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go there for the rats and mice. I ve heard them the barn-owls screeching their heads off.
Frighten the life out of you, they do!
I know, said Jack, making up his mind at once that he would go and watch in the quarry. He
liked owls very much. Perhaps he could get a young one and tame it. But he d have to be careful
not to let it see Snoozy the dormouse. That would be the end of Snoozy!
The boys walked off together, exploring the cone-shaped hill. A shout from above attracted their
attention.
Jack! Philip! We re going back in a minute. Are you coming with us, or do you want to follow
sometime later?
We ll come now, shouted Jack, and he and Philip began to climb up towards the others. They
found Gussy awake but scowling. He spat something out of his mouth as they came up.
Manners, manners! said Jack, reprovingly.
He says somebody popped bits of grass into his mouth, said Dinah, with a giggle. So he keeps
on spitting them out. Did you put them in, Jack?
No, said Jack. And Philip didn t either.
There you are! said Dinah, triumphantly, turning to the sulky Gussy. Nobody put anything in
your mouth when you were asleep. You re just making it all up. I bet you chewed a bit of grass
yourself.
I did not, said Gussy. It was a wicket thing to do. It nearly chocked me. I was chocked.
Choked, you mean, said Lucy-Ann. Well, it s a mystery. Nobody did it and yet you were
nearly chocked with grass. Don t spit any more. You can t have any left in your mouth now.
Jack and Philip threw a quick look at one another. They knew quite well who had played this
trick on poor Gussy. Gussy saw the look and rounded on them. You know who did it! I saw you
look!
All right. We know who did it, said Jack. A jolly good trick too. We thought of doing it
ourselves, you looked so silly with your mouth wide open, snoring.
I do not snore, said Gussy. And tell me who did it.
Come on, said Bill. I expect it was old Kiki. She s done it before to me! Can t you see a
joke, Gus?
Gus suddenly exploded into his own language. He stood there, shaking his long hair back, his
face scarlet, and a string of incomprehensible words coming from his mouth. Nobody understood a
thing.
Kiki was intensely interested with this string of what sounded like gibberish. She sat herself on
Jack s shoulder, near to the angry Gus, and listened intently. When he stopped for breath, she
continued on her own.
Gibberollydockeryblowykettlefussy-gussy, she began, and poured out strings of nonsense into
which she wove many of the words she knew, mixed up with ones she didn t! Everyone roared. It
sounded exactly as if Kiki was talking to Gus in his own language.
Gus was silenced. He stared at Kiki, amazed. Does she spik English now? he demanded. What
does she spik?
She s spikking a lot of nonsense, like you! said Jack. Be quiet, Kiki. Don t show off!
Bill and Mrs. Cunningham had already set off down the hill. The girls followed, giggling. Gus
was annoying but he really did provide them with a lot of amusement.
Gus followed them at last, shaking back his long hair defiantly. He spat now and again as if he
still had grass in his mouth, and Kiki copied him with joy, going off into cackles of laughter every
now and again.
It was about half-past five when they got back to Quarry Cottage. If any of you want tea after
that enormous lunch, will you please get yourself a glass of milk, and some biscuits? said Mrs.
Cunningham. Or a bit of fruit-cake if you feel real pangs of hunger?
All the five children apparently felt real pangs, for they raided the larder and reduced the
fruitcake to a mere fragment of itself. They also drank all the milk, much to Mrs. Cunningham s
dismay.
Now we ve none for your cocoa tonight or for breakfast tomorrow! she said.
I ll get some at the farm when I slip up this evening, said Bill. It will be a good excuse to go
up and ask a few questions.
Any mystery on? enquired Dinah. I m never sure about you, Bill! Even in the middle of a
holiday I always wonder if you ve got a hush-hush job on as well.
Mystery or not, Bill always keeps his eyes open! said Philip. It s part of your job, isn t it,
Bill?
Let s play a game, said Dinah. Where are the cards? Let s play Racing Demon. Do you play it,
Gus?
I play it, said Gus. I played it at school last term. I am good with this game. Very good. I go as
fast as this.
He pretended to be putting cards down, and was so vigorous that his hair fell over his eyes. He
pushed it back. He was always doing that, and it got on Dinah s nerves.
Your awful hair! she said. You ought to be a girl.
Now don t start anything, said Jack. A spark is enough to set him off. Talk about being touchy!
Don t glare like that, Gus, you make me shake at the knees!
Poof! said Gus, rudely.
Poof! said Kiki at once. Poof, poof, poof!
That ll do, said Jack. One poofer is quite enough in the family. Got the cards, Di? Oh, good!
They were soon sitting in a ring on the floor, playing Racing Demon. Kiki couldn t understand
the game at all and wandered off into a corner because Jack wouldn t let her pick up any of the
cards.
Poof! they heard her say to herself quietly. Poof!
Surprisingly enough Gussy was good at Racing Demon. He was very deft with his cards, and
very sharp to see which pile he could put them on. He got very excited, and panted loudly. His hair
fell over his eyes, and he pushed it back. Jack calmly put a card on a pile that Gus was just about to
put one on, and Gus exclaimed in annoyance.
I was going to put mine there but my hair fell over me!
Why do you have hair like that then? said Dinah. You look like a girl. Why don t you get it
cut?
Yes, that s a good idea, said Philip, putting a card down. We ll go into the village tomorrow
and see if there s a barber. He ll cut it nice and short for you, Gus. You ll get a crick in your neck,
tossing your hair about like that!
Yes. Good idea! We ll have it cut tomorrow, said Jack, grinning at Gus.
Gus surprised them. He flung down his cards, stood up, and went scarlet in the face. Short hair
is for boys like you, he said, scornfully. It is not for me. Never must I have my hair short. In my
country always it is the custom for such boys as me to wear their hair long!
Such boys as you! echoed Jack. What do you mean? You ve got a very high opinion of
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