When the meal was over and they had helped Agnes to clear away, Jon beckoned Peter and David into the lounge.

"Hope I'm not being a nuisance," he said as he polished his glasses, "but I wanted to catch you two and specially Peter."

"Whatever for?" Peter said.

"Well," he said quietly, "I wanted to ask you both if you'd let Penny and me be members of this secret club of yours. Of course, Peter, you may not think you know us well enough yet but we thought it would be a grand way to start this holiday if we could get it over this morning."

"Of course we'd love to have you and Penny. It's why we asked you up here anyway..." smiled Peter. "Do you two mind waiting here for a bit and we'll send you a messenger when we're ready for you?"

Ten minutes later the Lone Piners passed down Clun's main street towards Castle Hill. The twins, side by side, and in step, led the way with Mackie at their heels. Peter walked between the two boys while Jenny danced round the party until David complained that she was making him giddy. They climbed the hill until they were actually in the shadow of the mighty walls of the keep, and then Dickie said:

"This place is HQ, Three. One is our own Lone Pine at home. HQ, Two is the barn at Seven Gates, and right in this old castle is HQ, Three... Who's going to fetch up those two and blindfold 'em and lead them here, David? Don't let's waste time."

Before he could answer, David sensed that someone was trying to attract his attention and turned to see Jenny gazing at him soulfully.

"Let me do Penny, David?" she pleaded. "I'll never ask you for anything again if you'll only let me go and blind-fold her and bring her here."

"All right," David laughed. "You go first, Jenny, and then the twins can bring Jon."

And in this way the Warrenders were made members of the Lone Pine Club. The messenger sent back first to Keep View was Dickie, who strutted, a little breathless, into the hall and called:

"I got a message for you, Jon and Penny!"

When they appeared Dickie took a deep breath and said what he had been told to say as quickly as possible.

"If you want to be proper sworn members of our secret club now is your last chance to say 'Yes' or 'No' or forever hold your peace - do you say 'Yes' or 'No'...?"

Here he paused and eyed Jon sternly just in case the bigger boy had the temerity to smile. But Jon's face as he looked down at Dickie was serious and he nodded slowly as he said:

"The answer is 'Yes' for me, Richard."

Dickie blinked at the "Richard" and turned to Penny, who hurriedly composed her face.

"Yes for me too, please," she said demurely.