Five Have a Mystery to Solve (14 page)

Dick knew George only too well when she was in one of her determined moods. Nothing, absolutely nothing, would make her change her mind!

„Al right, George - I expect I"d feel the same if Timmy was mine," said Dick. „I"m staying here with you, though!"

„No," said George. „We"ll be al right, Tim and I."

Dick ran to the chest and table that he had used to get up to the opening in the wel -

wall, and climbed quickly to the top. He swung himself through, sat on the edge of the opening and cal ed up the well.

„Julian? Are you there? Listen - George won"t leave Timmy because he can"t climb up the rope. So I"m staying with her!"

No sooner had he said these words, than he heard someone unlocking the door of the room they were in! Timmy growled so fiercely that Dick"s heart jumped in fear. Suppose Tim leapt at those men - and one of them had a gun!

George heard the noise of the key turning in the door, and quick as lightning she went behind a pile of boxes with Timmy. „Go for them, Timmy, just as soon as you can!" she said.

„Get them down before they can hurt you."

„Woof," said Timmy, understanding every word. He stood beside George, ears cocked, showing his teeth in a snarl. The door opened, and a man came in, carrying a lantern.

„I"ve brought you a light," he began - and then Timmy leapt at him!

Crash! Down went the lantern and the light went out. Down went the man too, shouting in fear as the big dog leapt on his chest, his hairy face so close that the man could feel the dog"s hot breath. The man"s head struck against the edge of a chest, and he was suddenly stil and silent.

„Knocked out, I do believe!" said Dick to himself, and very cautiously shone his torch round. Yes - there was the man on the floor, eyes closed, unmoving!

George was at the open door, looking out, Timmy by her side. „Dick! I"m taking Timmy down the secret way through the cliffs. I"l be perfectly safe with him."

„I must tel Julian," said Dick. „He"s stil at the top of the well, expecting you and Timmy. You go as quickly as you can - and be careful. Timmy wil look after you."

George disappeared at top speed, her shoes making no sound. She looked anxious but not afraid. „Good as a boy!" thought Dick, for the hundredth time. „Every bit as good as a boy. Doesn"t turn a hair! Now I"d better get back to that opening in the well, and tell Julian that George and Timmy have gone down the secret way. That man is stil knocked out, thank goodness!"

He was soon on top of the chest and table, and peering through the hole. He could see the light from Julian"s torch far away at the top, the light flashing on and off as if signalling.

Dick called up „Julian!"

„Oh, so you"re stil there," said Julian, sounding very relieved. „Anything happened?"

„Yes," said Dick. „I"l tel you in a minute. Swing the rope a bit, Ju."

The rope swung near Dick, and he caught it, and was just about to swing himself into the well when he heard a noise. He looked back into the vast room, which was now in darkness, for he had switched off his torch.

Someone came in hurriedly. „What"s happened? Why didn"t you..." Then he stopped as the light from the lantern he carried picked out the figure of the man on the floor. He gave an exclamation and knelt down by him. Dick grinned to himself - what about a nice little shock for this fel ow? He reached down to the sturdy little table, gave it a shove that sent it hurtling down to the floor, and then swung himself into the well on the rope. He was just in time to see the table fal with a crash by the man with the lantern, and to hear him shout in fear - and then Julian and Wilfrid hauled him up the wel , stil grinning to himself.

„Bit of a shock for those men!" he thought. „George and Timmy disappeared - and the rest of us gone most mysteriously! Pull, Julian, pul ! I"ve a nice little story to tell you!"

And soon he was up on the well-wal , tel ing the others what had happened. They laughed in delight.

„Good old George! Good old Timmy!"

„George knows the way down the cliff passage all right - and if she didn"t Timmy would take her safely," said Julian. „We"ll go down on the rocks and meet her, I think. She should be al right because the moon"s out now, and everything is as light as day!"

And off they all went through the wood, laughing when they thought how puzzled and mystified those men must be!

In the meantime, George was hurrying down the secret way through the cliffs. Timmy ran first in front and then behind, his ears pricked for any possible pursuer or danger. He could hear no one. Good! Both he and George were glad to hear the babbling of the funny little underground stream as it ran swiftly down towards the sea. „It"s a nice friendly sound, Tim," said George. „I like it."

Once or twice they slipped from the wet ledges into the water, and George felt a bit afraid of fal ing and breaking her torch. „It wouldn"t be much fun if we had to go down this passage in the pitch dark!" she told Timmy, and he gave a little woof of agreement.

„What"s that bright light?" said George, suddenly, stopping in the passage. „Look, Tim -

awfully bright. Is it someone coming with a lantern?"

Timmy gave a loud bark and rush in front. He knew that lantern al right! It was the one that somebody sometimes hung in the sky, and that George cal ed the Moon. Didn"t she know?

George soon did know, of course, and cried out in delight. „Oh, it"s the moon, of course, dear old moon. I"d forgotten it was a moonlight night tonight. I wonder where the others are, Timmy. You"l have to smell them out!"

Timmy already knew where they were! He had caught their scent on the wind. They weren"t very far away! He barked joyously. Soon they would all be together again!

He and George came out of the tunnel in the cliff and found themselves on the rocks. The sea was splashing over them, and the waves gleamed brightly in the bright moonlight.

George saw something moving in the distance. She put her hand on Timmy"s collar.

„Careful, Tim," she said. „Is that someone coming over there? Stay by me."

But Timmy disobeyed for once! He leapt away and splashed through pools, over seaweed, over slippery rocks, barking madly. „Timmy!" called George, not recognising who was coming. „TIMMY! COME BACK!"

And then she saw who were coming over the rock in the bright moonlight, picking their way through the slippery seaweed. She waved and shouted joyfully.

„Here I am! I"ve escaped all right!"

What a joyful meeting that was! They all sat down on a convenient rock and talked nineteen to the dozen, telling each other what had happened. And then a big wave suddenly came up and splashed all over them!

„Blow!" said Julian. „Tide"s coming in, I suppose. Come on - let"s get back to Whispering Wood."

Anne gave a most enormous yawn. „I don"t know what the time is," she said. „And it"s so bright everywhere that I"m not sure if it"s day or night. Al I know is that I"m suddenly most awfully SLEEPY."

Julian glanced at his watch. „It"s very late," he said. „Long past our bedtime. What shall we do - risk sleeping here on the island - or find Wilfrid"s boat and row across to the mainland -

and have a nice long, peaceful snooze in that dear little cottage?"

„Oh, don"t let"s stay on the island!" said Anne. „I"d never go to sleep! I"d be afraid those men would find us."

„Don"t be sil y, Anne," said George, trying not to yawn. „They wouldn"t have the remotest idea where to look for us! I honestly don"t fancy looking for Wilfrid"s boat, rowing al the way to the mainland, and then climbing up that steep hil to the cottage!"

„Well - all right," said Anne. „But oughtn"t somebody to be on guard - oughtn"t we each to take turn?"

„Why so fussy, Anne?" asked George. „Timmy would hear anyone!"

„I suppose he would," said Anne, giving way. „We"ll stay here then."

They were al very tired. The boys pul ed up armfuls of old dry bracken and spread it in a sheltered patch of grass, where bushes surrounded them, and sheltered them from the wind. It was not far from the cove where Wilfrid"s boat lay. They snuggled into the bracken.

„Nice and cosy!" said George, yawning. „Ohhh! I"ve never felt so sleepy in my life!" And in three seconds she was sound asleep! Wilfrid dropped off at once too, and Dick and Julian were soon giving little gentle snores.

Anne was stil awake. She felt nervous. „I"d dearly like to know if those men are safely underground!" she thought. „I can"t imagine that they are very pleased at us getting away - they"l know we"ll go to the mainland as soon as we can, and tell everyone what we have found! I should have thought they would try to stop us leaving. They must hnow we have a boat!"

She lay and worried, keeping her ears open for any strange sound. Timmy heard her tossing and turning and crept over to her very quietly, so as not to wake George. He lay down beside Anne, giving her a loving lick as if to say, „Now, you go to sleep, and I"l keep watch!"

But stil Anne didn"t fall asleep. Stil she kept her ears wide open for any unusual sound -

and then, quite suddenly, she heard something. So did Timmy. He sat up, and gave a very small growl.

Anne strained her ears. Yes - it was certainly voices she could hear - low voices, that didn"t want to be heard. It was the men coming to find Wilfrid"s boat! Once they had that, the children couldn"t get away from Whispering Island!

Timmy ran a little way from the bushes, and looked round at Anne as if to say, „Coming with me?"

Anne got up quietly and went to Timmy. He ran on in front, and she followed. She really must see what was happening, then if it was anything important, she could run back and rouse everyone. Timmy was taking her to the cove where Wilfrid had left his boat, hauled high up on the sand, for fear of big waves.

They were both as quiet as they could be. Timmy growled a little when he heard the voices again, much nearer this time.

The men had come quietly round the island in their own boat, to set Wilfrid"s boat adrift.

Anne saw them pushing Wilfrid"s boat down the sand towards the sea. Once it was adrift, she and the others would be prisoners on the island! She yel ed at the top of her voice.

„You stop that! It"s OUR boat!" And Timmy began to bark his head off, prancing round the men, and showing his big white teeth. The barking awoke al the others and they leapt up at once. „That"s Timmy!" shouted Julian. „That"s Timmy barking! Come on, quickly - but be careful!"

They ran at top speed to the cove. Timmy was stil barking madly - and someone was yelling. It sounded like Anne. ANNE - no, no, it couldn"t be quiet little Anne!" thought Julian.

But it was! For when the four arrived at the cove, there was Anne yelling to Timmy to bite the men, and dancing about in a rare old temper!

„How DARE you come and take our boat! I"l tell Timmy to bite you! And he wil too! Get them, Tim, get them! How DARE you take our boat! Bite them, Timmy!"

Timmy had already bitten both the men, who were now rowing away in their own boat at top speed. Anne picked up a stone and sent it whizzing after them. It struck their boat and made them jump.

Anne jumped too when she turned and saw Julian, George, Wilfrid and Dick. „I"m so glad you"ve come!" she said. „I think Timmy and I have frightened them off. The beasts!"

„Frightened them off! You"ve scared them stiff!" said Julian, hugging his sister. „You even scared me! Good gracious - the mouse has certainly turned into a fearsome tiger! I can almost see smoke coming out of your nostrils."

„A tiger? Did I real y sound like a tiger?" said Anne. „I"m glad! I hated you all thinking I was a mouse. You"d better be careful now, I might turn into a tiger again!"

The men were now out of sight, and Timmy sent a volley of barks after their vanished boat.

What chance had any men against a dog and a tiger? WOOF!

„Julian - why can"t we row back to the mainland now?" demanded Anne. „I"m so hungry and there"s nothing to eat here now. And I wasn"t real y very comfortable in that brackeny bed. I"m longing to sleep in a proper bed. I"ve a good mind to take that boat of Wilfrid"s and row myself back, if you don"t want to come."

Julian couldn"t help laughing at this new fierce Anne. He put his arm round her.

„I believe it"s dangerous to say no to a tiger," he said. „So you shall have your way, Anne.

I"m awful y hungry too - and I bet the others are."

And, in five minutes time, the six of them were out on the sea, Julian taking one oar, and Dick the other, „Swish-swash - swish-swash" went the oars, and the boat rocked as it sped along.

„I bet if those men spot us out on the sea in a boat, going across to the mainland, they wil feel pretty uncomfortable!" said Julian. „They"l know we"ll be going to the police first thing tomorrow. My word - this has been quite an adventure, hasn"t it! I shall be glad of a little peace now!"

Well - you"l soon have it, Julian! That little cottage is waiting for you all, with its glorious view over the Harbour and Whispering Island. You"l have quite a bit of excitement tomorrow, of course, when the police take you back to the island in their boat, and you show them the old well, the vast treasure-chamber, the secret passage, and all the rest.

You"l be there when al the men are rounded up, you"l watch them chugging off, prisoners, in the police boat, amazed that the Famous Five should have defeated them.

What an adventure! And what a relief when all the excitement is over, and you lie peaceful y on the hil side, with the little cottage just behind you.

„Now for a real lazy time!" said Anne, when the Five had seen the last of the police. „Let"s all go out on the hil in the sunshine, and have orangeade and biscuits and fruit salad -

and Wilfrid shall play his magic pipe and bring his furred and feathered friends to see us."

„Has he found his pipe then?" said Dick, pleased.

„Yes. He took the well-bucket to get some water to drink - and lo and behold the pipe was in the bottom of the bucket!" said Anne. „He thinks it must have fallen there the last time he went to fetch water from the wel - and nobody noticed it!"