Miss Pepper and Diana came back in an hour’s time, looking depressed.
“We can’t get a car anywhere in the village,” said Miss Pepper. “So we telephoned the nearest town, and somebody is going to try there for us. I do hope we shan’t have to take some old crock that will break down half-way home! I’m really not very good at driving cars I don’t know.”
Their caravan was set on a heathery hill, just off the road, not far from a farm-house. The farmer had given them permission to stay on the hill—and, about three o’clock that afternoon, the three saw him coming up to their caravan.
“Oh dear—I hope he’s not going to turn us off!” said Miss Pepper in a fright.
The farmer came slowly up to where they were all sitting outside the caravan, his dog at his heels.
“Good afternoon, Ma’am,” he said, in his pleasant country voice. “There be a message come for you, sent to my farm-house by the post office. Telegram it be.”
He held out the orange telegram and Miss Pepper took it, suddenly frightened. She tore it open and read it. Then she looked round at the two waiting children, puzzled.
“Listen,” she said, “it says, ‘Wait till you see us to-night. Barney’.”
“Wait till you see us to-night!” echoed Diana, and her face suddenly lighted up. “Oh, Miss Pepper! Barney and his father must have heard about Auntie Pat’s accident, and how Mummy had to go to her, leaving us here! And they’re coming here to-night! Oh, how wonderful!”
“They must have heard the message on the radio last night, when we did!” said Roger. “And they rang the Hillsley telephone number and found out what was happening. Miss Pepper! Everything will be all right now! Barney’s father will arrange about a car and everything. Oh, thank goodness!”
Diana gave a long sigh of relief, and her heart suddenly lightened. Barney was coming—and his nice father. Now things would soon be settled for them. Perhaps they could go and stay with Barney?
“Thank you,” said Miss Pepper to the farmer, and he nodded, and left, his dog still at his heels.
“Wait till you see us to-night!” said Diana, quoting the telegram again. “That must mean that they are driving straight to us, wherever they are—and must be rather far away, or they would arrive before to-night. Good old Barney! Now we can just sit back and not worry.”
“You two had better go down to the river and have a bathe,” said Miss Pepper. “It’s so hot to-day. I won’t come with you, because someone had better stay with the caravan. Go along now, and have a good swim. It will do you good.”
So off went Roger and Diana, feeling considerably happier because of Barney’s telegram. How good it was to have friends—how very very good!
“We shall see dear little Miranda too,” said Diana happily. “The best thing about animals is that they don’t seem to change, as human beings do! Miranda must have looked the same ever since she was a year old!”
They had a long bathe, and then lay in the warm heather to dry. They were hungry when they got back to the caravan. “Any news of Barney yet? Or another telegram?” asked Roger. Miss Pepper shook her head.
“No—but Barney said ‘to-night’ in his telegram, you know. We shall have to wait in patience. I’m sure they must be down in Cornwall, or up in the north of Scotland, or in the Welsh mountains—somewhere quite far away from here, anyway.”
“I’m not going to bed till they come,” said Roger firmly.
“I can’t really expect you to!” said Miss Pepper. “But I hope it’s before twelve o’clock!”
The evening drew on, and the sun began to sink low down in the west. At every far-off sound of a car going by on the distant road, the three of them stiffened and listened—but car after car purred by in the distance, and not one stopped, or came in their direction.
Then at last, just as it was getting really dark, the sound of a car jolting over the rough road to the old farm-house came to their ears. “That must be Barney!” said Diana in excitement. They listened anxiously.
The car stopped—and then, a few minutes later they heard it starting up again in the silence of the evening. It was coming over the rough track that led to them!
“It’s Barney! It must be!” cried Roger, leaping up. “The villagers must have sent them to the farm, and the farmer has told them where we are. Barney! Barney! Barney!”
An answering shout came to their ears. “Hey! We’re coming! The track’s rough, though!”
Soon a big car came to a stop beside the caravan, and a tall figure leapt out; Roger and Diana ran to meet it—and to greet dear old Barney, with little Miranda the monkey on his shoulder, chattering excitedly.
“Hallo, hallo!” cried Barney, and hugged both Diana and Roger. “Sorry to be so long coming—we were right away in Scotland! Heard the news on the radio last night, of course, and telephoned to your mother at Hillsley. How are you?”
“Oh, Barney, it’s so lovely to have you,” said Diana. “We simply didn’t know what to do when Mummy had to go off and leave us. Is that your father getting out of the car now?”
“Yes. We can leave everything to him,” said Barney, very happy to be with his friends again. “Every single thing! He’s got a marvellous plan. Hallo, Miss Pepper! Isn’t this a surprise?”
“It certainly is,” said Miss Pepper. “Ah, here’s your father! Good evening—it is good of you to come to us like this!”
“We’ll soon fix up some plans,” said Barney’s father, shaking hands. “Sorry about this trouble. Let’s go into that fine caravan of yours and talk.”
And in they all went, Miranda the monkey too, chattering loudly, leaping from one shoulder to another and making Roger and Diana laugh in glee. Good old Barney—dear little Miranda—it really was wonderful to see them again!
CHAPTER FOUR
A WONDERFUL IDEA
It seemed quite a crowd in the little caravan. Miss Pepper lighted the safety-lamp, and they all looked at one another, blinking. Barney’s brilliant blue eyes shone as he looked round at everyone. He was as brown as a berry, as usual, and his grin just as wide as ever!
His father spoke to Miss Pepper. “We rang up again to-night to see how Mrs. Lynton’s sister was, and she is just a little better—and will certainly recover well now—but it will take time.”
“Thank goodness it’s better news,” said Miss Pepper. “It was such a terrible shock last night. I am so glad to see you, Mr. Martin—I really was worried about what to do for the best.”
“Well, don’t worry any more,” said Mr. Martin. “What I propose is that I should hitch my car on to your caravan and... ”
“And take us home?” said Roger. “But our house is shut up, Mr. Martin!”
“Yes, I know that,” said Barney’s father. “And I know too that it must be a great disappointment to you, to have your three weeks’ holiday broken up—so I think that if you all joined Barney—or let him join you, which ever way you like to put it—that would solve your difficulties.”
“You mean—we could have your car to drive the caravan about?” asked Miss Pepper. “Oh dear—if you mean me to drive it, Mr. Martin, I’m afraid I couldn’t.