"I knew that a Mrs. Thurston had taken the place, and we just went down for a rag and a drink of water. She was rather a horrid-looking woman - smart, with black hair and a bright red mouth, and always smoking, and she had a beastly manservant called Jacob. Anyway, she gave us a jolly good tea, and then took us home in her car just after we'd heard an owl hooting. Oh! I forgot to tell you the Mortons had a little black Scottie dog called Macbeth. He hated Mrs. Thurston as soon as he saw her and wouldn't go in the house.

"Then there was another boy called Tom who had come to help his uncle, Mr. Ingles, on the farm, and he joined up with us and we founded a secret society that I can't tell you about, and made a secret camp too.

"Then all sorts of odd things began to happen, and it seemed that the country was full of strangers. One day Mrs. Thurston walked over to call on Mrs. Morton, and Mary saw her kick the dog when she thought nobody else was looking. Then the twins had a terrific adventure. They found an R.A.F. pilot in the secret place, and he said he was Mrs. Thurston's nephew home on leave, and would they guide him over the hill to Appledore. When they got to the top of the Mynd they met Mrs. Thurston, who didn't recognize her nephew at all. Dickie and Mary went down with them to Appledore - I think that was because they were a bit frightened of coming home to a first-class bust up - and then I believe Jacob scared them and they ran away.

When they got to the top of the Mynd, the fog came down like it often does, and they had no idea where they were. Very sensibly they tried to walk downhill to find Appledore again, but got lost in the woods. Then they heard an aeroplane very low and then an owl hooting.

Old Jacob found them eventually, and together they answered a call for help, and discovered a man who had hurt his ankle, with a parachute still on him. He said he was a British officer practising for landing in Germany, and then Jacob led them all down to Appledore. Mrs. Thurston wouldn't take the twins home, but locked them into a bedroom. It was that same day that David came over to Hatchholt, and we saw Mrs. Thurston skulking about and taking photographs of the dam... I think I told you that Daddy had to look after this dam, didn't I, and that that's where we live?"

Margaret hugged her knees. "Yes! Yes!" she said excitedly.