Chapter 10 GETTING READY FOR THE SHOW
　　Julian and Dick watched the light for a little longer, and then turned to go back to the farm. The windwas so strong and so cold that even on that summer's night they found themselves shivering.
　　'I'm glad you found us, Yan,' said Dick, putting an arm round the small, shivering boy. 'Thanks foryour help. We're going to explore that old tower. Would you like to show us the way to it?'
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　　Yan shivered all the more, from fright as much as cold. 'No. I'm frit,' he said. 'I'm frit of that towernow.'
　　'What does he mean, frit?' said Dick. 'Short for frightened, I suppose! All right, Yan. You needn'tcome. It is pretty peculiar¹, I must admit. Now, go back to your hut.'
　　Yan shot off in the dark like a scared rabbit. The boys made their way home, not very cautiously, forthey felt sure they were the only people out that night. But when they came to the farm-yard they sawsomething that made them stop suddenly.
　　'There's a light in the big barn!' whispered Dick. 'It's gone, no, there it is again. It's somebody with atorch, flashing it on and off. Who is it?'
　　'One of the Barnies, perhaps,' whispered back Julian. 'Let's go and see. We know the Barnies aresleeping in the near-by sheds tonight.'
　　They tiptoed to the barn and looked through a crack. They saw nothing at first. Then a torch flashed,shedding its light on some of the properties of the Barnies, stacked in a corner, scenery, dresses,coats, and other things.
　　'Somebody's going through the pockets!' said Julian, indignantly. 'Look at that! A thief!'
　　'Who is it?' said Dick. 'One of the Barnies pick-pocketing?'
　　For a moment or two the torch lighted up the back of the intruder's hand in the barn, and the boysstifled an exclamation². They knew that hand! It was covered with black hairs almost as thick as fur!
　　'Mr. Penruthlan!' whispered Dick. 'Yes, I see it's him now. Look at his enormous shadow. What's hedoing? He must be mad, walking about at night on the hills, stealing into the barn, going throughpockets. Look what he's doing now! Looking in the drawers of that chest the Barnies are going to usein one of their scenes. Yes, he's mad!'
　　Julian felt most uncomfortable. He didn't like spying on his host like this. What a strange man hewas! He told untruths, he crept about at night, he went through people's pockets. Yes, he must bemad! Did Mrs. Penruthlan know? She couldn't know, or she would be unhappy, and she reallyseemed the most cheerful, gay little person in the world!
　　'Come on,' said Julian, in Dick's ear. 'He's going through everything! Though what he expects to findin the Barnies' stage clothes and properties, I don't know. He's got a kink! Come on, I really don'twant to spot him taking something, stealing it. It would be so awkward if we had to say we saw himstealing.'

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