The Adventurous Four Part 7

The girls stared at Andy in dismay. They did not at all like the idea of their brother going off alone in the boat. Well-they would just have to wait patiently till Tom came back. It should not really take him a very long time. The sun was sinking now. He should be back by the time it was gone. Then they could all start out again and try to make for home.

Jill set the kettle of water down on the beach. She felt tired. Mary sat down beside her and looked out over the water for Tom to come back. Andy walked up and down impatiently. He could understand that Tom longed to get back his camera and put himself right with the others so that they no longer thought him careless and sffly-but he did wish he hadn't gone off in their precious boat!

The three children waited and waited. The sun sank lower. It disappeared over the sky-line and the first stars glimmered in the darkening sky.

And still Tom was not back. The girls could no longer see anything on the sea, which was now dark. They could only sit and listen for the plash of oars.

"Tom ought to be back by now," said Andy anxiously. "He's had plenty of time to get a dozen cameras I Whatever is he doing?"

n.o.body knew. They sat there on the chilly beach, anxious and worried. If only, only Tom would come back! n.o.body would scold him. n.o.body would grumble at him. They just wanted him to come.

"I should think he's been caught," said Andy at last. "There can't be any other reason why he's not back. Now we're in a pretty fix! No Tom-and no boat!"

CHAPTER 14.

A Prisoner in the Cave

WHAT had happened to Tom? A great many things. He had rowed safely to the beach where the caves lay hidden in the cliff behind. He had dragged the boat up the sand and had gone into the first cave. He stumbled through the rocky archway and into the queer Round Cave, which was so full of food.

He had no torch, so he had to feel around in the dark for his camera. It took him a long time to find it.

"Where did I put it?" wondered the boy anxiously. "Oh, if only I had a match!"

But he hadn't. He felt over tins and boxes-and at last his hand-fell on the box-like shape of his camera, safe in its waterproof covering!

"Good," Tom thought. "Now I'll just rush down to the boat and row back. I really must be quick or the others will be worried."

But Tom had a dreadful shock as he was about to make his way out of the Round Cave back to the beach. He heard voices!

The boy stood perfectly still, his heart beating fast. Whose voices were these?

They came nearer. Men were on the beach outside! Men had found his boat! Was it the enemy?

Alas for poor Tom-it was the enemy! Tom had not heard the boom of the seaplane coming down on the water. He had not seen a rubber' boat putting off hurriedly to the cave. But now he could hear the voices of the men.

They had seen the boat on the beach, and had come to examine it. They soon saw that it was the stolen boat, which had now been missed and was being searched for.

The men knew at once where the owner of the boat was-in the eavel And they were going to search for him there.

Tom darted back into the Round Cave and hid be-hind a big pile of boxes. He felt quite certain he would be found-and as he crouched there, trembling and excited, he made up his mind very, very firmly that he would not say how many others had come to the islands with him. He would make the men think that he was the only one-then nlaybe the other three would not be hunted for.

"I've been a perfect silly to run into danger like this," thought poor Tom. "But, at any rate, I can save the others from being hunted for, perhaps."

The men came into the Round Cave. They had powerful torches which they flashed around-and almost at once they saw Tom's feet sticking out from behind a box.

They dragged him out and stood him up. They seemed most astonished to find only a boy. They had expected a man. They talked quickly among themselves in a language that Tom could not understand.

Then one man, who could talk English, spoke to Tom. "How did you get to this island?"

"I set off in a sailing-boat and a storm blew up and wrecked me," said Tom. "You can see my boat off the coast of the next island, if you look."

"Is there anyone else with you on this island?" asked the man. "Speak the truth."

Tom could reply quite truthfully that there was no one else with him on the island! Thank goodness, the others were on the first island!

"There isn't anyone else here with me," he answered. "Search the cave, and see!"

The men did search the cave again, but found n.o.body, of course. They did not seem satisfied, however. Tom could see that they felt sure there were others to find.

"How did you find this cave?" asked the man who spoke English.

"By accident," said Tom.

"And I suppose you also found our boat by accident, and saw the submarines by accident?" said the man, in a very nasty voice. "Are you sure there is no one else here with you?"

"Quite sure," said Tom. "Wouldn't you see them in the cave, if there were?"

"We shall not take your word for it," said the man, with a horrid laugh. "We shall search this island and both those next to it-and if we find anyone else, you will be very, very sorry for yourself!"

"You won't find anyone!" said Tom, hoping to goodness that they wouldn't, and wishing he could warn Andy and the girls somehow. "Are you going to keep me prisoner?"

"We certainly are," said the man. "And as you seem so fond of ibis cave, we'll let you stay here! You've food to eat-and you won't be able to do any spying round if you're here in this cave! We shall put a man on guard at the entrance-so if you try to get out, or anyone else tries to get in, you'll be caught. Our man will be well hidden behind a rock at the entrance-and if any friends of yours try to rescue you, they will get a shock!"

Tom listened, his heart sinking into his shoes. What an idiot he had been! He was to be a prisoner-and it the others tried to find him they would be made prisoners too, for they would never guess a sentry was hidden behind the rocks, watching for them.

Tom sat down on a box. He would not cry. He would not show the men how frightened and worried he was. His face was brave and bold-but inside he felt as if he was crying buckets of tears! If only, only he could get word to Andy!

There was nothing he could do-nothing! He could only sit there in the cave, surrounded by marvellous food that he felt too worried even to look at, and think abodt the others. Poor Tom! It was a dreadful punishment for being careless enough to forget his camera, and foolish enough to try and fetch it!

The men left a lamp in the cave for Tom. It was getting late and the boy was tired-but he could not sleep. He heard the men go out, and he knew a sentry had been placed by the rocks. He could not hope to escape. But he could try!

So, very quietly, he made his way through the rocky archway, down to the sh.o.r.e-cave below. But his feet set the stones moving here and there, and a voice came out of the darkness He could not understand what was said to him, but the voice was so stern that the boy fled back to the Round Cave at once. It wasn't a bit of good trying to escape.

He sat down again and wondered about the others. What were they thinking and doing? Would they guess he had gone to fetch his camera, and come to look for him when the tide uncovered the rocks next day? If so, they would certainly be caught.

Andy and the girls sat up until they could keep awake no longer. They went back to the shack, curled up on their beds, and slept restlessly, worrying about Tom and the lost boat.

In the morning, Andy went out cautiously, wondering if the enemy had already landed a boat on their island to hunt for them. But he could see nothing strange.

He sat talking to the girls as they prepared breakfast. "Tom is certainly caught." he said. "There's no doubt about that, I'm afraid. Well. I know enough of Tom to know that he won't say we are here, too. He won't give us away. But they will certainly come and hunt for anyone else who might be here. We have to do two things-hide ourselves so that we can't possibly be found-and then think of some way of rescuing Tom."

"Oh dear! It seems quite impossible," said Jill, feeling very worried. Mary began to cry.

"Don't cry, Mary," said Andy, putting his arm round her. "We have to be brave now. We are British children, and so we have plenty of courage and heaps of ideas. We must all think hard and see what we can do to trick the enemy."

"But, Andy, how can we hide on this bare island?" said Mary, drying her eyes and blinking away her tears. "They will beat all through the bracken and heather. There are no good trees to hide in. Not a single cave. Really, there isn't anywhere at all!"

"You're right. Mary," said Andy. "It's going to be very difficult. But we must think of something. You see, if only we can hide and not be found we can somehow think of a way to rescue Tom-but if we are found we can't help Tom, and won't be able to escape and tell our secret!"

"Yes-it's very, very important," said Jill thoughtfully. "Let's think of ways of hiding. The bracken is no use at all, is ft?"

"Not a bit of use," said Andy. "I did think we might perhaps wade out to the ship and hide down in the cabin-but I know they would look there."

"Could we hide in the shack?" asked Mary. "Pile the heather over ourselves, or something?"

"No," said Andy. "The shack's no use. We should be discovered there at once. And there's no place in any of the other old ruined buildings. I wish we knew of a cave or something like that."

"It's a good thing we've got plenty of food hidden in the sand," said Jill. "If we can manage to hide ourselves away we need not starve! We've only got to go and dig up that store of food!"

"Yes-that's very lucky," said Andy. "I say, listen!. That's the sound of a motor-boat, isn't it?"

Andy crept out to see, keeping well under cover. Yes-there was a motor-boat coming round the corner of the island-a motor-boat with five men in it!

"They're coming!" whispered Andy. "They're in a motor-boat. Quick-where shall we hide!"

"We'd better rush over to the opposite 'side of the island," said JiM, her face pale. "The first place they'll hunt is this side, where they land.XJuick, Mary!"

The three children slipped out of the shack and made their way up the rocky path. They were just out of sight when the motor-boat landed on the beach. They would be able to reach the other side of the island unseen-but what could they do there? The sh.o.r.e there was nothing but rocks and sand-they would be found in two minutes!

CHAPTER 15.

The Island is Searched

ANDY and the girls did not take long to reach the opposite sh.o.r.e of the island. They slid down the steep cliff there and reached the beach. It was sandy, but at one side was a ma.s.s of seaweed-covered rocks. It was impossible to hide behind them, for a moment's search would at once discover them.

They looked at one another in despair. "Any good wading out to sea and keeping under water?" asked Jill.

"No," said Andy, "we'd have to keep popping our heads up to breathe and we'd be seen at once."

Jill stared at the rocks nearby and then she gave such a squeal that Andy and Mary jumped in fright.

"Sh!" said Andy angrily. "You'll be heard. Whatever's the matter?"

"I've thought of how to hide!" said Jill breathlessly. "It's the same idea I had for hiding that boat. Can't we cover ourselves with sand, and then drape ourselves with seaweed, to look like rocks? We could go and lie down beside those rocks, and if we were well covered with weeds we'd look exactly like them!"

"Golly! That is an idea!" said Andy at once. "Quick! I'll cover you girls with sand at once. Come over here."

The three ran to the rocks. The tide was out, and the sand was hard but damp. Andy made the girls lie down together, and then he piled sand high over them, leaving a s.p.a.ce over their noses for breathing. He only had his hands to do this, so it was hard work. Then he dragged great handfuls of seaweed from the rocks and threw it over the sandy mound. When he had finished, the girls looked exactly like the seaweed-covered rocks nearby! It was really marvellous.

Andy covered with loose seaweed the untidy places he had made in the sand. Then he began to make a hole for himself, and to cover himself too. He draped himself with piles of seaweed and then poked up his head to look at the girls.

He really didn't know which of the rocks they were! He simply couldn't tell! He looked and looked-but not until one of the rocks moved a little did he see that it was the girls I "Jill! Mary!" he called in a low voice. "As soon as you hear me screaming like a gull you must lie absolutely still. You look marvellous! I didn't know which rock you were till one of you moved."

"Andy, I'm afraid one of the men might tread on me," said Mary, in a frightened voice.

"Well, let him!" said Andy. "I dont advise you to call out and ask him not to walk on you!"

There was a little giggle from the nearby rock. Although the girls were frightened they could still see a joke. They all lay quietly for a time and then Andy heard voices coming near. He cried like a seagull, and the girls then lay so still that not even the tiniest bit of seaweed above them moved at all.

The men slid down to the sandy sh.o.r.e, calling to one another in loud voices. Andy could not understand anything they said. All the children's hearts beat loudly and Jill wondered if hers could possibly be heard. It seemed to her to be thumping as loudly as a hammer.

The men stood on the beach and looked round. One shouted something to the others and began to walk over to the rocks. Andy felt most alarmed.

"I do hope we look like real rocks," he thought "And I hope jiobody treads on us-we should be found at once if that happened-to say nothing of being hurt!"

The man came nearer. He stood near Andy and took out a packet of cigarettes. Andy heard him strike a match and knew that he had lighted a cigarette.

The man threw the empty cigarette packet on to the sand, and puffed at his cigarette. A young gull, seeing the man throw the packet away, thought that it might be a piece of bread. It flew down to see, crying "Ee-oo, ee-oo, ee-oo!" very loudly.

The other gulls heard it and soared round in circles, wondering if there was any food to find. The young gull landed on the sand and stood looking at the packet, hardly daring to go nearer to peck it, for it was too close to the man.

The other gulls flew down-and two stood on Andy and one stood on the girls! The children looked so exactly like rocks that the gulls really thought they were!

One gull thought the rock felt unusually soft and warm and he bent down his head and pecked at it. He pecked Andy's knee and the boy nearly gave a yell.

The men joined the one who was smoking a cigarette. They did not even bother to walk over the rocks. One man said that it was plain there could be n.o.body hiding there for the gulls would not stand about as they were doing if there was anyone hiding. They would know it and be suspicious.

For some time the men stood talking and smoking. Then they turned to go up the cliff again. One walked so near Andy that the boy could feel the thud of his footfall close by.

Up the cliff climbed the men and disappeared over the top. Andy cautiously lifted his head after a while and looked around. There was no one to be seen.

The boy felt that it would be safer if they all stayed where they were for some time longer-but he felt cold and damp, and he was afraid that the girls would catch a dreadful chill.

"Mary! Jill!" he called, in a low voice. "I flunk the men are gone, but we must still be careful. Slowly and carefully take off the weed and shake yourselves free of the sand. Be ready to lie still at once if I say so."

But there was no need to say so-the men did not come back to the beach. The three children shook off the damp sand, threw the seaweed over the places where they had been lying and ran quickly to the shelter of the cliff, where no one could see them, if they looked over.

The gulls flew off in the greatest surprise and alarm. They could not understand rocks turning into children so suddenly. The young gull made up its mind that it would never land on. a rock again-just suppose it changed into a person!

"Golly!" said Andy, as they stood shivering under the cliff. "That was a narrow escape! One man very nearly trod on my hand under the sand!"

"What have you done to your knee, Andy?" asked Jill, pointing to where Andy's knee was bleeding.

"A gull pecked me there," said Andy, mopping his knee. "It's nothing much. I say, wasn't it funny when the gulls thought we were rocks and came and stood on us! They were a great help!"