Chapter 12 A GOOD HIDING-PLACE
The Five spent quite a pleasant day, but when late afternoon came, they decided¹ that it was time tocarry out their plan and pack as if they were leaving.
'I imagine someone is spying on our doings,' said Dick. 'And won't he be pleased to see us apparentlyon the point of leaving!'
'How can anyone be spying?' asked Anne, looking all round as if she expected to see someone behinda bush. 'Timmy would be sure to sniff² out anyone in hiding.'
'Oh, he won't be near enough for Timmy to smell out,' said Dick. 'He'll be a long way off.'
'Then how can he possibly see us - or know that we're leaving?' asked Anne.
'Anne - I don't know if you've heard of field-glasses,' began Dick, solemnly. 'Well, they're things thatcan spot anything half a mile away...'
Anne went red and gave Dick a punch. 'Don't be an ass³! Of course - that's it! Field-glasses used bysomeone on a hillside somewhere - trained on the old cottage.'
'Actually I think I know where the someone is,' said Dick. 'I've caught sight of a little flash every nowand again on the hill yonder - the kind of flash that is made by the sun on glass - and I somehow thinkthat our spy is sitting near the top of the hill, watching us carefully.'
Anne turned to look at the hill, but Julian at once spoke⁴ sharply. 'No - don't stand and stare up there,anyone. We don't want the watcher to know that we know we are being watched.'
They went on with their packing, and soon began to stagger out with their bundles. George was toldto strap⁵ her things to her bicycle, and stand well out in the open as she did so, so that the watcher onthe hill would be able to observe all her doings.
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Julian was in the midst of carefully folding up his things to go into his knapsack, when Anne gave asudden exclamation⁶.
'Someone's coming!'
Everyone looked round, imagining that they would see a sinister-looking foreigner, or someonepeculiar in some way.
But all they saw was a country-woman hurrying along, a shawl over her head, and a basket under herarm. She wore cheap glasses, had no make-up on, and her hair was pulled straight back under theshawl. She stopped when she saw the Five.

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