW BUT CHARLES BUT AGAIN THEN SOME HAVE SOLVED MYSTERY EVEN IF BEARER FORGETS WHICH OF THEN ALL THIS TANK BUSTER CAN ALWAYS HOPE BE SITTING UP TRUSTED OVER HEADS PETER AGAIN THEN P.S. ALWAYS INTERRUPTED BETTER EVEN TO COME THEN NEXT DAY BEFORE WE AFTER EVEN COMING RECEIVING WITHOUT DOUBT THIS OLD FAITHFUL REUBEN MUST AND WILL NEVER OVERLOOK TELL SO MANY YOU STILL HOPE BEST OLD METHOD WAY TO ALWAYS BRING AWAKE OR SLEEPING EVEN RICHARD BAGS TRUNKS BAGS AND WHEN SCOUTS CAMPING BEFORE THEY GEAR."

They looked at it in horror.

"Gosh!" said Tom with a whistle. "Poor kid! She's gone crackers. Just look at it! Why - it's not even sense."

"Silly, I call it," was Mary's comment. "Why does she do it like that, David?... You're her special friend. You tell us."

Then Dickie fell off the gate in excitement, and because no one seemed to notice it he was furious.

"You silly, selfish old beasts, all of you... An' stupid, too. Yes, silly! You think you know everything, but you don't... And you didn't even notice when I fell off here and jolly nearly killed myself... 'Course I know you're sorry, Mary, aren't you?"

Mary nodded and slipped off the gate. Dickie whispered to her, and then they strolled over towards the caravan.

"Blowed if I know what to make of it, Tom," David said ruefully. "It's silly, and of course it's from Peter, but what she's up to I don't know."

Tom took it out of his hand. "It's a code, I expect," he said. "But we haven't got one, have we? We talked of it once, I know, but never fixed it... What's the matter with those kids? They're giggling as if they knew something. Hi! Dickie! Come here."

The twins strolled over casually.

"Acksherly," said Dickie proudly, "we know all about this message. You don't know, but we know. Acksherly,

Peter must have meant it for us, but just put the name on the envelope wrong."