Jenny's shadowed eyes were wide in her pale little face, and she did not even smile when the others laughed again. Jenny was always mixing the many dramatic stories which she loved with life itself, but before Mr Cantor could answer the door opened again and Mrs Denton and Agnes returned to lead them over to the loaded table.

In one of the few lulls in the buzz of conversation Dickie was heard to say, "It's funny, and it's nice, but we always seem to finish an adventure with a good feed... Do you remember that mighty feast in H.Q.2 at 'Seven Gates', twin?"

Mary nodded happily and whispered back, "Don't let the others know or let Agnes see, but I can't acksherly stop yawning. Being sleepy is awful when you're so hungry."

At last nobody could eat or drink any more, and even Mrs Denton and Agnes, who had been so busy looking after everybody else, had had something themselves. Agnes, with her flock safe and home again and with the twins by her side, was at peace. Mrs Denton looked down the table at her son, now lighting his pipe, and was content. The Lone Piners had each other and had made some new friends as well, but it was Penny who spoke up and spoke for them all when she said:

"Mr Cantor! Please, we're all waiting to hear what you've got to tell us about this adventure and about the men in 'Grey Walls', and whether you've really caught them all and how long they've been in that house and-"

"Stop!" Mr Cantor smiled. "Go easy, girl. One thing at a time, but I promise I'll tell you all everything I can presently... You've got to remember that there's plenty I don't know... It seems that you all split up last night, which was sensible enough, and it seems that you all got into 'Grey Walls' somehow, but who was first?"

"I think we were," David said. "Jon came down the hill on the back of the van and I joined him when the tyre burst... Of course, Tom was in this, too, but he'd gone off on his own."

"Right," Mr Cantor said. "We'll deal with Tom presently... Will you tell us everything that happened to you two, then, David?"

Between them, Jon and David started their story.

"... It was rather grim lying on the filthy floor of that van in the dark and wondering when we were going to be caught," David was saying, "I don't know how Jon felt, but-"

"Awful!" Jon said. "I don't think I've ever felt so terrified as when we realized we were really inside and the dog started to bark."