The man sat down beside them and took out a bar of chocolate, which he broke into bits and offered the children. They couldn't help liking him.
"Did you hear everything we said?" asked Bets. "It was really all a secret, you know. We're the Find-Outers."
"The Fine Doubters?" said the man, puzzled. "What do you doubt then? "
Every one giggled. "No - the Finddddd-Outers," said Daisy, sounding the letter D loudly at the end of Find. "We find out things."
"Ah! I see," said the big man, lighting a pipe. Buster
was now quite friendly towards him and licked his hand. The big man patted him.
"What are you?" asked Bets. "I haven't seen you before."
"Well - if you don't mind my saying so - I'm a bit of a Find-Outer myself," said the man. "I have to solve mysteries too. Most interesting it is - I'm sure you agree with me?"
"Oh yes" said every one.
"I gather that you are in a spot of bother at the moment?" said the man, puffing at his pipe. "You have solved your mystery - but you can't make your discoveries known? Is that right?"