Chapter 17 OFF IN GEORGE'S BOAT
　　Joan was extremely thankful to see them. She had been so worried the night before that if thetelephone wires in the house had been mended, she would most certainly have rung up the police. Asit was, she couldn't telephone, and the night was so dark that she was really afraid of walking all theway down to the village.
　　'I haven't slept all night,' she declared. 'This mustn't happen again, Master Julian. It's worrying me todeath. And now you haven't got George or Timmy. I tell you, if they don't turn up soon I'll takematters into my own hands. I haven't heard from your uncle and aunt either - let's hope they're notlost, too!'
　　She bustled¹ about after this outburst, and was soon frying sausages and tomatoes for them. Theycouldn't wait till they were cooked, and helped themselves to great hunks of bread and butter.
　　'I can't even go and wash till I've had something,' said Anne. 'I'm glad you knew so many short cutsback here, Jo - the way didn't seem nearly so long as when we came by bus.'
　　It had really been amazing to see the deft², confident manner in which Jo had taken them home,through fields and little narrow paths, over stiles and across allotments. She was never once at a loss.
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　　They had arrived not long after Joan had got up, and she had almost cried with surprise and reliefwhen she had seen them walking up the front path.
　　'And a lot of dirty little tatterdemalions you looked,' she said, as she turned their breakfast out on to abig dish. 'And still do, for that matter. I'll get the kitchen fire going for a bath for you. You might allbe sister and brothers to that ragamuffin Jo.'
　　Jo didn't mind remarks of this sort at all. She chewed her bread and grinned. She wolfed the breakfastwith no manners at all - but the others were nearly as bad, they were so hungry!
　　'It's a spade and trowel you want for your food this morning, not a knife and fork,' said Joan,disapprovingly. 'You're just shovelling³ it in. No, I can't cook you any more, Master Julian.
　　There's not a sausage left in the house nor a bit of bacon either. You fill up with toast andmarmalade.'
　　The bath water ran vigorously after breakfast. All four had baths. Jo didn't want to, but Joan ran afterher with a carpet beater, vowing⁴ and declaring she would beat the dust and dirt out of her if she didn'tbath. So Jo bathed, and quite enjoyed it.

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