He went forward a few steps and noticed a little track running sideways up the bank, and realized that it must have been by this way that Slinky had reached the mill. He had been facing in the direction of Winchelsea, Jon remembered, so if he was both quick and quiet he ought to be able to run across the open space just ahead where the lane finished and hide on the opposite side of the mill. Even as he dashed from the shelter of the lane that had proved to be such a good friend, he wondered if he could hide under the ruin, for he now saw that it was built above the level of the ground and supported on great stone blocks. There ought to be room for him to wriggle underneath, although it did not look very inviting! As he ran across the open he was buffeted by the full force of the wind and realized that he was on one of the most exposed places for many miles around, but he reached the shelter of the mill, dropped to his knees and peered underneath. Against the light on the other side he could see Slinky's thin black trouser-legs flapping in the breeze. Then, bravely overcoming his aversion, he began to crawl over the filthy rubbish that had collected here through the years.

It was not at all pleasant; and he had only covered two or three yards before he realized that he would not be able to see Slinky's visitor, nor would he be able to overhear their conversation because of the noise made by the wind as it whistled under the ruin and tore through the broken woodwork above him. As he backed out on hands and knees he decided that all he could do now was to creep round the mill in the hope that he could hide near enough to Slinky and his visitor to hear their conversation. There would almost certainly be a door into the mill somewhere, but he could not remember whether Mr. Grandon had been standing by it when he had watched him over the bank just now. He began to edge his way round very cautiously and felt the great ruin groan and sway under his hand as it was struck by the full force of the wind. Then he came to a doorway and to some broken steps which led up to another hole in the wooden walls above his head. He guessed that there was a "first floor" to the mill and that this would make an ideal hiding-place for him.