Chapter Eleven. OFF TO KIRRINISLAND

 

JULIAN and George went to find Dick and Anne. They were waiting for them in the garden, looking rather upset. They were glad to see Julian and George and ran to meet them.

Anne took George's hands. " I'm awfully sorry about your island, George, " she said.

" So am I, " said Dick. " Bad luck, old girl-I mean, old boy! "

George managed to smile. " I've been behaving like a girl, " she said, half-ashamed. " But I did get an awful shock."

Julian told the others what they had planned. " We'll go tomorrow morning, " he said. " We'll make out a list of all the things we shall need. Let's begin now."

He took out a pencil and notebook. The others looked at him.

" Things to eat, " said Dick at once. " Plenty because we'll be hungry."

" Something to drink, " said George. " There's no water on the island- though I believe there was a well or something, years ago, that went right down below the level of the sea, and was fresh water. Anyway, I've never found it."

" Food, " wrote down Julian, " and drink." He looked at the others.

" Spades, " he said solemnly, and scribbled the word down.

Anne stared in surprise.

" What for? " she asked.

" Well, we'll want to dig about when we're hunting for a way down to the dungeons, " said Julian.

" Ropes, " said Dick. " We may want those too."

" And torches, " said George. " It'll be dark in the dungeons."

" Oooh! " said Anne, feeling a pleasant shiver go down her back at the thought. She had no idea what dungeons were like, but they sounded thrilling.

" Rugs, " said Dick. " We'll be cold at night if we sleep in that little old room."

Julian wrote them down. " Mugs to drink from, " he said. " And we'll take a few tools too- we may perhaps need them. You never know."

At the end of half an hour they had quite a nice long list, and everyone felt pleased and excited. George was beginning to recover from her rage and disappointment. If she had been alone, and had brooded over everything, she would have been in an even worse sulk and temper-but somehow the others were so calm and sensible and cheerful. It was impossible to sulk for long if she was with them.

" I think I'd have been much nicer if I hadn't been on my own so much, " thought George to herself, as she looked at Julian's bent head. " Talking about things to other people does help a lot. They don't seem so dreadful then; they seem more bearable and ordinary. I like my three cousins awfully. I like them because they talk and laugh and are always cheerful and kind. I wish I was like them. I'm sulky and bad-tempered and fierce, and no wonder Father doesn't like me and scolds me so often. Mother's a dear, but I understand now why she says I am difficult. I'm different from my cousins- they're easy to understand, and everyone likes them. I'm glad they came. They are making me more like I ought to be."

This was a long thought to think, and George looked very serious while she was thinking it. Julian looked up and caught her blue eyes fixed on him. He smiled.

" Penny for your thoughts! " he said.

" They're not worth a penny, " said George, going red. " I was just thinking how nice you all are- and how I wished I could be like you."

" You're an awfully nice person, " said Julian, surprisingly. " You can't help being an only child. They're always a bit queer, you know, unless they're mighty careful. You're a most interesting person, I think."

George flushed red again, and felt pleased. " Let's go and take Timothy for a walk, " she said. " He'll be wondering what's happened to us today."

They all went off together, and Timothy greeted them at the top of his voice. They told him all about their plans for the next day, and he wagged his tail and looked up at them out of his soft brown eyes as if he understood every single word they said!

" He must feel pleased to think he's going to be with us for two or three days, " said Anne.

It was very exciting the next morning, setting off in the boat with all their things packed neatly at one end. Julian checked them all by reading out aloud from his list. It didn't seem as if they had forgotten anything.

" Got the map? " said Dick, suddenly.

Julian nodded.

" I put on clean jeans this morning, " he said, " but you may be sure I remembered to pop the map into my pocket. Here it is!

He took it out- and the wind at once blew it right out of his hands! It fell into the sea and bobbed there in the wind. All four children gave a cry of utter dismay. Their precious map!

" Quick! Row after it! " cried George, and swung the boat round. But someone was quicker than she was! Tim had seen the paper fly from Julian's hand, and had heard and understood the cries of dismay. With an enormous splash he leapt into the water and swam valiantly after the map.

He could swim well for a dog, for he was strong and powerful. He soon had the map in his mouth and was swimming back to the boat. The children thought he was simply marvellous!

George hauled him into the boat and took the map from his mouth. There was hardly the mark of his teeth on it! He had carried it so carefully. It was wet, and the children looked anxiously at it to see if the tracing had been spoilt. But Julian had traced it very strongly, and it was quite all right. He placed it on a seat to dry, and told Dick to hold it there in the sun.

" That was a narrow squeak! " he said, and the others agreed.

George took the oars again, and they set off once more to the island, getting a perfect shower-bath from Timothy when he stood up and shook his wet coat. He was given a big biscuit as a reward, and crunched it up with great enjoyment.

George made her way through the reefs of rocks with a sure hand. It was marvellous to the others how she could slide the boat in between the dangerous rocks and never get a scratch. They thought she was really wonderful. She brought them safely to the little inlet, and they jumped out on to the sand. They pulled the boat high up, in case the tide came far up the tiny cove, and then began to unload their goods.

" We'll carry all the things to that little stone room, " said Julian. " They will be safe there and won't get wet if it rains. I hope nobody comes to the island while we are here, George."

" I shouldn't think they would, " said George. " Father said it would be about a week before the deeds were signed, making over the island to that man. It won't be his till then. We've got a week, anyhow."

" Well, we don't need to keep a watch in case anyone else arrives then, " said Julian, who had half thought that it would be a good idea to make someone stay on guard at the inlet, to give a warning to the others in case anyone else arrived. " Come on! You take the spades, Dick. I'll take the food and drink with George. And Anne can take the little things."

The food and drink were in a big box, for the children did not mean to starve while they were on the island! They had brought loaves of bread, butter, biscuits, jam, tins of fruit, ripe plums, bottles of ginger-beer, a kettle to make tea, and anything else they could think of! George and Julian staggered up the cliff with the heavy box. They had to put it down once or twice to give themselves a rest!

They put everything into the little room. Then they went back to get the collection of blankets and rugs from the boat. They arranged them in the corners of the little room, and thought that it would be most exciting to spend the night there.

" The two girls can sleep together on this pile of rugs, " said Julian. " And we two boys will have this pile."

George looked as if she didn't want to be put with Anne, and classed as a girl. But Anne didn't wish to sleep alone in her corner, and she looked so beseechingly at George that the bigger girl smiled at her and made no objection. Anne thought that George was getting nicer and nicer!

" Well, now we'll get down to business, " said Julian, and he pulled out his map. " We must study this really carefully, and find out exactly under what spot the entrances to the dungeons are. Now- come around and let's do our best to find out! It's up to us to use our brains- and beat that man who's bought the island! "

They all bent over the traced map. It was quite dry now, and the children looked at it earnestly. It was plain that in the old days the castle had been a very fine place.

" Now look, " said Julian, putting his finger on the plan of the dungeons. " These seem to run all along under the castle- and here- and here- are the marks that seem to be meant to represent steps or stairs."

" Yes, " said George. " I should think they are. Well, if so, there appear to be two ways of getting down into the dungeons. One lot of steps seems to begin somewhere near this little room- and the other seems to start under the tower there. And what do you suppose this thing is here, Julian? "

She put her finger on a round hole that was shown not only in the plan of the dungeons, but also in the plan of the ground floor of the castle.

" I can't imagine what that is, " said Julian, puzzled. " Oh yes, I know what it might be! You said there was an old well somewhere, do you remember? Well, that may be it, I should think. It would have to be very deep to get fresh water right under the sea- so it probably goes down through the dungeons too. Isn't this thrilling? "

Everyone thought it was. They felt happy and excited. There was something to discover- something they could and must discover within the next day or two.

They looked at one another. " Well, " said Dick, " what are we going to start on? Shall we try to find the entrance to the dungeons- the one that seems to start round about this little room? For all we know there may be a big stone we can lift that opens above the dungeon steps! "

This was a thrilling thought, and the children jumped up at once. Julian folded up the precious map and put it into his pocket. He looked round. The stone floor of the little room was overgrown with creeping weeds. They must be cleared away before it was possible to see if there were any stones that looked as if they might be moved.

" We'd better set to work, " said Julian, and he picked up a spade. " Let's clear away these weeds with our spades- scrape them off, look, like this- and then examine every single stone! "

They all picked up spades and soon the little stone room was full of a scraping sound as the four of them chiselled away at the close-growing weeds with their spades. It wasn't very difficult to get the stones clear of them, and the children worked with a will.

Tim got most excited about everything. He hadn't any idea at all what they were doing, but he joined in valiantly. He scraped away at the floor with his four paws, sending earth and plants flying high into the air!

" Hi, Tim! " said Julian, shaking a clod of earth out of his hair. " You're being a bit too vigorous. My word, you'll send the stones flying into the air too, in a minute. George, isn't Tim marvellous the way he joins in everything? "

How they all worked! How they all longed to find the entrance to the underground dungeons! What a thrill that would be.

 

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