Part 17 (2/2)
He went back down the pa.s.sage, swarmed up the rope, wriggled back up the little tunnel and came out into the sitting-room. He told the old man where the pa.s.sage led to. ”Come too,” he said. ”We will take you to a safe place.”
The old man laughed sadly. ”We cannot do as you do and crawl and climb,” he said. ”It is impossible. You go, and we will stay here. We will not say where you have gone. We will put back the picture over the hole and no one will guess.”
Jack went back to the girls, Kiki with him. ”Pity we couldn't take Martha too,” he said. ”I got quite fond of her. But the old people would miss her. They simply won't come with us. I think they're right, too - they'd never be able to swarm along that little tunnel, and swing down the rope - nor would they ever be able to get down into the fern-cave. Come on! I'm longing to get back to our own cave. Ha ha - we've escaped after all! Won't those men be wild!”
”I hope they won't hurt those two old people,” said Lucy-Ann anxiously. ”She was such a dear, gentle old woman.”
They went down the winding pa.s.sage and came to the cave of echoes, where Kiki annoyed them by squawking and screeching all the time, bringing back echoes of hundreds of magnified squawks and screeches that almost deafened them.
They got through the little drainpipe-like tunnel that led to the back of the fern-cave, and dropped thankfully down to the rugs still spread out there.
”Home again,” said Jack, and laughed. ”Funny to think we feel this is home - but I really do.”
They settled down for a rest. ”Those men must have gone off somewhere in their planes last night, unloaded their goods and taken off again almost at once to get back so quickly,” said Dinah thoughtfully. ”I really hardly expected to see them in the caves today. I didn't hear the planes come back, did you?”
”No - but the wind has changed, so maybe the sound didn't blow in our direction,” said Jack. ”It's not so sunny now - looks like rain - again. The wind's jolly strong.”
”We shall have to keep a look-out for Bill and Philip if they come,” said Dinah. ”Philip won't know we're here, will he?”
”Do you girls mind if I go this evening and just have a snoop round about the men's hut?” asked Jack. ”You know - in case by any chance old Tufty didn't get away but got caught and is a prisoner.”
”Golly! I didn't even think of that!” said Lucy-Ann in horror. ”Oh, Jack, surely you don't think he got caught, do you?”
”Not for a minute,” said Jack cheerfully. ”But it would be just as well to make sure. I'd better go now whilst the men are busy in the caves. By the way, were all eight of them there, do you know?”
”I think so,” said Dinah, frowning. ”But I really couldn't be certain. Do you remember, Lucy-Ann?”
”No. I didn't look at them,” said Lucy-Ann. ”Horrid things!”
”I expect they were all there,” said Jack. ”Brr-r-r-r - the wind's cold today. I'll put on an extra jersey. So long, girls, I'll be back in a short time!”
Off he went, following the familiar way back to the men's hut. He did not think that Philip would have been caught, but still, he must make sure. He scouted cautiously about. The hut door was shut. He went up to it and peeped in at the window. No Philip there. Good!
”Better just pop up to the cowshed,” thought Jack. ”They might have got him tied up there.” So off he went. No - it was empty - good!
There was a sudden rush of wind such as often sweeps through a mountainous valley. A torrent of rain came down and the boy ran for a tree. It was the tree in which they had once all hidden, a good big thick one, that would keep the rain off. He crouched there whilst the wind whipped round him.
There was such a noise of wind that the boy did not hear footsteps coming behind the tree. He did not see the burly figure of Pepi there, staring in surprise at the crouched boy.
In a trice Pepi was round the tree and had got hold of Jack's shoulders. The boy gave a howl of fright. Pepi gripped him tightly.
”Let me go!” yelled Jack. ”You brute, let me go! You're twisting my shoulder!”
Pepi took up a stick and grinned. ”A little of this will do you good,” he said. ”You boys are a lot of trouble to us. Where are the others? You will tell me or I will beat you black and blue.”
”Let me go!” yelled Jack, and kicked hard at Pepi's ankles. The man gave a yelp of pain and hit Jack on the back with the heavy stick. Jack kicked him again.
What would have happened to poor Jack is easy to guess - if something hadn't happened to Pepi first! The wind howled round and shook the tree violently. Something fell from the tree and hit the raging man full on the shoulder. He dropped down at once, shouting, clutching at his shoulder. Jack sped off into the wind. He turned and looked back. Pepi was trying to get up, groaning. The wind howled again, and the big tree spat out something else that hit Pepi on the head. He fell back and did not move.
”Golly!” said Jack, staring. ”It's two of our suitcases that we left up the tree! They just blew down at the right moment. I hope they haven't killed him.”
He went back cautiously to the still man. No, he wasn't killed - just completely knocked out. Jack saw his chance at once. He took his rope and roped the man's hands firmly together, and then his feet. Then he tied him to the tree.
”Now you won't be able to come after me, my dear Pepi,” said Jack, taking a quick look up the tree in case the remaining two suitcases should come down. ”I suppose the others left you here on guard today, as they knew somebody had been at their food. Well, you won't be much use as a guard for the rest of the day, but never mind. The tree will shelter you from the storm.
Suddenly such an extraordinary idea struck Jack that he stood perfectly still and gasped. Then he struck his hands together and yelled out loudly: ”I must do it, I must, I must! But have I time? Have I time?”
He began to run as fast as he could through the wind and the rain. ”Why didn't I think of it before? If those men are in the treasure caves, I can bolt the door on them, just as they did to us - and make them prisoners! Why didn't I think of it before? It may be too late now.”
He ran and ran, gasping and panting, hot as fire in spite of the wind and the rain.
”It won't be any good. The men will be out of the caves by now,” he thought. ”I may see them at any minute. Oh, why didn't I think of this before? I could have gone and bolted them in before I left Dinah and Lucy-Ann!”
It certainly was a most wonderful idea. The men would be absolute prisoners. They did not know the way out behind the picture, and would never think of looking for it there. Certainly the old people would not tell them. Oh, if only they were still in the caves!
The rain poured down. The wind blew like a gale. Fortunately it was behind Jack now and it helped him on. He was soaked through, but he didn't care.
There was no sign of the men. Jack slowed down when he came near the waterfall. He didn't want to run right into them. He began to think more calmly.
”Maybe they won't come out till the rain stops and the storm dies down. Rain would spoil the old books and papers and pictures. Yes, they'll be sure to wait. I may be in time yet. The men may even decide to stay the night there if the storm doesn't clear.”
Jack was right. The men, having looked out of the entrance-hole of the caves, had seen the rain-storm sweeping over the mountainside and had decided not to venture out with their treasures. They would be ruined.
”Better spend the night here,” said one of the men. ”In that room with the rugs. We'll turn the old people and children out.”
Only the old people were there. They made vague gestures when the men asked where the children were, pointing towards the pa.s.sage that led to the sunny ledge. The men settled down on the rugs, and one of them got out a pack of cards. He set the lamp so that they could all see, and then began to deal the cards. The old people went into their ”sitting-room,” sad and afraid. How they hoped that the men would not look behind the picture in the next room!
When Jack arrived at the treasure caves he could hardly walk through the pa.s.sages. He stumbled along, past the cave of stalact.i.tes, past the cave of stars and into the first treasure cave, through the open door at the bottom of the curving stairway. He could see no men at all. His heart sank. Had they gone, then? Had he missed them?
He went cautiously on. When he came to the ”sitting-room” he peeped in and saw the old couple there, with Martha the hen.
Then he heard the noise of the men in the next room. He beckoned to the old couple. They rose silently and followed him in surprise. Jack did not speak till he was well out of earshot of the men.
”Come,” he said, leading them out of the cave of statues and out of the stout door. ”I am going to bolt the men in. But I don't want to lock you in too.”
He shot all the bolts triumphantly. Cras.h.!.+ Cras.h.!.+ Cras.h.!.+ He'd done it! He'd done it!
Chapter 28.
THE DAY AFTER THE STORM.
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