The two boys were asleep almost before he had finished his sentence. The smell of Bill’s tobacco wafted round the courtyard. Micky smelt it in his sleep and cuddled closer to Philip. He did not like the smell of tobacco. Kiki was standing on Jack, her head under her wing. The girls were absolutely still, sleeping soundly although they had such an uncomfortable resting place.
Bill put out the lantern. Only the glow of his pipe shone in the courtyard now and again. He was thinking hard. He went over all the happenings of the last two days. He considered Mr Eppy’s assertion that the island was his. He puzzled over the whereabouts of the other creek, where probably Mr Eppy’s boat or boats were. He wondered how the little party underground was getting on. He hoped fervently they were well and truly lost in the labyrinth.
He made his plans for the next day. They would find the boats. That would be the first thing. Where on earth would the creek be – the second creek that Andros had spoken about? Perhaps it would . . .
A noise stopped his thoughts at once. He put down his pipe and stood up, a silent figure close to the broken column. He listened. The noise had come from underground, he was sure of that.
Well – if it was the company coming back, he was in for a wakeful night! Bill picked up a large piece of wood that he had had his eye on all evening. It had probably been part of a door or window frame – now it would make a very good weapon!
He stood by the column, listening intently. A scraping noise came up to him – someone was climbing up the last part of the stone spiral. The noise stopped. The someone was evidently in the column now. What was he doing? He appeared to be feeling about for something. ‘The food!’ thought Bill, with a grin. ‘Well – it’s gone!’
A little whimper came up to him, and then a shaky voice said, in a low tone, ‘Jack! Philip! Are you there?’
‘Why – it’s Lucian!’ thought Bill in astonishment. ‘Well – he can’t be alone!’
He listened again. The whimpering began once more, rather like a miserable dog’s . There was no sound of any other voice, or of anyone else coming up the stairway. Bill made up his mind. He leapt up to the broken edge of the hole in the column, switched on his torch and looked down.
Lucian was standing below him, his terrified face looking up, dirt caked on his cheeks. He put up his hand as if he expected Bill to aim a blow down at him.
‘Lucian!’ said Bill. ‘What are you doing here? Where are the others?’
‘I don’t know,’ moaned poor Lucian. ‘They only took me down as far as that vault place at the bottom of these steps. They wouldn’t let me go any further with them. They told me to stay there till they came back, and not to stir. My uncle said he’d half kill me if he didn’t find me waiting for them when they came back.’
‘Didn’t they come back, then?’ said Bill, keeping his torch on Lucian’s face.
‘No. And they went hours ago,’ cried Lucian. ‘I don’t know what’s happened to them. And I’m so hungry and cold and tired – and I’m frightened down there, too. I didn’t dare to have my torch on all the time in case the battery gave out.’
Bill believed the frightened boy. ‘Come on up,’ he said. ‘Here – take my hand and jump. Go on, Lucian, jump! Surely you can leap up here.’
Poor Lucian couldn’t. In the end Bill had to get into the column and shove him up to the hole. Even then Lucian looked about to fall off. He was in a terrible state of nerves.
At last he was safely down in the courtyard, and Bill gave him some bread and cheese. He fell on it as if he hadn’t eaten for a month.
A thought suddenly struck him. ‘I say – how did you get free? I mean – weren’t you all tied up?’
‘Yes,’ said Bill grimly. ‘We were. But fortunately for you, we got free – yes, all of us. The boys are asleep over there, and the girls are nearby. No, don’t wake them – they’re tired out. If we’d all been tied up still, you would have stayed in that column all night. Not a nice thought, Lucian!’
‘No,’ said Lucian, and shivered. ‘I wish I hadn’t come to this horrible island. What’s going to happen? Are you going down to look for my uncle? He must be completely lost, you know.’
‘He can stay lost, as far as I’m concerned,’ said Bill. ‘In fact, it will do him good. Your uncle is not a man I’ve any kindly feelings for, at present.’
‘No. He’s horrible,’ agreed Lucian. ‘Once he’d found the treasure he’d planned to leave you stranded here, all of you, and go off by himself to get more men to come and remove it.’
‘Nice, thoughtful fellow,’ said Bill. ‘Well, young man, you’d better get some sleep. And tomorrow you’re going to help us, to make up for the misdeeds of your nasty-minded uncle.’
‘Oh – I’d be very glad to help you,’ said Lucian at once. ‘I would really. I’m on your side, you know that.’
‘Yes, I expect you are,’ said Bill. ‘You’ll have to be from now on, anyway!’
‘How can I help you tomorrow?’ asked Lucian.
‘By taking us to the creek where your uncle’s boats are,’ said Bill at once.
‘Oh, of course – if only I can remember where it is,’ said Lucian anxiously. ‘I’m not awfully good at remembering routes, you know. But I daresay I’ll remember that.’
‘You’ll have to,’ said Bill grimly. ‘And now, go to sleep. No – don’t go over to the boys. Just stay where you are. And mind – if your precious uncle arrives during the night, there’s to be no warning to him from you. Otherwise some unpleasant things will happen to you.’
‘Oh, I tell you I’m on your side now,’ protested Lucian, and settled himself as comfortably as he could. ‘Good night, sir. See you in the morning!’
26
Next morning
Four hours later Bill woke Jack. In a few sentences he told the surprised boy about the arrival of Lucian. ‘He keeps saying he’s on our side now, but you never know with a nitwit like that,’ he warned Jack. ‘So keep your eye on him. And if you hear the slightest sound from underground, prod me awake at once, Jack!’
‘Right, Bill,’ said Jack, fresh from his sound sleep. ‘I say – they’ve been a long time underground, haven’t they? They must be lost!’
‘I sincerely hope so,’ said Bill. ‘I don’t imagine they will be lost for ever, however desirable that might be – that labyrinth isn’t a frightfully big one. Well, I’m going to sleep, Jack. Keep your wits about you!’
Jack was still sleepy. He was afraid he might find it difficult to keep awake, so he lit the lantern, and walked round the courtyard. He shone the light on to Lucian. He was so fast asleep that he did not even stir. Philip was soundly off too, and as for the girls, not an inch of their faces was to be seen, they were cuddled up so closely to one another.
Kiki accompanied Jack on his rambles round the courtyard. She knew she had to be quiet, so she whispered all the time. She wasn’t very good at whispering, and tickled Jack’s ear till he could not bear it any longer. He took her off his shoulder, and made her perch on one of his arms.
His two hours went by without anything happening at all. He woke Philip. It took a long time because the boy was so very sound asleep. As fast as Jack rolled him over to wake him, he rolled back again, his eyes still shut.
Jack took off one of Philip’s shoes and tickled the soles of his feet. That woke him up all right! Philip sat straight up and glared round at the lantern Jack held.
‘What are you . . .’ he began, in a loud voice, and Jack shushed him at once.
‘Shh, idiot! You’ll wake the rest! Sorry about tickling your feet, but I simply couldn’t wake you! It’s your turn to watch now.’
Philip put on his shoe, saying something uncomplimentary to Jack under his breath. Micky woke up too, and looked in astonishment round the yard. He had forgotten where he was.
Jack told Philip in whispers about Lucian’s arrival. Philip was amused. ‘So Lucian is on our side now!’ he said. ‘Well – he’s not a bad sort really – only he’s such a nitwit! Poor Luci
an – I guess he was scared out of his life! Right, I’ll keep my eye on him – though honestly he wouldn’t have the nerve to do anything he shouldn’t. And if our dear Mr Eppy pops his head up out of the column, I shall have the greatest pleasure in conking him good and hard.’
Jack grinned. ‘Well, I’m off to sleep again,’ he said. ‘Good hunting, Philip!’
Philip’s eyes persisted in closing, as he sat there keeping watch. He got up and walked about, as Jack had done. It would be an unforgivable thing to sleep while he was on guard. Quite unthinkable. He wondered what the time was, and glanced at his watch. The hands were phosphorescent, and showed him the time. Five o’clock – or getting on that way. He looked at the eastern sky. It was already silvering with the dawn.
It was almost at the end of Philip’s two hours that the noise came. By this time the sun was up and the sunlight was on everything, clean and new and beautiful. Philip was enjoying the warmth of the first slanting beams when he heard the noise.
He pricked up his ears, and Micky began to chatter softly. ‘Shh!’ said Philip. ‘I want to listen.’ Micky was silent at once.
The noise came again – the scraping of boots on stone. They’re coming! thought Philip, and he ran to where Bill was sleeping face down in the grass that grew over the yard. ‘Bill! Wake up! They’re coming!’
Bill woke up at once. He sprang to his feet, all sleep gone in an instant. Jack awoke too, and so did the girls. Only Lucian slept on, but nobody took any notice of him.
Bill ran to the column. He took the big wedge of wood from Philip. ‘Stand back,’ he said to the girls. ‘I don’t expect for a moment I’ll have much trouble, but you never know. I’m not standing any nonsense from Eppy and Co.’
He stationed himself just under the broken edge of the hole in the column. He listened. Vo ices came up to him. Someone was evidently now standing inside the column, having come up to the top of the spiral stairway. Bill heard what was said, but couldn’t understand it.
However, he recognized Mr Eppy’s voice, and took a firm hold of his piece of wood! Mr Eppy stood still for a moment and listened to someone shouting up to him from the stairway below. Then he called up in a low voice.
‘Lucian? Are you there, Lucian?’
Lucian was there – but he was fast asleep, so of course he didn’t answer. Mr Eppy called again softly. ‘Lucian!’
Bill answered, in a grim voice. ‘I’m here – Bill Cunningham – and I’m waiting for you, Mr Eppy! The moment you try to get out of there I shall knock you back – with this weapon!’ Bill banged his wedge of wood down on the column with such a noise that everyone jumped violently, and Lucian woke up.
There was a dead silence inside the column. Then there was a scraping noise, as if someone else was coming up the stairway. Vo ices spoke together, very low.
‘How did you get free?’ came Mr Eppy’s voice again. ‘Did Lucian free you? He’s not here.’
‘No, he didn’t,’ said Bill.
The voices spoke together again. Then Mr Eppy called up urgently.
‘Mr Cunningham! My men tell me that they have just found poor Lucian down here – badly hurt. He needs help. Let us come up at once.’
This was a most astonishing piece of news, especially to Lucian, whose mouth fell open in amazement. He was about to speak when Jack nudged him to be quiet. Bill was handling this!
‘Sorry to hear that, Mr Eppy,’ said Bill. ‘Hand him up and we’ll look after him. But you remain below. That’s definite.’
Another conference took place in low voices. Then Mr Eppy spoke again.
‘I must ask you to allow us to come up with the boy. He is seriously hurt. I am very distressed about him.’
Lucian’s face was a study. Dinah almost giggled as she watched him. Bill answered at once.
‘Nothing doing. Nobody comes up except, er, Lucian. Hand him over.’
As Lucian was even then sitting on the grass in the courtyard it was quite impossible for Mr Eppy to hand him over. Lucy-Ann whispered to Dinah, ‘Isn’t he a terrible storyteller!’
Bill began banging idly on the column with his wedge. ‘Well, you don’t seem to want to part with Lucian,’ he called. ‘Now I warn you – if anyone appears at the hole in this column they’re for it!’
Bang, bang! That was Bill’s piece of wood on the column again. It couldn’t have pleased Mr Eppy very much. He was not a brave man, and it was easy to imagine his feelings down in the column!
‘Can we have some food?’ he called at last.
‘No,’ Bill shouted back hard-heartedly. ‘There is barely enough for our breakfast.’
Judging by the scraping noises that could then be heard, Mr Eppy and the others had decided to go back down the stairs and have a conference. Bill jerked his head at Jack.
‘Give out the food that’s left to everyone. I’m staying here in case any of these fellows tries something funny. I have a feeling there’s a revolver or two among them, so whatever happens I can’t let them appear at the top.’
Jack and Philip shared out the remaining food. Bill gulped down his share, keeping eyes and ears open for any movement or sound from the broken column. But there was none.
He beckoned the others over to him at the end of the rather unsatisfactory meal. ‘Now listen,’ he said in a low voice. ‘I must stay here, you can see that. What you have to do is to go with Lucian and find the creek where the boat or boats are, belonging to Mr Eppy. Be careful there are no men left in them.’
‘There are two men with two boats,’ said Lucian. This was disappointing news. Bill considered again.
‘Well – the thing to do first of all is to find the creek with the boats,’ said Bill. ‘Don’t show yourselves. Just find the creek so that we know the way. Then come back here. We’ll hope that farm-boy arrives with more food at twelve o’clock, as he usually does.’
‘We could do with it,’ said Jack.
‘So could our dear Mr Eppy and his friends,’ grinned Philip. ‘Bill, what do we do after we’ve found the creek and the boats, and come back to report?’
‘We send Lucian down with a message supposedly from his uncle, to tell the men to come along up here,’ said Bill, ‘and we pop down and go off in the boats!’
‘But, I say – you’ll go on the rocks!’ protested Lucian at once. ‘You can’t come to these islands without a boatman who knows them. You’ll be wrecked!’
This was a problem to be faced. Bill considered again.
‘Well – we’ll have to make up our minds about that when the time comes. In the meantime, off you go. Lucian, lead the way.’
Lucian, looking rather doubtful, went to the sloping city street. He set off down it, and turned off to the left halfway down.
‘You seem to know the way, all right,’ said Jack approvingly. Lucian looked at him uneasily.
‘I don’t,’ he said. ‘I’m absolutely no good at this kind of thing. I can never can find my way anywhere. I’ve no sense of direction at all. I shall never find the boats!’
27
Unexpected visitors
Lucian was perfectly right. He did not know the way, and he could not find the boats. He was completely hopeless. He simply wandered here and there, making towards the sea, but arriving at a rocky beach where no boats could possibly lie.
‘You’re a mutt,’ said Jack in disgust.
‘Mutt!’ said Kiki, pleased with the word. ‘Mutty! Send for the doctor.’
Nobody smiled even at this. They were all too disappointed and disgusted with poor Lucian. He looked ready to cry.
‘It’s not my fault,’ he said with a sniff. ‘If I’d known it was going to be so important I’d have taken careful note of the way. But I didn’t know.’
‘Now, look here – if you start to moan again I’ll push you down a rabbit hole, and stuff it up with seaweed,’ said Jack in disgust. Lucian looked alarmed.
‘I would remember if I could,’ he said dismally. ‘But I do tell you this – nobody can come or go from
these islands in a boat without a seaman who knows the way. There are hundreds of rocks just below the surface of the sea. Even an experienced seaman finds it difficult. I know because I’ve so often visited them with my uncle.’
Jack looked at him. ‘Well – I believe you about that,’ he said. ‘I shouldn’t care to navigate a boat myself without a sailor who knew the way. Gosh – we’re really beaten now – no boats – and if we had them we’d probably wreck ourselves. A very poor outlook indeed!’
Lucy-Ann immediately had a vision of them and Mr Eppy and his friends remaining on Thamis Island for years and years! She sighed.
‘I wish I’d never bought that ship in a bottle for Philip,’ she said. ‘If I’d known it was going to bring us such an adventure I’d have thrown it away!’
They began to make their way back to the city. As they went, Jack stopped and looked up at the sky. ‘What’s that noise?’ he said. ‘Sounds like an aeroplane!’
They all stopped then and listened, looking for the plane. Soon it came into sight, a small speck coming in from the north.
‘Pity we can’t make a signal of distress,’ said Dinah. ‘Anyway, I’m going to wave my hanky!’
She took out a small hanky and, much to the others’ amusement, waved it wildly in the air.
‘Do you really suppose for one moment that the plane can see your dirty little hanky, and would come down here if it did?’ demanded Philip.
‘You never know,’ said Dinah, still waving vigorously.
‘You’re daft,’ said Philip, and Dinah gave him one of her best scowls. Leaving her waving madly, the others went on, still keeping an eye on the plane, which by now was over the island. It flew over it – and then made a wide circuit and flew back!
‘It’s seen my hanky!’ shrieked Dinah. ‘It’s coming back!’
‘Don’t be an ass,’ said Philip. But the plane certainly had come back – and what was more, it was coming down low too, making another circuit of the whole island as it flew.