"I'm going to be with Tom," Jenny said quite simply, and as Tom seemed to have no objection to the job of sentinel, this was soon settled.

Penny had the next adventure. She rode off in the moonlight down the road that the others had chosen for her, whistling cheerfully. This was the first time in her life that she had ever been out at half past two in the morning, and she was enjoying the experience. After a little she came to a steep hill with some trees at the bottom and was freewheeling blithely down this when a car came out of a hidden turning in the shadows and headed up towards her. Penny was so astonished that she put on her brakes too hard and felt the back wheel begin to slide on the slippery road surface. The car seemed to rush up to meet her, and although she wrenched at the handlebars, she felt herself slipping, and then fell in a heap with her bicycle on top of her.

After a moment she sat up and noticed that the car had stopped opposite and that a man was getting out. Suddenly she felt defenceless and afraid and wished that she was not out alone on this absurd adventure. Then, rather cautiously, she looked at the man in front of her and saw that he was studying her, too. He was small, and wearing a soft felt hat with the brim turned down all the way round and a heavy tweed overcoat. He had a rather fierce-looking moustache, which seemed too big for his face, and he was carrying something long under his arm. Suddenly Penny gasped and put a hand to her mouth. The "something" was undoubtedly a gun.

"Who are you?" the man barked suddenly. "Are you hurt? What are you doing out here at this time of night?"

Penny was playing for time. Should she make a dash for it? She gave a rather shaky laugh.

"That's not fair! I can't answer all those questions at once. And I don't like that gun thing."

"Where do you come from?" the little man barked again. "I don't know your face. Come here and let me look at you. What are you doing? Running away?"

Penny felt a lump rise in her throat. She was lonely and defenceless. Then she remembered she was a Lone Piner, swallowed the lump and held her chin high.

"Why should you know my face? Do you live here?"

"Live here? Of course I do. Lived here for fifty years... Now speak up and tell me who you are."

"I will if you will... No! Don't touch me! Keep away! I'm not afraid of you."

A noise came from under the moustache that might have been a laugh.