'I don't know, I'm sure. Gone off somewhere by themselves, and I came to meet you with Hamish. I think you might have let me come with you.' 'Don't be a little silly, Tricksy,' said Reggie irritably; 'you are too little to go all that distance.' 'Too little!' cried Tricksy, exasperated; 'I'm not too little to be sent messages for the others, and I'm not too little to dig in the garden and carry stones for the Pirates' Den; I'm only too little when it's a jolly piece of fun that you want to keep to yourselves. Oh, Laddie, dear,' to the dog who had jumped up and was licking her face, 'you are the only nice ones, you and Hamish'--and she threw her arms round the collie's neck to hide a tear. 'Don't lick my face though,' she added, with a change of manner that forced a laugh even from the tired and weary adventurers. 'You haven't shown them what you found, Tricksy,' said Hamish. 'No,' said Tricksy, 'neither I have,' and she fumbled in her pocket and drew out a crumpled paper which she gave to Allan. Her brother looked at it. 'What's this?' he said. 'I don't understand.' 'Look at the number, Allan, and the date,' said Hamish. Allan examined the paper; then flushed to the ears. 'Tricksy, you little owl,' he burst out; 'to think of you going on about your potty little feelings and wounded dignity and all that when you had _this_ to show us.' CHAPTER X IN WHICH ALLAN IS VERY WISE 'I--I--I didn't know,' stammered poor Tricksy. 'What is it?' cried the others, pressing round to look. 'It's one of the orders that were stolen,' said Allan. 'Tell them where you found it, Tricksy,' said Hamish. 'It was in the box-room, where the spare coats and the fishing baskets are kept,' said Tricksy. 'I went to see if Reggie's knife was in the pocket of his old great-coat, and when I pulled it off the shelf this fluttered down.' 'Well,' said Allan, while the others were dumb with astonishment, 'this beats me altogether. It wasn't _we_ who were the thieves!' Every one looked at the order, and turned it round, and examined the back of it, but there was no clue to the mystery. 'Let's go and have a thorough search of the box-room,' said Marjorie; 'who knows what we may bring to light.' 'Take my pony, Tricksy,' said Reggie considerately. 'Those who haven't ponies will have to walk. Don't begin the search until we are all there!' When the walkers reached Ardnavoir they found the others standing guard at the door of the box-room. 'Now!' said Marjorie, throwing open the door; and they all burst in. All the garments were taken down from the shelves and unfolded and shaken, but nothing was to be found. Every pocket was turned out; but the contents were only pebbles, and bits of string, and pieces of dried seaweed. All the fishing baskets were opened and peeped into, and turned upside down and shaken, but without result.