“Who’s me?”

“Harvey.”

At this point a soft yellow light lit up the more immediate neighbourhood. Harvey had brought a bicycle lamp into action.

“That’s more like it,” said Renford. “Look here, O’Hara, you won’t split, will you?”

“I’m not an informer by profession, thanks,” said O’Hara.

“Oh, I know it’s all right, really, but you can’t be too careful, because one isn’t allowed down here, and there’d be a beastly row if it got out about our being down here.”

“And they would be cobbed,” put in Harvey.

“Who are they?” asked O’Hara.

“Ferrets. Like to have a look at them?”

Ferrets!