thought about it," Kink said, "but it sounds reasonable in a
way. Gipsies, you know. If Master Campbell hadn't said that about the
King and the Mayor I shouldn't have laughed, and then the copper
wouldn't have lost his wool, and we should be all right."

"Never mind about that," said Janet. "We can't bother about what is
done. The thing is, what we are to do. How funny of Mr. Lenox not to
have thought about the license!--he thought of everything else."

"Yes, and X. too," said Robert. "But it's just terrible to have to go
back and wait all day for the inspector. We are due at Evesham this
afternoon."

"Couldn't we overpower him," Horace said, "and bind him, and leave him
in the ditch?"

"Yes," said Hester, "or ask him to have a glass of milk, and drug it?"

"Don't be absurd," said Robert. "This is serious. All right," he called
out to P.C. Roper, who was getting anxious, "we're just coming."

Then Janet had a happy thought. "I say," she exclaimed, "where is that
envelope that Uncle Christopher gave us? He said we were to open it if
we got into a real mess. Well, now's the time."

"It's in the safe," said Robert, and he dashed into the caravan and
brought it out.

Janet opened it and read it slowly. Then she smiled a radiant smile,
and, advancing to the constable, handed him a paper.

"Here is the license," she said; "you will find our name and address on
it. Now, perhaps, we may go on."

P.C. Roper read the license very carefully, frowned, and handed it back.

"It would save a lot of trouble," he said, "if you would produce such
things directly you were asked for them."

"But we didn't know we'd got it," Janet said.

P.C. Roper pressed his hand to his forehead. "I don't know where I am,"
he muttered.

"They've got a caravan, and they don't know who gave it to them; and
they've got envelopes, and they don't know what's in them. Does your
mother know you're out?" he added as a farewell shot.

The Slowcoaches could not help it; they gave him three cheers, and then
three more for Uncle Christopher.

"Well," said Janet, "that's all right, but it's lucky he did not see
Uncle Christopher's letter. Listen:

DEAR CHILDREN,

"It has suddenly occurred to me that some ass of a policeman may want
to see your license, and I have therefore procured one for you. If you
get into any kind of trouble, be sure to give my name and address, and
telegraph for me.

"Your affectionate Uncle,
CHRIS.

"It would have