Part 12 (2/2)

”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'll 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.

Chapter Twenty.

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 hoa.r.s.e 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 c.o.c.ked 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 b.u.t.ter 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.

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