"But do something, Reuben," Peter was yelling. "I'll hold your pony... Go over and get hold of Mr Denton... Tell him we know the boys are inside there and that we're sure they're prisoners."

"In just a little minute..." the gipsy began, and then Penny pulled at Peter's sleeve and dragged her away.

"Look what I've found. It's a way in under the walls. Come on, Peter and Jenny! Crawl in behind me and we'll be the first in after all..."

They crawled along the tunnel and as they came out the other side two men were running across from the house towards the gates. The girls shrank back into the shadows and looked up to see if they could find the lighted window from which Jon had signalled.

"I don't know where we are," Penny cried. "It looks different from inside. Which window was it, Peter?"

While she was speaking there came the sound of breaking glass from their right and the tinkle of the fragments as they broke on the ground beneath.

"Over there," Peter called. "Come on. This way. Don't worry about those men, anyway. They're busy with the gates, I think... There are the boys! Look! We're here, David."

She stopped and pointed to a window that had been just out of sight when they came up from the tunnel. In the moonlight and the red glow of the fire they recognized Tom leaning out of the broken window beside David. Tom had his hand to his mouth and was shouting something.

"Can't hear you!" Jenny called.

"LOOK OUT FOR THE DOG!" David yelled. "LOOK OUT!... RUN!"

They heard that shout above the din outside and the bleating of the sheep nearby, and as they turned they heard above everything the furious bark of the Alsatian that came bounding towards them. Instinctively they began to run, for even Penny was frightened when she saw the great dog's eyes shining in the dark, and the white gleam of his teeth. And while Penny and Jenny ran back towards the tunnel Peter stood her ground and then walked forward confidently to meet the dog.

"It's all right, old boy," she said quietly as she put out her hand. "Here, boy! Come here. Good boy!"

The dog, with lolling tongue, stopped short at the sound of her voice. She spoke to it again gently and held out her hand. The dog sniffed at it, licked it and wagged his tail. Peter put a hand on its head and made a fuss of it, and then slipped her other hand underneath his collar and led him towards her two friends, who were watching wide-eyed.

"He's all right now," Peter said quietly. "He won't touch us, I promise..."

"What about the boys?" Jenny asked; then, "ALL RIGHT, TOM! We're all right!" she yelled up to the broken window. "Peter did something magic. What do you mean? Go over there where you're pointing?"