"Those twins! Just think what they're going to say when they find out we've deserted them. Where's Peter?"

"Gone for Sally," David said. "We're going to meet on the bridge. Come on. Let's get out of here."

Jenny's teeth were chattering again as they got on their bicycles and glided silently down the still moonlit street to the bridge. While they waited for Peter she stood close to Tom, and if for a moment she laid her cheek against the rough tweed of his coat-sleeve nobody noticed. She was not really scared and was grateful for being included in the party, but she had made up her mind that she was not going to leave Tom for anything or anybody. Tom seemed to understand, for as the clip-clop of Sally's hooves came nearer he looked down at her and said, "We'll stick together, Jen."

At the top of the hill where the houses stopped they stood under the signpost and made their plans.

"We'll all meet here in two hours' time if we can," David said. "I think that's the best scheme. Peter is going on her own to Denton's because she'll be quicker on Sally than we shall on bikes. I suppose the rest of us had better split up and explore as much as we can, keeping a good look-out for anybody suspicious or for that van."

Tom interrupted, "You can split as much as you like, but Jenny and me aren't splitting!"

"I think the best idea," Penny said, "is for those of us with bikes to go together much farther down this lane till we come to the cross-roads we struck this afternoon where four roads meet. Some of us can stay on guard there and the rest can take it in turns to go off on bikes and keep a good look-out. Isn't that a better scheme than all meeting here, which is really too near the town?"

Jon patted her on the back.

"Smart, bright little Newpenny!"

She smiled at him as Peter said, "Of course. That's a brainwave. Agreed, David?"

"Rather! Let's go."

The moon was high in the sky and every trace of the evening's mist had gone, but it was bitterly cold.

"Just think," Tom said ten minutes later as he let his cycle fall on the frosty grass at the foot of the signpost. "Just think that we might all be in bed. I was wondering just now, when I thought my ears had fallen off, how it was that Peter has persuaded us all to do this... What do we do now, David?"

David blew on his fingers.

"I thought you two girls might stay here on guard while we three went on a bit farther and then split up if we came to a likely path or saw a farmhouse."

"You're wrong," Penny said. "I don't want to be split, and I'll freeze to death if I stay here. I'm coming with whoever is on the attacking party."