"Yes," said Mary. "An' it's a pity you don't take more notice of us, 'cause when you don't you always get in a muddle. Shall we tell them, twin?" she added hurriedly, as she noticed Tom's furious face.

Then Dickie looked at his brother and decided.

"Peter and me made it up one wet afternoon at Christmas. You'd all gone for a walk, but we had colds when she was staying here. We forgot to tell you, I s'pose... ALL RIGHT, DAVID. I'M TELLING YOU, AREN'T I?... ALL RIGHT. Well - it's every third word makes the message. Try it."

So they rushed in for a pencil and wrote out the proper message, which read:

"ALL LONE PINERS COME SEVEN GATES TO STAY FOR WEEK EVERYTHING ARRANGED ASK YOUR MOTHER COME ON BIKES BETTER BRING SALLY AS PACK HORSE GREAT SURPRISE FOR YOU EVERYTHING ALL RIGHT NOW BUT SOME MYSTERY BEARER OF THIS CAN BE TRUSTED PETER P.S. BETTER COME DAY AFTER RECEIVING THIS REUBEN WILL TELL YOU BEST WAY BRING SLEEPING BAGS AND CAMPING GEAR."

When David had written down the last word, he said, "Good old Peter! Isn't she grand, Tom? What a rag if we can fix it. She says ask Mother, so we'd better see if she's got a message, too."

And Mrs. Morton's message was just as exciting, but she refused to talk until the twins were quiet. Then: "Yes, I know all about it, and I don't see why it can't be managed. I've got an invitation for you all here to go and stay with Peter's aunt, Mrs. Caroline Sterling, at Seven Gates. She doesn't say very much, and I must say I think it heroic of her to take you all on, but it's a charming letter, and if you want to go you can... Now can you tell me what Peter says? It was from Peter, wasn't it?"

So David told her all he could, and together they puzzled over the sleeping-bag and camping gear until Mrs. Morton forced from them a reluctant promise that they wouldn't camp out of doors until the weather was better. "NOT the twins, anyhow," she compromised at last.

Poor Tom looked rather rueful.

"I reckon Uncle won't let me go," he said. "Don't see how he could, anyway for a day or two, but I'll come up in the morning and let you know... Anyway, Peter seems more cheerful than she was in the other letter. Reckon I'd like to know what's happened."

Then Mrs. Morton and old Agnes, the housekeeper, began to fuss about packing and the twins' bedtime, but in between all the commotion David and Tom managed to slip out and talk to the friendly gipsies. David asked them how they had met Peter, and Reuben told them.

Then Tom went home to Ingles and David ran in to tell his mother about Peter, but all she said when she heard the story was: