The Sea of Adventure (20 page)

They crouched down near a mass of rocks. The aeroplane made an enormous noise as it came nearer and nearer.

Jack gave a cry. "It's a seaplane! Look, it's got floats underneath!"

"What an enormous one!" said Dinah. "It's coming down!"

So it was. It circled the island once and then came lower as it circled it again. It seemed almost to brush the hill that towered at the other end of the island, the hill that overlooked the lagoon.

Then the engines were cut out, and there was a silence.

"She's landed," said Jack. "She's on the lagoon! I bet you anything you like that's where she is!"

"Oh, do let's go and see, as soon as dusk comes," begged Dinah. "Do you think she's going to get up the hidden guns?"

"However could she do that?" said Jack, rather scornfully.

"Well, she's pretty big and hefty," said Philip. "It's possible she's got some sort of apparatus on her for dragging up the hidden armaments. If the men think there's a danger of our Government sending patrols up here to look into the matter, always supposing that Bill has sent a message through to his headquarters then our enemy will certainly try to remove the guns as soon as possible. It rather looks, seeing that this is a seaplane, as if the guns are going to be flown to South America — or somewhere far across the sea."

As soon as it was dusk the children could not resist the temptation to go across the island and climb up the heights to peep over and see the lagoon. Even in the twilight they might be able to see something interesting.

They were soon on the cliff overlooking the lagoon. They could just make out the great shape of the giant seaplane in the middle of the sea-lake. Then suddenly lights shone out from it, and a noise began — a grating, dragging noise, as if some kind of machinery was being set to do some heavy work.

"I bet they're dragging up the packages of guns," whispered Jack. "We can't very well see — but we can hear enough to know something is at work, something needing winches, I should think."

Lucy-Ann didn't know what winches were, but she could quite well imagine some kind of machinery that would send hooked cables overboard to drag up the heavy bundles of guns. Then the seaplane, when loaded up, would fly off again. And another would come, and another! Or maybe the same one would come back again and again.

The lights showed the children the vast shape of the seaplane. It looked weird lying quietly there in the middle of the dark lagoon. Lucy-Ann shivered.

"It's awful to be up against enemies who have boats and aeroplanes and seaplanes and guns," she thought. "We haven't anything except poor Horace's little motor-boat, and our own wits."

They went back soberly to their boat. The tide had taken it out a little way, but as they had tied a rope to a convenient rock, they pulled it in without difficulty. They all got on board.

"Now this is the greatest adventure of all," said Jack, rather solemnly. "Hiding is an adventure. Escaping is an adventure. But rescuing somebody else from the very jaws of the enemy is the greatest adventure of all."

"If only we don't get captured ourselves!" said Lucy-Ann.

Jack started up the engine. The little boat nosed out to sea, leaving the lagoon island behind. Huffin and Puffin settled themselves on the deck-rail as usual, and Kiki sat on Jack's shoulder. Philip's rats, frightened at the sudden noise of the engine, twined themselves together in a large bump in the hollow of Philip's back. "You tickle me!" he said, but the rats took no notice.

"Well, good luck to us all!" said Dinah. "May we rescue Bill — and Horace too — defeat the enemy — and get back home in safety!"

"God save the King!" said Kiki devoutly, in exactly the same tone of voice, and everyone laughed. Funny old Kiki!

Chapter 26

OFF TO THE ENEMY'S ISLAND

THE little boat sped along in the darkness. Philip was at the wheel. He took a large star as guide, and kept the boat well on its course.

After a while Jack touched his arm. "See that light? It must come from the enemy's island. It's not the bright signalling light we saw before, but it certainly comes from the island."

"I'll set course for it," said Philip. "You'll make certain Kiki doesn't go off into one of her cackles or screeches, won't you, Jack? Any noise out here on the water would be easily heard on land. Sound over water carries such a distance. I'll have to shut off the engine soon, or that will be heard."

"Kiki won't make a sound," said Jack.

"Shhhhhhh!" said Kiki at once.

"Yes. Good bird! Shhhhhhh!" said Jack. Philip shut off the engine and the boat gradually lost way until it was just drifting on. Then it came to a gentle strip on the restless sea.

Jack looked through his glasses at the light he could see on the island. "I think it must be some sort of harbour light," he said. "Perhaps they have a small harbour there — they may have quite a fleet of motor-boats, you know, continually patrolling to make sure no one visits islands near here. It's quite a steady light."

Philip fumbled for the oars. "Now for a spot of hard rowing!" he said. "What's the time, Jack? Can you see by your wrist-watch? It's got a luminous face, hasn't it?"

"It's almost eleven o'clock," said Jack. "Just about right. We shall be nearing land about midnight, when we can hope that the enemy won't be wide awake."

The boys took an oar each. Splish-splash! the oars went in and out of the water as the boys pulled with a will, and the boat glided smoothly along.

"We'll take turns when you're tired," said Dinah. "Philip, where are your rats? Something brushed against my leg just now. I shan't be able to help squealing if you let them run about."

"They're in my pocket," said Philip. "You're imagining things, as usual. And if you dare to squeal, I'll jolly well tip you overboard!"

"She won't, she won't," said Lucy-Ann. "It's only Huffin and Puffin walking about the deck, Dinah. One of them perched on my leg just now."

"Arrrr!" said a guttural voice from the deck-rail.

"Shhhhhh!" said Kiki at once.

"She doesn't understand that it doesn't in the least matter Huffin and Puffin arrring all they like," said Jack. "They make a natural bird-noise that wouldn't put anyone on guard."

"Shhhhhh!" said Kiki reprovingly.

The light from the shore gleamed steadily. "Must be from a lantern," said Jack, in a low voice, pulling hard at his oar. "Probably a guide to any motor-boat going in or out. Philip, let's have a rest. I'm getting puffed."

"Right," said Philip. The girls wanted to take a turn, but Jack wouldn't let them. "No. You don't row as well together as Philip and I do. We can keep having a rest if we want to. There's no hurry. The later we are the better, in a way."

They soon took the oars again, and their boat moved steadily over the water towards the light.

"No more talking now," whispered Jack. "Only tiny whispers."

Lucy-Ann's knees went queer again. Her tummy felt peculiar too. Dinah was strung up and her breath came fast, although she was not rowing. The two boys were tense with excitement. Would they find the enemy's motor-boat there, with Bill already in it, ready to be "dumped," as the man had said that day? And would there be many men on guard?

"Whatever's that noise?" whispered Dinah at last, as their boat drew nearer to land. "It does sound queer."

The boys paused in their rowing, and leaned on their oars to listen.

"Sounds like a band playing," said Jack. "Of course — it's a wireless!"

"Good!" said Philip. "Then the enemy won't be so likely to hear us creeping in. Jack, look! — I think that's a little jetty there — you can just make it out by the light of that lantern. Can we possibly creep in without being seen or heard? And look! — is that a boat lying under the lantern?"

"I'll get the glasses," said Philip, and felt about for them. He put them to his eyes. "Yes — it is a boat — quite a big one. I should think it's the one the enemy came to our island in. I bet Bill is on it, battened down in the cabin!"

The band continued playing on the wireless. "Somebody on board has got it on," said Jack. "The guard, I should think. Will he be on deck, then — the guard, I mean? There's no light there."

"If you ask me, he's having a nice lazy time, snoozing on deck with his wireless playing him nice tunes," whispered back Philip. "Look! — can you see that little glow, Jack? I bet that's the end of a cigarette the guard is smoking."

"Yes, it probably is," said Jack.

"I don't think we dare go in any closer," said Philip. "We don't want to be seen. If the guard gives the alarm, we're done for. I wonder how many there are on the deck. I can only see one glowing cigarette-end."

"What are you going to do?" whispered Lucy-Ann. "Do do something. I feel awful! I shall burst in a minute."

Philip put out his hand and took hers. "Don't worry," he whispered. "We shall have to do something soon! It looks to be rather a good time. If only that guard would fall asleep!"

"I say, Tufty — do you know what I think would be much the best thing to do?" said Jack suddenly. "If you and I swam to the harbour, climbed up, got on the boat and surprised the guard, we could probably tip him into the water, and before he could raise the alarm, we'd open up the hatch and get Bill out. Why, we could probably drive the motor-boat off too — then we'd have two!"

"Sounds a good plan," said Philip. "But we don't know yet if Bill is there — and it's quite likely we couldn't tip the guard overboard — especially if there are more than one. We'd better do a little exploring first. Your idea of slipping overboard and swimming to the harbour is jolly good though. We'll certainly do that. We can clamber up a part where there are shadows, away from that light."

"Oh dear — must you go swimming in the dark?" said Lucy-Ann, looking at the black water with a shiver. "I should hate it. Do, do be careful, Jack!"

"I'll be all right," said Jack. "Come on, Philip. Strip off your clothes. We'll swim in our pants."

It wasn't long before the boys silently slid overboard and entered the water. It was cold and they drew their breaths in sharply. But they soon felt warm as they swam rapidly towards the harbour. They could hear the wireless more plainly as they came near. "Good thing," thought Jack. "They won't be able to hear us coming at all."

They avoided the light, and clambered up the part of the jetty where there were black shadows. It was not easy. "The boat's just there," whispered Jack in Philip's ear. "Not right under the light, thank goodness!"

A sound made them stop suddenly. A loud and prolonged yawn came from the deck of the boat. Then the wireless was snapped off and silence came back to the night.

"He may be going to sleep," hissed Jack. "Let's wait."

They waited in complete silence for about ten minutes. The man tossed a glowing cigarette-end overboard but did not light another. The boys heard him give several grunts as if he was settling down comfortably. Then he gave a loud yawn again.

Still the boys waited, shivering in the darkness of the jetty, keeping close to one another in order to get a little bit of warmth from each other's bodies.

Then, on the night air, came very very welcome sounds. "He's snoring," whispered Jack, pressing Philip's arm in joy. "He's asleep. I'm sure there's only one guard, because otherwise they would have been talking together. Now's our chance. Come on — but quietly, so as not to wake him!"

The two boys, shivering now with excitement as much as with cold, crept along the jetty to the boat. They climbed cautiously on board, their bare feet making no sound at all. On the deck lay the sleeping guard — if he was a guard!

Then another sound stopped them. This time it came from beneath their feet. Philip clutched Jack's bare arm and made him jump violently. They stood and listened.

It was somebody talking, down below in the cabin. Who was it? Could it be Bill? And who was he with? Horace perhaps. But maybe after all it wasn't Bill down there, maybe it was the enemy, playing cards, and perhaps the sleeping man wasn't a guard. It would be very foolish to toss him overboard and open the cabin hatch to find the enemy down in the cabin.

"We'd better listen and find out if it's Bill," said Jack, right in Philip's ear. The boys could see thin streaks of light where the hatch was fitted down into the deck, covering in the little cabin; so they knew exactly where it was. They crept forward and then knelt down by the closed hatch. They put their ears to the cracks and strained to listen to the voices talking.

They could not hear what was being said — but, when one of the talkers suddenly cleared his throat and gave a little cough, the boys knew who it was all right! It was one of Bill's little ways. Bill was down there. It was Bill who was talking. Both boys felt a surge of tremendous relief. If only they could get Bill out, and let him take charge of things!

"If we throw this fellow overboard, we may find he raises the alarm so quickly that we shan't be able to get Bill out and explain things to him fast enough," said Jack, in Philip's ear. "As he's so fast asleep, what about unbolting the hatch and letting Bill see we're here? Then he could help us with the guard, and take charge of the boat."