ate it in soup-plates, with a great deal of juice, into which they
dropped their bread.

Suddenly old Kink, who had been eating steadily for a quarter of an
hour just outside the circle, stepped up to what we may call the
supper-table, with his watch in his hand.

"Miss Janet," he said, "there's only a quarter of an hour to get to
Woodstock to send off the telegram."

Janet looked at the official telegraphist in alarm. "Oh, Bobbie," she
said, "how dreadful if we had missed it! You must simply run!"

Robert sprang to his feet in a moment.

"Give me a shilling," he said. "I'll make it up as I go along. Keep
some tinned pears for me."

"I'll come too," said Jack, and off they bolted.

They reached the post-office just in time to despatch this message:

"Avory Gables Chiswick just finished glorious brisket all well love."

On their return Robert and Jack found washing-up in full swing, and
were not sorry to be able to eat their pears in comfort and watch the
others being busy.

The light was now going fast; the bats flitted over their heads, and
there was no sound save the talking and clattering of the washers-up
and the grinding of Diogenes's teeth on the brisket bone. Various
projects for spending the last hours of the day had been talked of, but
now that it was here no one seemed to have the slightest energy left
either to walk into Blenheim Park or cross the three or four fields to
Blackett's. In fact, they wanted but one thing, and that was to creep
into their very novel beds and see what it was like to sleep like
gipsies.

Everything was therefore put ready for breakfast. A last load of wood
was brought for the fire, Diogenes was transferred to the long rope
which enabled him to range all round the camp, and Kink said good night
and trudged off to the village inn.

And so the first night began.

Gregory was a little fractious for a while, considering it an indignity
to be sleeping in the caravan instead of with the men; but he was no
sooner tucked into his berth than he fell asleep and forgot the insult.
The girls were also very soon on their little shelves, either sleeping
or drowsily enjoying the thought of sleep; but Robert and Jack and
Horace did not hurry. The fire was still warm, and they huddled round
it with Diogenes, and talked, and listened to Moses crunching the
grass, and made plans for the morrow. Then at last they carried the
sheeting and the rugs to the tent, and crept into their sacks