"Well, we must get going," David said, glaring at the twins. "Good-bye, Mr. and Mrs. Ingles. 'Bye, Tom. You've got the address. Better send a wire to let us know when you're coming. 'Bye, all," and he pushed his bicycle to the grass verge, leading the protesting Sally behind him. "Come on, you two," he muttered fiercely. "You'd better go first. Straight up the hill and then turn right."

They breasted the hill and turned west along a well-made road. Progress was slow because of the difficulty of leading Sally, and they had to take frequent rests and at each halt Dickie demanded food.

After an hour's travelling they came to a village and the twins were left in charge of Sally while David went into the Post Office and sent Peter rather an expensive telegram, which read: "Expedition under way pack horse difficult meet at Devil's Chair today Lone Pine."

Not long after this halt they came to the lane of which Reuben had told them. Now they had their backs to the Long Mynd and the black rocks on the summit of Stiperstones in front of them took clearer shape. Sally was behaving better now, but David was very tired of leading her and the twins were usually about a quarter of a mile ahead. When at last he came to the "Hope Anchor" inn, it was to find Dickie and Mary already seated on a bench outside in the sun entertaining a rosy-faced woman who was wearing a print apron. In the hand of each twin was a half-full glass, and on the ground were two ginger-beer bottles.

As David came up it was to hear Dickie saying:

"This is our brother we were telling you about. If you ask him he will pay for the ginger-beer!"

The woman looked up and smiled.

"Well, I was surprised when I saw them come into the bar as bold as bold and say 'Two ginger pops, please, and our brother'll pay,' they said. "And maybe you'd be enjoying a ginger-beer yourself, young sir?" she finished.

David said he would, and added, "And may we put the pony in your field just for a bit? We shan't be here long, but we'd like to eat our sandwiches out here in the sun if we may."

So the pack-horse was relieved of her burden and put out to grass while Dickie was, at long last, saved from starvation. When they had finished their sandwiches the sun had disappeared behind heavy thundery clouds and the air had become very still and heavy.

The woman came out again and chatted to them.

"Where'm you all going today?" she asked. "Weather going to be bad, I reckon. Thunder, I wouldn't be surprised. Better not go too far!"

When David told her that they were on their way to friends on the other side of the mountain and were meeting at the Devil's Chair, she looked surprised.