Chapter 4 DOWN IN THE COVE¹
　　The first three days at Tremannon Farm were lazy, uneventful days, full of sunshine, good food, dogs- and of little Yan.
　　He really was a perfect nuisance. The four children seemed to have a real fascination² for him, and hetrailed them everywhere, following them bare-footed. He turned up behind hedges, along lanes, attheir picnicking places, his dark eyes watching them intently.
　　'What's the good of telling him to go?' groaned³ Julian. 'He disappears behind one hedge and appearsout of another. You'd think he'd get bored, doing this shadowing business all the time.
　　What's the point of it, anyway?'
　　'No point,' said George. 'Just curiosity. What I can't understand is why Timmy puts up with him.
　　You'd think he'd bark or growl⁴ or something, but he's quite silly with Yan, lets him play with him,and roll him over as if he was a mad puppy.'
　　'Well, I'm going to find this Great-Grandad of his tomorrow, and tell him to keep Yan with him,'
　　said Julian. 'He's maddening. I feel I want to swot him like a gnat⁵, always buzzing round us.
　　Gosh, there he is again!'
　　So he was. A pair of dark eyes were gazing round a tree-trunk, half hidden by a sheaf of leaves.
　　Timmy bounded up to him in glee, and made such a fuss of Yan that George was quite disgusted.
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　　'Timmy! Come here!' she called, imperiously. 'Don't you understand that you ought to chase Yanaway when he comes and not encourage him? I'm ashamed of you!'
　　Timmy put his tail down and went to her. He sat down beside her with a bump. Dick laughed.
　　'He's sulking! He won't look at you, George! He's turning his head away on purpose!'
　　Julian chased Yan away, threatening him with all sorts of things if he caught him, but the boy was asfast as a hare, and seemed suddenly to disappear into thin air. He had a wonderful way of vanishing,and an equally remarkable⁶ way of appearing again.
　　'I don't like that kid,' said Julian. 'He makes me shiver down my back whenever I see him suddenlypeeping somewhere.'

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