Five Run Away Together (15 page)

"Yes, of course," said Julian. "We will, never fear! We'll rescue her tomorrow."

Edgar woke up and joined in the conversation suddenly. "What you talking about?" he said. "Rescue who?"

"Never you mind," said Julian.

George nudged him and whispered.

"All I hope is that Mrs. Stick is feeling as upset about losing her dear Edgar as the mother of the little girl," she said.

"Tomorrow we find the little girl somehow, and take her away," said Julian. "I expect the Sticks will be on guard, but we'll find a way."

"I'm tired now," said George, lying down. "Let's go to sleep. We'l wake up nice and fresh. Oh Anne, do put these dolls your side. I'm lying on at least three."

Anne took the dolls and the bear and arranged them on her side of the bed. "Don't feel lonely," George heard her say. "I'll look after you all right till you go back to your own mistress. Sleep tight!"

Soon they all slept—all but Timothy, who lay with one eye open all night long. There was no need to put anyone on guard while Timmy was there. He was the best guardian they could have.

A RESCUE—AND A NEW PRISONER!

THE next day Julian was awake early and went up the rope to the cliff-top to see if the Sticks were about. He saw them coming up the steps that led from the dungeons.

Mrs. Stick looked pale and worried.

"We've got to find our Edgar," she kept saying to Mr. Stick. "I tell you we've got to find our Edgar. He's not down in the dungeons. That I do know. We've yelled ourselves hoarse down there."

"And he's not on the island," said Mr. Stick. "We hunted all over it yesterday. I think whoever was here then, took our goods, caught Edgar, and made off with him and everything else in their boat. That's what I think."

"Well, they've taken him to the mainland then," said Mrs. Stick. "We'd better take our boat and go back there and ask a few questions. What I'd like to know is—who is it messing about here and interfering with our plans? It makes me scared. Just when things are going nicely Too!"

"Is it all right to leave here just now?" said Mr. Stick, doubtfully. "Suppose whoever was here yesterday is still here—they might pop down into the dungeons when we're gone."

"Well, they're not here," said Mrs. Stick, firmly. "Use your common sense, if you've got any—wouldn't our Edgar yell the place down if he was being kept prisoner on this little island—and wouldn't we hear him? I tell you he must have been taken off in a boat, together with all the other things that are gone. And I don't like it."

"All right, all right!" said Mr. Stick in a grumbling tone. "That boy's always a nuisance—always in silly trouble of some sort."

"How can you talk of poor Edgar like that?" cried Mrs. Stick. "Do you think the poor child likes being captured! Goodness knows what he's going through — feeling frightened and lonely without me."

Julian felt disgusted. Here was Mrs. Stick talking like that about old Spotty-Face—

and yet she had a little girl down in the dungeons—a child much younger than Edgar!

What a beast she was.

"What about Tinker?" said Mr. Stick, in a sulky tone. "Better leave him here, hadn't we, to guard the entrance to the dungeons? Not that there will be anyone here, if what you say is right."

"Oh, we'll leave Tinker," said Mrs. Stick, setting off to the boat. Julian saw them embark, leaving the dog behind. Tinker watched them rowing away, his tail well down between his legs. Then he turned and ran back to the courtyard, and lay down dolefully in the sun. He was very uneasy. His ears were cocked and he kept looking .

this way and that. He didn't like this queer island and its unexpected noises.

Julian tore back to the cave and dropped down the rope, startling Edgar very much.

"Come outside the cave and I'll tell you my plans," said Julian to the others. He didn't want Edgar to hear them. They all went outside.

Anne had got breakfast ready while Julian had been gone, and the kettle was boiling away merrily on the little stove.

"Listen!" said Julian. "The Sticks have gone off in their boat back to the mainland to see if they can find their precious little darling Edgar. Mrs. Stick is all hot and bothered because she thinks someone's gone off with him and she's afraid the poor boy will be feeling frightened and lonely!"

"Well!" said George. "Doesn't she think that the little kidnapped girl must be feeling much worse? What a horrid woman she is!"

"You're right," said Julian. "Well, what I propose to do is this—we'll go down into the dungeons now and rescue the little girl—and bring her here to our cave for breakfast.

Then we'll take her off in our boat, go to the police, find out where her parents are, and telephone to them that she is safe."

"What shall we do with Edgar?" said Anne.

"I know!" said George at once. "We'll put Edgar into the dungeon instead of the little girl! Think how astonished the Sticks will be to find the little girl gone — and their dear Edgar shut up in the dungeon instead!"

"Oooh!—that is a good idea," said Anne, and all the others laughed and agreed.

"You stay here, Anne, and cut some more bread and butter for the little girl," said Julian. He knew that Anne hated going down into the dungeons.

Anne nodded, pleased..

"All right, I will. I'll just take the kettle off for a bit too, or else the water will boil away."

They all went back into the cave. "Come with us, Edgar," said Julian. "You come too, Timmy."

"Where you going to take me?" said Edgar, suspiciously.

"A nice cosy, comfortable place, where cows can't get at you," said Julian. "Come on!

Buck up."

"Gr-r-r-r-r-r," said Timmy, his nose against Edgar's leg. Edgar got up in a hurry.

They all went up the rope, one after another, though Edgar was terribly scared, and was sure he couldn't. But with Timmy snapping at his ankles below, he climbed up the rope remarkably quickly, and was hauled out at the top by Julian.

"Now, quick march!" said Julian, who wanted to get everything over before the Sticks thought of returning. And quick march it was, over the cliffs, over the low wall of the castle, and down into the courtyard.

"I'm not going down into them dungeons with you," said Edgar, in alarm.

"You are, Spotty-Face," said Julian, amiably.

"Where's my Pa and Ma?" said Edgar, looking anxiously all round.

"Those cows have got them, I expect," said George. "The ones that came and mooed at you and threw things, you know."

Everyone giggled, except Edgar, who looked worried and pale. He did not like this kind of adventure at all. The children came to the dungeon entrance, and found that the Sticks had not only closed down the stone that opened the way to the dungeons, but had also dragged heavy rocks across it.

"Blow your parents!" said Julian, to Edgar. "Making a lot of trouble for everybody. Come on, stir yourself— all hands to these stones.

Edgar, pull when we pull. Go on! You'll get into trouble if you don't."

Edgar pulled with the rest, and one by one the rocks were moved away. Then the heavy trapdoor stone was hauled up too, and the flight of steps was exposed leading down into darkness.

"There's Tinker!" suddenly cried Edgar, pointing to a bush some distance away. Tinker was there, hiding, quite terrified at seeing Timothy again.

Tat lot of good Stinker is," said Julian. "No, Timmy—you're not to eat him. Stay here!

He wouldn't taste nice if you did eat him!"

Timothy was sorry not to be able to chase Stinker round and round the island. If he couldn't chase rabbits, he might at least be allowed to chase Stinker!

They all went down into the dungeons. Julian's white chalk-marks were still on the rocky walls, so it was easy to find the way to the cave-like room where the children, last summer, had found piles of golden ingots. They felt sure that the little kidnapped girl had been put there, for this cave had a big wooden door that could be bolted on the outside.

They came to the door. It was well and truly bolted. There was no sound from inside.

Everyone halted outside and Timmy scratched at the door, whining gently. He knew there was someone inside.

"Hallo, there!" shouted Julian, in a loud and cheerful voice. "Are you all right? We've come to rescue you."

There was a scrambling noise, as if someone had got up from a stool. Then a small voice sounded from the cave.

"Hallo! Who are you? Oh, do please rescue me! I'm so lonely and frightened!"

"Just undoing the door!" called back Julian, cheerfully. "We're all children out here, so don't be afraid. You'll soon be safe."

He shot back the bolts, and flung open the door. Inside the cave, which was lighted by a lantern, stood a small girl, with a scared little white face, and large dark eyes.

Dark red hair tumbled round her cheeks, and she had evidently been crying bitterly, for her face was dirty and tear-stained.

Dick went to her and put his arm round her. "Everything's all right now," he said.

"You're safe. We'll take you back to your mother."

"I do want her, I do, I do," said the little girl, and tears ran down her cheeks again.

"Why am I here? I don't like being here."

"Oh, it's just an adventure you've had," said. Julian. "It's over now—at least, nearly over. There's still a bit of it left—a nice bit, though. We want you to come and have breakfast with us in our cave. We've a lovely cave."

"Oh, have you?" said the little girl, rubbing her eyes. "I want to go with you, I like you, but I didn't like those other people."

"Of course you didn't," said George. "Look! This is Timothy, our dog. He wants to be friends with you."

"What a simply lovely dog!" said the little girl, and flung her arms around Timmy's neck. He licked her ir delight. George was pleased. She put her arm round the little girl.

"What's your name?" she said.

"Jennifer Mary Armstrong," said the little girl. "What's yours?"

"George," said George, and the little girl nodded, thinking that George was a boy, not a girl, for she was dressed in jeans just like Julian and Dick, and her hair was short, too, though very curly.

The others told her their names—and then she looked at Edgar, who had said nothing.

"This is Spotty-Face," said Julian. "He isn't a friend of ours. It was his father and mother who put you here, Jennifer. Now we are going to leave him here in your . place.

It will be such a pleasant surprise for them, won't it?"

Edgar gave a yell of dismay and tried to back away—but Julian gave him a strong shove that sent him flying into the cave.

"There's only one way to teach people like you and your parents that wickedness doesn't pay!" said the boy, grimly. "And that is to punish you hard. People like you don't understand kindness. You think it's just being soft and silly. All right—you can have a taste of what Jennifer has had. It will do you good, and do your parents a lot of good too! Good-bye!"

Edgar began to howl dismally as Julian bolted the big wooden door top and bottom. "I shall starve!" he wailed.

"Oh no, you won't," said Julian. "There's plenty of food and water in there, so help yourself. It would do you good to go hungry for a while, all the same."

"Mind the cows don't get you!" called Dick, and he gave a realistic moo that startled Jennifer very much, for the echoes came mooing round too.

"It's all right—only the echoes," said George, smiling at her in the torch-light. Edgar howled away in the cave, sobbing like a baby.

"Little coward, isn't he?" said Julian. "Come on—let's get back. I'm awfully hungry for my breakfast."

"So am I," said Jennifer, slipping her small hand into Julian's. "I wasn't hungry at all in that cave — but now I am. Thank you for rescuing me."

"Don't mention it," said Julian, grinning at her. "It's a real pleasure—and an even greater one to put old Spotty-Face there instead of you. Nice to give the Sticks a dose of their own medicine."

Jennifer didn't know what he meant, but the others did, and they chuckled. They made their way back through the dark, musty passages of the dungeons, passing many caves, big and small, on the way. They came at last to the flight of steps and went up them into the dazzling sun-light.

"Oh!" said Jennifer, breathing in great gulps of the—. fresh, sea-smelling air. "Oh!

This is lovely! Where am I?"

"On our island," said George. "And this is our ruined castle. You were brought here last night in a boat. We heard you scream, and that's how we guessed you were being made a prisoner."

They walked to the cliff, and Jennifer was amazed at the way they disappeared down the knotted rope. She was eager to try too, and soon slid down into the cave.

"Nice kid, isn't she?" said Julian to George. "My word, she's had even more of an adventure than we have!"

A VISIT TO THE POLICE STATION

ANNE liked Jennifer very much, and gave her a hug and a kiss. Jennifer looked round the well-furnished cave in amazement and wonder—and then she gave-a scream of surprise and joy. She pointed to Anne's neatly-made bed, on which sat a number of beautiful dolls, and a large teddy-bear.

.'My dolls!" she said. "Oh, and Teddy, too! Oh, oh, where did you get them? I've missed them so! Oh Josephine and Angela and Rosebud and Marigold, have you missed me?"

She flung herself on the dolls. Anne was very interested to hear their names. "I've looked after them well," she told Jennifer. "They're quite all right."

"Oh, thank you," said the little girl, happily. "I do think you're all nice. Oh, I say—

what a lovely breakfast!"

It was. Anne had opened a tin of salmon, two tins of peaches, a tin of milk, cut some bread and butter, and made a big jug of cocoa. Jennifer sat down and began to eat.

She was very hungry, and as she ate, she began to lose her paleness and look rosy and happy. .

The children talked busily as they ate. Jennifer told them about herself.

"I was playing in the garden with my nurse," she said, "and suddenly, when nurse had gone indoors to fetch something, a man climbed over the wall, threw a shawl round my head, and took me away. We live by the sea, you know, and I soon heard the sound of the waves splashing on the shore, and I knew I was being put into a boat. I was taken to a big ship, and locked down in a cabin for two days: Then I suppose I was brought here one night. I was so frightened that I screamed."