As he leaned his bicycle against a fence, Dickie said, "I think I'm crippled for ever... Stand still, Mary, and tell me if you feel what I feel. Although I'm standing still now it seems as if my legs are still going round and round on the pedals... It's all very peculiar."

Mary stood still and shut her eyes for a moment.

"I don't get it the same," she said at last. "I just feel my legs are going to drop off!"

They walked to the platform and the twins smiled sweetly at a young porter who was staring at them in amazement.

"None of that now," David muttered. "Just keep yourselves to yourselves, as Agnes says. I'm going to ask if the Warrenders' bikes have come, and you needn't all come into the parcels office with me either."

"Well the bikes are here - I just hope the Warrenders haven't missed the train," David muttered as he rejoined them. "What shall we do if they have? I don't think those kids ought to cycle any further, anyway."

"I expect there's a bus they could catch," Jenny replied, "and they could go on that, anyway, if the man would take their bikes in the luggage compartment. I'll go with them if you like... David, tell me about Peter's Romany whistle."

"I don't know much about the whistle really, except that Reuben and Miranda and Fenella gave it to her and told her that if ever she was in trouble and blew the whistle, then any Romany in earshot would come to her help."

"Why did they give the whistle to her?" Jenny persisted.

"Don't you know, Jenny? I thought you did. If I tell you, you must promise that you'll never tell Peter that I told you. Promise? Peter did the bravest thing I have ever known. She stopped the caravan you saw to-day when the horse was bolting down a hill towards her. Fenella was alone on the driving-seat. Anyway, she saved Fenella's life and the gipsies will never forget it... Here comes the train..."

The long train slid slowly to a standstill, but before it had stopped, David saw Jon's head, with Penny's red one just behind it, looking anxiously out of an open window.

"Hi!" he yelled. "Here we are!" and rushed up the platform.

Jon, with his slow smile, was first out and then turned to help Penny, who, in her haste and excitement, flung her rucksack out on to the platform and pushed her suitcase out after it. Then she jumped out herself, tripped over the luggage and fell against David.

"Oh, David!" she said as she clutched his arm, "it's just marvellous to be here at last. I'm sick of trains after to-day, but now we're really here nothing else matters. How are you all?"