All the Seven really enjoyed themselves making the tree-house. It took them the whole of the morning. Placing the boards and roping them firmly in place wasn't quite as easy as they had thought it would be.
The boards kept slipping about, and had a most annoying habit of falling down the tree and having to be fetched up again. Every time one fell, Scamper barked to tell them.
" He probably thinks we don't notice when a board falls down," said Janet, with a giggle. " Oh dear... whose turn is it to climb down after that one? "
" It seems to me that it's a question of too many cooks spoiling the broth," said Jack. " With all of us sitting about on the branches that we want to put the boards on it's really awfully difficult. You girls get down to lower branches. Go on. Four of us up here are enough to rope down the boards."
The girls climbed down a little, putting themselves the other side of the tree for safety. " Blow ! There goes one of the cushions ! " said Pam. " Well, it can wait. There'll be another board falling down in a minute, and whoever gets that can get the cushion too."
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The boys had a fine old time putting the boards in place, and roping them firmly to make a kind of platform. At last they had done the job really well.
" Quite safe now," said Jack, testing the platform by walking over it slowly. " Nobody is going to slip down between two boards, and
no board is going to get out of place. We've done a jolly good job."
The girls came up and admired the platform. The cushion was rescued from the ground below, and soon the wooden platform looked quite cosy, set out with seven rather dirty, flat cushions.
The mugs, plates, drinks, biscuit-tin and packets of chocolate were put into the convenient cubby-hole. The rubber sheet was neatly tied to a branch ready to be spread over the cushions and platform when the Seven left.
" There ! " said Peter, pleased. " Our new headquarters'Meeting-Place of the Secret Seven Society. Sentinel on guard down below. Everything ready to tackle our next adventure; if only it comes ! "
" I don't mind if it doesn't," said Pam. " This is enough adventure for me. Fancy having a tree-house like this ! Ah... here comes the wind!"
A gust blew strongly, and the big tree rocked. The platform rocked too.
" Lovely ! " said Janet, as she felt the platform moving. " I feel as if I'm on a ship now... that swaying feeling is just like being in a boat."
" It's half past twelve," said Peter. " Let's have a biscuit and a drink, and go home. We can come back this afternoon. We'll bring books and a game and enjoy ourselves."
" It's funny how grown-ups don't like us to eat just before we have a meal, in case we can't eat our dinner or tea afterwards," said Janet, nibbling a biscuit. " I could eat six of these super biscuits and still feel hungry for my lunch."
