The note read: "P-wood MAR 15 04, Jimbo". Each of the ten children stared blankly at the note, which looked as though it had been hastily scribbled. A few minutes passed as they tried to work out what it meant.

"Well, Fatty?" asked Ern excitedy, breaking the silence. He couldn't wait any longer to hear Fatty's opinion!

"It's no good, Ern!" Fatty replied, handing the note to Larry who scrutinised it more closely. He passed it to George and it continued around their circle. "I can't even begin to think until you've told us the whole story!"

Ern nodded eagerly, and cleared his throat. Of course Fatty would have to hear everything! He drew himself up importantly, in such an uncanny impersonation of Mr. Goon that Pip nudged Bets and they both fought back a laugh. Ern began to tell how he had fallen asleep on the train and had had to get another one back to Peterswood. He paused when he reached the part where he had written down detailed descriptions of the two men, hoping that Fatty might praise him.

"Jolly smart of you," Fatty nodded, and Ern blushed with delight. He continued with his story in a narrative so confident that he could hardly believe the words were coming from his own mouth! When he had finished, the Find-Outers looked at one another in surprise. The Famous Five also exchanged glances. How exciting that something had cropped up so soon!

"Do you have the descriptions with you?" asked Fatty. Ern's hands flew to his back pocket, where he often kept his notebook handy. Suddenly, he groaned with dismay.

"What's wrong?" asked Larry, immediately.

"My notebook! It's not here!" exclaimed Ern in panic. "I remember noticing it in my pocket when I arrived at Uncle's. It must have fallen out when I dashed out of the house. Gosh, I hope he hasn't found it!"

"Surely it wouldn't matter much if he has?" said Dick. "It's only a description of two ordinary-looking men, isn't it? They could be anyone!"

Ern groaned even more at this, and the others looked at him sharply.

"What is it now, Ern?" asked Fatty, rather impatiently. It was extremely frustrating to have finally found a mystery, and to have lost most of the information they had to go on!

"I made another copy of the note I found in the notebook, just in case I lost this one," explained Ern, miserably. The Find-Outers groaned in unison. The Famous Five looked rather disappointed. They didn't quite understand Ern's maddening ways just yet!

"Blow!" said Pip. "I bet old Goon's picked it up!"

Ern let out a frightened squeak, looking rather as though he might cry. He wanted to kick himself several times over for being so careless.

"You can't have dropped it long ago, Ern," said Fatty, reassuringly. "The best thing for you to do is to go back to your uncle's and see if you can get it back from him."

Ern looked as though he might faint with fright. He had tried several times to retract items confiscated by Mr. Goon and it had never seemed to go very well!

"It's all right, Ern," said Bets, cheerfully. "He might not even have noticed it."

"Goon never seems to spot things when they're right underneath his nose," added Daisy.

Ern nodded, feeling calmer now. He knew that the Find-Outers were right. He'd just have to go back and do everything in his power to find that notebook!

"Leave the note with us," said Fatty, slipping it inside the pocket of his shorts. "We'll all meet again here at the same time tomorrow. And mind you bring that notebook with you, Ern!"

Ern promised faithfully that he would, and almost ran out of the Trottevilles' garden in his haste to get it back. He still felt rotten and miserable for letting his wonderful friends down like this, and was determined to make up for his careless mistake! But love-a-duck, wouldn't his uncle be angry when he got home!

"I do hope Goon hasn't seen all of Ern's notes," Fatty said to the others. "The last thing we need is to have him on our tail again!"

The other eight nodded gloomily. Julian and Dick had heard many a tale of Mr. Goon's attempts at mystery-solving, and had passed some of it on to the girls. Each of them had always found the stories highly amusing, but now the prospect didn't seem quite as funny.

"Well, I suppose there's nothing to be done until tomorrow," said Pip, getting up. "Bets and I have an aunt coming to dinner, so we'd better be off. See you tomorrow!"

The two Hilton children waved goodbye, and went out at the garden gate. The others all got up as well, sensing that there was little point in staying with nothing more to do.

"Mother said it was quite all right to lend you a tent," Fatty said to George, who was standing next to him. "I shall just go and get it from the shed."

"And we brought ours over earlier," said Larry, indicating a rolled up something he had strapped to his bicycle.

"Thanks awfully!" said George, beaming at their new friends. Moments later, Fatty had returned with the tent. It had been decided that Fatty would walk the Famous Five to Petter's Field, where they would set up camp, as it was beginning to get dark. Larry and Daisy, who had the inconvenience of bicycles, went straight home. Buster was led back into the house, much to his great disappointment.

Fatty chatted amicably as they walked to the field, pointing out various sights on the way. Dick, George and Anne replied with as much enthusiasm. Julian was rather quiet.

Petter's field was big and square, the ideal place for a camping holiday. Fatty stayed to help them put up the tents, and they continued to talk.

"It'd be wizard if this turns into a proper adventure!" gushed George, who had overcome her gloominess and was now rather excited. She drove a tent peg into the ground, and looked about her for the mallet.

"An adventure?" Fatty grinned at George, as he handed it to her. "Those things are more commonly referred to as a 'mystery' round here!" Their eyes met for slightly longer than necessary as George's fingers closed around the mallet. She looked away and cleared her throat, beginning to hammer the tent peg into the ground. Her cheeks were slightly pink.

As soon as the tents were up, Fatty shook hands with each of them. George was determined only to make fleeting eye contact this time as Fatty reached her. With an extracted promise that they would come to his house at the appointed time the next day, Fatty ambled off back up the field and disappeared into the near-darkness.

Worn out with their long journey and the excitement of the day, the Famous Five retired into their separate tents. Despite how exhausted they were, it took all five of them a little while to drop off to sleep. Anne's head was filled with the adventure ahead. She hoped against hope that Mr. Goon hadn't found Ern's notebook, because he had seemed really very unpleasant indeed! George, lying next to her, was feeling rather cross with herself for thinking about Fatty. She was certain it wasn't entirely her fancy that his handshake had lingered slightly longer with her, than it had with any of her cousins...

In the adjacent tent, Dick was worrying about his brother. Julian had seemed rather vacant in Fatty's garden earlier, and he had definitely been quiet on their way to the field. He had hoped his brother might throw himself into an adventure despite everything, but now he wasn't so sure. He glanced over. Julian was staring up at the tent canvas, wondering why he didn't feel the least bit excited that something strange had turned up. He was trying to work out why none of the old Julian seemed to be around much anymore. But he didn't seem to possess any of the answers.

Timmy, of course, was lying at George's feet with one eye open just in case any intruders dared to show up. He was back with his beloved four children again, and nothing could make him any happier! When they all eventually did drop off to sleep, only Timmy was truly at peace. He dreamt of chasing rabbits round and round the field, with his new friend Buster!