The Adventurous Four Part 12

CHAPTER 23.

A Wonderful Surprise

ALAS for Tom and Andy! The wind did change and blew strongly the other way. Andy took down the sail hurriedly. "We don't want to be blown back to our island!" he said. "We must just bob along without a sail now and hope for the best. When the wind changes again we'll put up the sail once more."

"I wonder if the enemy has found out that we've escaped," said Tom. "They might send a seaplane out after us if they found out we've gone. They'd know we were on a raft."

"Well, the girls wouldn't give us away, that's certain," said Andy. "But the enemy might easily guess we'd make a raft, if they searched the island for us and missed us-and they could send out a seaplane or two to hunt the seas for us. We're a good way from the island now-but a seaplane could easily find us."

"I hope one doesn't," said Tom. "Isn't this wind hateful, Andy? It just won't stop! It's wasting all our time."

The wind blew cold. The sun was behind the clouds. Big waves slapped around the raft and seemed really spiteful. "Almost as if they want to s.n.a.t.c.h us off," said Tom, tightening the rope that tied him safely to the mast. He s.h.i.+vered. There was no shelter at all on the open raft, and no way of getting warm or dry now that the sun was not to be seen.

"Do a few arm exercises, Tom," said Andy, "That will get you a bit warmer!"

The boys swung their arms and slapped themselves. The waves raced along and the raft raced along too-but not in the right direction, Tom was sure!

And then, towards afternoon, the wind dropped again, and the sun shone out! What a relief that was! The boys sunned themselves gladly, and were soon warm. Andy rigged the sail again. "We'll get the wind we want this evening," he said. "We'll be ready for it."

Sure enough, as the sun slid down the western sky, the wind got up again-and this time it was Wowing from the right quarter! Andy was delighted.

The sail flapped and the little raft raced along n.o.bly. "I think the wind's set in properly now," said Andy, pleased. "If only it holds for another couple of days we may be home-or, at any rate, see a s.h.i.+p we can hail."

The wind became stiffer as the evening drew on. The sun was just about to slip over the sky-line when Andy sat up straight and looked alarmed.

"Can you hear a noise?" he asked Tom.

"Plenty," said Tom. "The wind and the waves and the sail!"

"No-not that sort of noise," said Andy. "A noise like-a seaplane.'"

Tom's heart almost stopped beating. Surely their escape hadn't been discovered after all! He sat and listened.

"Yes-there's a seaplane about somewhere," said Andy. "Blow! If it's really hunting for us it will be sure to find us. Just as we've got away so nicely, too-and the wind helping Us again, and all!"

Tom went pale, and looked up at the sky anxiously. Both boys could now hear, the hum of the engines quite clearly.

And then the seaplane appeared, flying fairly low and quite slowly. It was plain that it was hunting the seas for something.

"Can we do anything, Andy?" said Tom.

"We had better jump into the water, hold on to the raft, and hope maybe the seaplane will think there's no-one on it," said Andy. "Only our heads will show beside the raft-they might not notice them. Come on, quick!"

The boys slid into the water over the side of the raff. They hung there with their hands, only their heads showing. They waited anxiously.

The great seaplane came zooming overhead, very close to the water. It had seen the raft and was coming to examine it more closely. How the boys hoped that when the raft was seen to be empty the seaplane would fly off!

The plane flew over the raft. It circled round and came back again, flying once more over the raft. It circled round again and the boys hoped it would now fly off. But once more it flew over the raft-and then, to the boys' great dismay, it skimmed over the water and landed there, not very far off.

"It's no good, Tom. We're discovered," said Andy. "We may as well climb back on to the raft. Look-they're letting down a boat."

The boys climbed back on to the raft, angry and disappointed. And then Tom gave such a tremendous yell that Andy nearly fell overboard with fright.

"Andy! ANDY! Look at the sign on the seaplane! It's Britis.h.!.+ It's BRITIs.h.!.+"

Andy looked-and sure enough there was the well-known mark that all British machines wear! And then such a change came over the boys. Instead of sitting there sullen and angry, they went completely mad. They stood up and danced on that rocking raft I They yelled, they waved, they stamped! And, as you can imagine, Tom lost his balance and fell right into the water.

Andy pulled him in, gasping and spluttering. "Oh, Andy, it's a British seaplane-not the enemy. Golly! Suppose it had flown off and not come down to examine the raft!" And then Tom went mad again and shouted for joy.

The boat from the seaplane came nearer. It had two men in it, and they hailed the boys.

"Ahoy there! Where are you from?"

"Ahoy there!" yelled back Andy. "Ahoy there!" He was too excited to shout anything else. The boat came alongside the raft and the men pulled the two boys into it.

"Why, it's only a couple of boys," said one man. "We reckoned you might be men from a sunk s.h.i.+p or aeroplane. How did you get here?"

"It's a long tale to tell," said Andy. "I think I'd better tell it to the chief, if you don't mind."

"All right. The commander's in the plane," said the first man. They rowed off to the seaplane, and left the little raft bobbing about on the sea alone. Tom was quite sorry to see it go. He had got fond of it. He'was sorry to think of the wasted food, too!

The boat reached the enormous seaplane. The boys were pushed up into it, and a grave-faced man turned to receive them.

And then Andy got a second shock, for Tom once more let out a yell that really scared him!

"DADDY! Oh, DADDY! It's YOU!"

The grave-faced man stared at Tom as if he couldn't believe his eyes. Then he took the boy into his arms and gave him such a bear-like hug that Tom felt as it his bones would break!

"Tom! We've been hunting for you ever since we heard you had gone off in that boat and hadn't come back!" he said. "Where are the girls-quick, tell me f"

"They're safe," said Tom. "We left them on the island. They're quite safe. Oh, Daddy-isn't this too good to be true I Daddy, this is Andy. He's been such a brick. Weld never have escaped if it hadn't been for him."

"What do you mean-escaped!" said Tom's father, in surprise. "Escaped from what?"

"We've got a big secret to tell you," said Tom. "We've found out something queer. You tell him. Andy."

"Well, sir," said Andy, "we got thrown off up the coast of some desolate islands where n.o.body lives now. The enemy are using them for their submarines and seaplanes. There are caves stored with food-and there" must be stores of fuel somewhere, too."

"What!" shouted Tom's father. He called his men near and they all listened to Andy's tale. The boy told it well.

"And we were just escaping on the raft we had made when we saw you," finished Andy. "We slipped over the side of the raft to hide-but you must have seen us."

"We didn't," said Tom's father. "But we were puzzled about the empty raft and came down to examine it. Little did we think you and Andy were there! This seaplane and two others have been scouring the seas about here looking for the sailing-s.h.i.+p you went off in. We were afraid you might be drifting about in it, half-starving. Your poor mother has been dreadfully upset."

"Oh dear, I was afraid she would be," said Tom. "But, never mind, we're all safe, Daddy-at least, I hope the girls are safe!"

"They will be, very soon," said the boy's father in a grim voice. "We shall rescue them-and clean up those submarines and seaplanes in no time! How clever of the enemy to have a base just under our noses-but it won't last long now! You've done a marvellous thing, Tom and Andy!"

"I hope my father won't be very angry with me for losing his boat," said Andy. "Though we might perhaps be able to get it back from the enemy now."

"Your father won't be angry with you for anything once he sees you are safe, and hears the tale you have just told me!" said Tom's father. "Settle down now-we're going up."

"Back to the island to rescue the girls?" asked Toin eagerly. His father shook his head.

"No," he said. "They must wait, I'm afraid, till I get this news through. I'll wireless home that we've got you safe, and have got great news-but that's all. This is too important to be told to anyone but the chief himself."

With a great noise of engines, the seaplane skimmed over the water, and then rose gracefully in the air. She shot away southwards, and the boys looked out over the sea, which was now far below.

"Well, what luck to be rescued like this!" said Andy. "And oh, Tom-what a shock the enemy are going to get!"

CHAPTER 24.

What Happened to the Girls

THE two girls felt very lost and lonely when the boys went off on the raft. They climbed the cliff quickly so that they might watch the boys till they were out of sight.

They waved until the raft was a tiny speck on the sea. Then they lost sight of it. It was gone.

"I do hope Tom and Andy reach home all right," said Jill, as they made their way down the cliff to the sh.o.r.e again. "It would be awful if they got lost on the sea."

"Don't say things like that!" said Mary. "Let's think of something cheerful. Let's have something to eat."

But neither of them really wanted anything. They kept thinking of the two brave boys on their little raft.

"I do hope n.o.body combs to the island to-day," said Mary. "I don't feel as if I shall be able to act very well."

n.o.body did come that day. The girls were left quite alone. They bathed in the sea and dried themselves in the sun. Then they bathed all over again. There really wasn't much else to do!

They missed the two boys very much, and when night came they even felt a little frightened.

"Cheer up!" said Jill, seeing Mary's long face. "We shall be all right cuddled up in the tent together! The enemy don't know the boys are gone-that's the main thing. I should think the boys are pretty safe by now-there has been a good wind blowing all day and they must have gone a long way already."

The girls lighted their little stove and put it just at the tent-opening when night came. They liked to see the small light it gave. They boiled a kettle of water on it and sat inside the tent, drinking hot cocoa, whilst the stars came out in the sky.

As they were about to curl up and go to sleep they heard the sound of a seaplane droning overhead. It came over the island twice, and then went away.

And then, about an hour later, the girls heard the noise of the motor-boat! It grounded on the sand of the cove and the girls heard men's voices.

"Good gracious!" said Jill, sitting up in alarm. "What are they coming here at this time of night for? They will soon see the boys aren't here! Quick, Mary, get up. We'll slip out of the tent and go into the bracken. Maybe we can pretend we've been roaming over the island, and they'll think the boys are somewhere about too."

The girls left the tent and ran into the heather and bracken in the middle of the small island. The men left their boat on the beach and two of them came up to the tent.

They lifted the flap of the tent and flashed a torch inside. There was no one there, of course! One of the men called out loudly.

"Now, you children! Where are you?"

"Here!" answered Jill. She nudged Mary. "You shout too," she whispered. "Then I'll shout again, and they'll think we are all here."

"We're here!" yelled Mary valiantly, though her heart was beating hard.

"In the bracken!" shouted Jill.

"Come along down here," commanded the man. He was the one who could speak English.

"We shall have to go," said Jill. "Now don't you give the boys away, Mary. Pretend they are about somewhere."

The girls made their way to the men, who flashed a light on them.

"Where are the boys?" demanded the man.

"Haven't you seen them?" asked Jill. 'They must be about somewhere. Maybe they are in the tent. Have you looked?"

"Yes," said the man. "Now look here-what do you mean by lighting this stove out here? Are you trying to signal to anyone?"

"Good gracious! Of course not!" said Jill. "We only made some hot cocoa, that's all. Look-there are our dirty cups."

She wished she had not said this when the man looked for the cups-for he saw at once that there were only two! He looked at Jill suspiciously.

"Why did the boys not have the cocoa?" he asked.

"They weren't here when we made it," said Jill. "Why don't you go and look for them?"

The man turned out the stove, and the light flickered and went out. "Now don't you dare to show a light at nights," he said. "If I think you are signalling to anyone you will be very sorry!"

"Who could we signal to?" asked Jill. "We don't even know where we are!"

The man took no notice of her. He stood and shouted into the night. "Boys! Come here at once!"

There was no answer, of course-there couldn't be, for the boys were miles away on the sea.

"To-morrow I will come to tell those boys that when I call, they must answer," said the man in an angry voice, "I am going now-but to-morrow I come again. You will tell the boys they must be here, by the tent."

Jill and Mary said nothing. They could not tell the boys-and they wondered what would happen when the men found that they were not on the island.

The men went off in their boat again. "What a pity we lighted that stove!" said Jill. "I suppose that seaplane saw it and reported it-and they thought we were signalling to someone. How clever they must think us! I only wish we could signal to someone!"

Neither of the girls could imagine what the men would do when they came to find the boys the next day, and saw that they were gone. They cuddled up together and tried to go to sleep. They awoke early and got themselves some breakfast. Then they sat waiting for the men.

There was nothing else to do-it was of no use trying to hide. They must just pretend that they did not know where the boys were.