"They be just getting her ready in case she be wanted," he explained. "There's no trouble yet, but it'll be a dirty night with tide at the full."

"Is that why you've pulled all the fishing boats right up the beach?" Penny yelled, and the old man nodded. "Highest tide o' year tonight," he agreed. "There'll be trouble tonight surely."

Then Penny felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see an agitated Slinky behind her. He looked most unhappy and his suit was becoming marked by the rain and spray and his voice was shrill and peevish.

"Come quickly please, Miss Penny. This is no place to wait. It is cold and wet and Miss Ballinger is anxious to be off."

Penny looked him up and down.

"And what if she is? We don't have to do what she wants, do we? It's Mrs. Warrender's car, not hers... We'll come in a minute, but the twins want to see the lifeboat."

At this Mr. Grandon looked almost scared.

"I know, I know, Miss Penny. But I am afraid of the weather and I think we should go and you will come, please?"

Penny relented and dragged the protesting twins back to the car. Not much was said on the road. Once or twice the children noticed that Miss Ballinger made some remark in an undertone to Slinky, but the noise of the wind and the engine was too great for them to hear.

Just before they reached Winchelsea, Penny leaned forward and said:

"Please will you stop at the phone box. I just want to ring up Mrs. Warrender and tell her that we'll be with you for tea. She'll be worried if we're not back when we said."

Miss Ballinger did not answer, so Penny asked again.

"No need to telephone now, my dear. We'll only waste time. Let's get on as quickly as we can and then you'll be home more quickly in the end."

"We've jolly well got to telephone," Dickie said loudly. "You can't stop us... Penny wants to ring up... Please stop, Mr. Grandon..."

But Slinky did not, or would not, hear, and by now they were through the town and rushing down the hill under the Strand Gate to the level marshlands. The twins both turned to look at Penny and saw that she looked rather white under her freckles. Mary felt for the bigger girl's hand and gave it a squeeze, while Dickie whispered, "What shall we do? Shall we murder them both?"

Penny, who felt scared for the first time, shook her head silently and wondered how stupid she had been to try and tackle this adventure without the others.