David Morton was leaning against the gnarled trunk of a hawthorn tree whittling at a stick with a big knife. He looked up and smiled as Peter came into sight.

"Hello, Peter!" he said. "You look like a fire station or a pillar-box! That jersey is terrific."

She laughed, pleased at his noticing, then asked, "What are we going to do to-day? How are the twins?"

"Awful," David replied, answering the last question first as he swung along by her side. "They're much worse since they were separated in term-time..."

"Time we had another adventure, David," she said. "However irritating the twins may be, they're good when we have an adventure... David! We must get Tom and try and fix something up, and we must get Jenny over from Barton Beach before the holidays are over... Do you realize we're nearly half-way through them?"

David nodded. "I know. The club should be doing something. Trouble is that Tom is kept busy and Jenny can hardly get here and back again in a day."

"I know things are difficult for Jenny," Peter nodded, "and you've never liked her much, David, but she is a member. I like her. She's fun, and I believe she'd come over even for a day if we asked her."

"Jenny's all right, I know," David said, "but she either makes me laugh or makes me mad."

"Anyway, let's try and arrange a meeting of the club soon, and if we can't make an adventure perhaps one will happen to us... If not, ask Dickie and Mary to make one for us... They will!"

"I tell you what would be fun, Peter. I wish we could have Jon and Penny Warrender up here for a bit."

"Yes," Peter said without enthusiasm, for she had yet to forget how disappointed she had been to miss the adventure at Rye. (See The Gay Dolphin Adventure.)

"Trouble is," David went on quite unaware of Peter's feelings, "that we've no room for them at Witchend, and you can't put them up at Hatchholt, and there's no place where they could stay in Onnybrook... They're keen to join the Lone Piners, and I know you'd like them, Peter."

"I'm sure I should," she said as coldly as before, and then, suddenly sorry for her stupid jealousy, she said, "Let's talk it over with the others and see if there's some way of asking them up here for a week. Your father and mother know Mrs Warrender, don't they?"

They had crossed the Dark Hollow valley now and were within sight of Witchend. Sally automatically turned up a lane.

"Hello, twins," Peter called as she recognized the two figures sitting on the top bar of the gate. "Hi, Mackie."