Chapter 18 DICK GETS AN IDEA!
　　In the greatest surprise and excitement the five children rushed to the kitchen door to follow Mr.
　　Penruthlan. Yan had scrambled¹ out from beneath the table, determined² not to miss anything. But atthe door the farmer turned round.
　　'Not the girls,' he said. 'Nor you, Yan.'
　　'I'll keep the girls here with me,' said Mrs. Penruthlan, who had forgotten her dismay and angercompletely in this new excitement. 'Yan, come here.'
　　But Yan had slipped out with the others. Nothing in the world would keep him from missing this newexcitement! Timmy had gone too, of course, as excited as the rest.
　　'What goings-on in the early hours of the morning!' said Mrs. Penruthlan, sitting down suddenlyagain. 'To think that Mr. Penruthlan never told me he was working to find those smugglers! We 91knew it was going on, around this coast, and to think he was keeping a watch, and never told me!'
　　Julian and Dick had quite forgotten that they felt tired. They hurried over the farm-yard with Mr.
　　Penruthlan, Yan a little way behind, and Timmy leaping round like a mad thing. They came to themachine-shed and went in.
　　'We piled ...' began Julian, and then suddenly stopped. Mr. Penruthlan's powerful torch was shiningon the corner where the trapdoor was fixed³.
　　It was open! Unbelievably open! The sacks and boxes that the children had dragged over it were nowscattered to one side.
　　'Look at that!' said Julian, amazed. 'Who's opened it? Sir, the smugglers have got out, with theirsmuggled goods, and they've gone. We're beaten!'
　　Mr. Penruthlan made a very angry noise, and flung the trapdoor shut with a resounding⁵ bang. He wasabout to say something more when there came the sound of voices not far off. It was the Barniesreturning from their search for the children.
　　They saw the light in the shed and peered in. When they saw Julian and Dick they cried out indelight. 'Where were you? We've searched everywhere for you!'
　　Julian and Dick were so disappointed at finding their high hopes dashed that they could hardlyrespond to the Barnies' delighted greetings. They felt suddenly very tired again, and Mr.
　　Penruthlan seemed all at once in a very bad temper. He answered the Barnies gruffly, said thateverything was all right now, and any talking could be done tomorrow. As for him, he was going tobed!

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