Chapter 9
　　MOONLIGHT ADVENTURE
　　The four of them rode carefully down the rough, woodland path. They were glad when they came outinto a lane. Julian stopped for a moment to take his bearings.
　　'Now - according to the map, we ought to go to the right here - then take the left at the fork some waydown, and then circle a hill by the road at the bottom - and then ride a mile or two in a little valley tillwe come to the foot of Owl¹'s Hill.'
　　'If we meet anyone we could ask them about Owl's Dene,' said Anne, hopefully.
　　'We shan't meet anyone out at night in this district!' said Julian. 'For one thing it's far from anyvillage, and there will be no farmer, no policeman, no traveller for miles! We can't hope to meetanyone.'
　　The moon was up, and the sky cleared as they rode down the lane. It was soon as bright as day!
　　'We could switch off our lamps and save the batteries,' said Julian. 'We can see quite well we're out ofthe woods and in the moonlight. Rather weird², isn't it?'
　　'I always think moonlight's queer, because although it shines so brightly on everything, you can neversee much colour anywhere,' said Anne. She switched off her lamp too. She glanced down at Timmy.
　　'Switch off your head-lamps, Timmy!' she said, which made Richard give a sudden giggle³. Juliansmiled. It was nice to hear Anne being cheerful again.
　　'Timmy's eyes are rather like head-lamps, aren't they?' said Richard. 'I say - what about that food,Julian?'
　　'Right,' said Julian, and he fished in his basket. But it was very difficult to get it out with one hand,and try to hand it to the others.
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　　'Better stop for a few minutes, after all,' he said at last. 'I've already dropped a hard-boiled egg, Ithink! Come on - let's stack our bikes by the side of the road for three minutes, and gulp⁴ downsomething just to satisfy us for now.'
　　Richard was only too pleased. The girls were so hungry that they too thought it a good idea.
　　They leapt off their bicycles in the moonlit road and went to the little copse at the side. It was a pine-copse, and the ground below was littered with dry brown pine-needles.
　　'Let's squat⁵ here for a minute or two,' said Julian. 'I say - what's that over there?'

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