"Wait here a sec," David said, "and let's make sure that the coast is clear. It would spoil everything if they saw us."

It was nearly dusk now and the wind was stronger and colder than ever. They crouched down in the heather at the edge of the trees and watched to see if any sign of life came from the house. But there was no sight nor sound of any living thing.

"There's only one way to do this job, I reckon," said Tom, "and that's to crawl, one by one, through the heather on the right of the path and get down into that big ditch that runs by the walls... If we can crawl along the ditch to where the track sort of stops it going any further - as if it was a bridge, you know - then maybe we could hide there."

"How shall we spread the glass without being seen through that little spyhole?" David asked. "And do you think one of us ought to wait in the wood?"

"We'll take the bottles down with us and smash 'em up in the ditch and then throw the bits up out of the ditch on to the track and hope for the best... Maybe one of you two ought to wait in the wood. Better decide among yourselves. I'm going to start crawling down now, and we must be careful not to be seen... Cheerio!" And with that Tom left them looking blankly at each other.

"Well," Jon said, "that's that! I didn't know Tom decided things for himself in this club."

"Neither did I," David agreed. "He's never been quite like that before. He didn't seem very keen on the adventure when we started, but now he's quite excited."

"Listen, David," said Jon, "I still think it's a good idea for one of us to stay up here. Whoever stays may have the chance to come down on the back of the lorry as it comes under the trees; and, anyway, suppose you two manage to get inside those gates and don't appear again - there ought to be someone outside to go for help."

David looked serious. "I hadn't thought of it that way. This is a crazy idea, you know, Jon, and we must remember the time so as to be getting back to meet the girls. I'd forgotten all about them."

"So had I," Jon agreed, "but we've got to go through with this now. It's too good a scheme to miss. Now let's toss for who goes with Tom."

David won.

"If a lorry or car hasn't come in half an hour," he said, "we'll come back here and make for Clun and try the same trick another day. Do you agree?"