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Chapter One
A GREAT SURPRISE
"Mother, have you heard about our summer holidays
yet?" said Julian, at the brea!ast"table# "$an %e &o to
'olseath as usual?"
"()m a!raid not," said his mother# "*hey are +uite !ull
u, this year#"
*he three -hildren at the brea!ast"table looed at one
another in &reat disa,,ointment# *hey did so love the
house at 'olseath# *he bea-h %as so lovely there, too, and
the bathin& %as !ine#
"$heer u,," said .addy# "( dare say %e)ll !ind
some%here else /ust as &ood !or you# 0nd any%ay, Mother
and ( %on)t be able to &o %ith you this year# 1as Mother
told you?"
"2o3" said 0nne# "4h, Mother5is it true? $an)t you
really -ome %ith us on our holidays? 6ou al%ays do#"
"7ell, this time .addy %ants me to &o to 8-otland
%ith him," said Mother# "0ll by ourselves3 0nd as you are
really &ettin& bi& enou&h to loo a!ter yourselves no%, %e
thou&ht it %ould be rather !un !or you to have a holiday on
your o%n too# 9ut no% that you -an)t &o to 'olseath, ( don)t
really +uite no% %here to send you#"
"7hat about :uentin)s?" suddenly said .addy#
:uentin %as his brother, the -hildren)s un-le# *hey had
only seen him on-e, and had been rather !ri&htened o! him#
1e %as a very tall,
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!ro%nin& man, a -lever s-ientist %ho s,ent all his time
studyin&# 1e lived by the sea5 but that %as about all that
the -hildren ne% o! him3
":uentin?" said Mother, ,ursin& u, her li,s#
"7hatever made you thin o! him? ( shouldn)t thin he)d
%ant the -hildren messin& about in his little house#"
"7ell," said .addy, "( had to see :uentin)s %i!e in
to%n the other day, about a business matter5 and ( don)t
thin thin&s are &oin& too %ell !or them# <anny said that
she %ould be +uite &lad i! she -ould hear o! one or t%o
,eo,le to live %ith her !or a %hile, to brin& a little money
in# *heir house is by the sea, you no%# (t mi&ht be /ust the
thin& !or the -hildren# <anny is very ni-e5 she %ould loo
a!ter them %ell#"
"6es5 and she has a -hild o! her o%n too, hasn)t
she?" said the -hildren)s mother# "=et me see5 %hat)s her
name5 somethin& !unny5 yes, >eor&ina3 1o% old %ould
she be? 0bout eleven, ( should thin#"
"8ame a&e as me," said .i-# "<an-y havin& a -ousin
%e)ve never seen3 8he must be /olly lonely all by hersel!#
()ve &ot Julian and 0nne to ,lay %ith5 but >eor&ina is /ust
one on her o%n# ( should thin she)d be &lad to see us#"
"7ell, your 0unt <anny said that her >eor&ina %ould
love a bit o! -om,any," said .addy# "6ou no%, ( really
thin that %ould solve our di!!i-ulty, i! %e tele,hone to
<anny and arran&e !or the -hildren to &o there# (t %ould
hel, <anny, ()m sure, and >eor&ina %ould love to have
someone to ,lay %ith in the holidays# 0nd %e should no%
that our three %ere sa!e#"
*he -hildren be&an to !eel rather e?-ited# (t
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%ould be !un to &o to a ,la-e they had never been to
be!ore, and stay %ith an unno%n -ousin#
"0re there -li!!s and ro-s and sands there?" ased
0nne# "(s it a ni-e ,la-e?"
"( don)t remember it very %ell," said .addy# "9ut (
!eel sure it)s an e?-itin& ind o! ,la-e# 0ny%ay, you)ll love
it3 (t)s -alled @irrin 9ay# 6our 0unt <anny has lived there
all her li!e, and %ouldn)t leave it !or anythin&#"
"4h .addy, do tele,hone to 0unt <anny and as her i!
%e -an &o there3" -ried .i-# "( /ust !eel as i! it)s the ri&ht
,la-e someho%# (t sounds sort o! adventurous3"
"4h, you al%ays say that, %herever you &o3" said
.addy, %ith a lau&h# "0ll ri&ht5 ()ll rin& u, no%, and see
i! there)s any -han-e#"
*hey had all !inished their brea!ast, and they &ot u,
to %ait !or .addy to tele,hone# 1e %ent out into the hall,
and they heard him ,uttin& the -all throu&h#
"( ho,e it)s all ri&ht !or us3" said Julian# "( %onder
%hat >eor&ina)s lie# <unny name, isn)t it? More lie a
boy)s than a &irl)s# 8o she)s eleven5 a year youn&er than (
am5 same a&e as you, .i-5 and a year older than you,
0nne# 8he ou&ht to !it in %ith us all ri&ht# *he !our o! us
ou&ht to have a !ine time to&ether#"
.addy -ame ba- in about ten minutes) time, and the
-hildren ne% at on-e that he had !i?ed u, everythin&# 1e
smiled round at them#
"7ell, that)s settled," he said# "6our 0unt <anny is
deli&hted about it# 8he says it %ill be a%!ully &ood !or
>eor&ina to have -om,any, be-ause she)s su-h a lonely
little &irl, al%ays &oin& o!! by hersel!# 0nd she %ill love
looin& a!ter
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you all# 4nly you)ll have to be -are!ul not to disturb
your An-le :uentin# 1e is %orin& very hard, and he isn)t
very &ood"tem,ered %hen he is disturbed#"
"7e)ll be as +uiet as mi-e in the house3" said .i-#
"1onestly %e %ill# 4h, &oody, &oody5 %hen are %e
&oin&, .addy?"
"2e?t %ee, i! Mother -an mana&e it," said .addy#
Mother nodded her head# "6es," she said, "*here)s
nothin& mu-h to &et ready !or them5 /ust bathin& suits
and /erseys and shorts# *hey all %ear the same#"
"1o% lovely it %ill be to %ear shorts a&ain," said
0nne, dan-in& round# "()m tired o! %earin& s-hool tuni-s# (
%ant to %ear shorts, or a bathin& suit, and &o bathin& and
-limbin& %ith the boys#"
"7ell, you)ll soon be doin& it," said Mother, %ith a
lau&h# "Bemember to ,ut ready any toys or boos you
%ant, %on)t you? 2ot many, ,lease, be-ause there %on)t be
a &reat deal o! room#"
"0nne %anted to tae all her !i!teen dolls %ith her last
year," said .i-, ".o you remember, 0nne? 7eren)t you
!unny?"
"2o, ( %asn)t," said 0nne, &oin& red# "( love my dolls,
and ( /ust -ouldn)t -hoose %hi-h to tae5 so ( thou&ht ()d
tae them all# *here)s nothin& !unny about that#"
"0nd do you remember, the year be!ore, 0nne %anted
to tae the ro-in&"horse?" said .i-, %ith a &i&&le#
Mother -himed in# "6ou no%, ( remember a little boy
-alled .i- %ho ,ut aside t%o &olli%o&s,
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one teddy bear, three toy do&s, t%o toy -ats and his
old money to tae do%n to 'olseath one year," she said#
*hen it %as .i-)s turn to &o red# 1e -han&ed the
sub/e-t at on-e#
".addy, are %e &oin& by train or by -ar?" he ased#
"9y -ar," said .addy# "7e -an ,ile everythin& into the
boot# 7ell5 %hat about *uesday?"
"*hat %ould suit me %ell," said Mother# "*hen %e
-ould tae the -hildren do%n, -ome ba-, and do our o%n
,a-in& at leisure, and start o!! !or 8-otland on the <riday#
6es5 %e)ll arran&e !or *uesday#"
8o *uesday it %as# *he -hildren -ounted the days
ea&erly, and 0nne mared one o!! the -alendar ea-h ni&ht#
*he %ee seemed a very lon& time in &oin&# 9ut at last
*uesday did -ome# .i- and Julian, %ho shared a room,
%oe u, at about the same moment, and stared out o! the
nearby %indo%#
"(t)s a lovely day, hurrah3" -ried Julian, lea,in& out o!
bed# "( don)t no% %hy, but it al%ays seems very im,ortant
that it should be sunny on the !irst day o! a holiday# =et)s
%ae 0nne#"
0nne sle,t in the ne?t room# Julian ran in and shoo
her# "7ae u,3 (t)s *uesday3 0nd the sun)s shinin&#"
0nne %oe u, %ith a /um, and stared at Julian
/oy!ully# "(t)s -ome at last3" she said# "( thou&ht it never
%ould# 4h, isn)t it an e?-itin& !eelin& to &o a%ay !or a
holiday3"
*hey started soon a!ter brea!ast# *heir -ar
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%as a bi& one, so it held them all very -om!ortably#
Mother sat in !ront %ith .addy, and the three -hildren sat
behind, their !eet on t%o suit-ases# (n the lu&&a&e",la-e at
the ba- o! the -ar %ere all inds o! odds and ends, and
one small trun# Mother really thou&ht they had
remembered everythin&#
0lon& the -ro%ded =ondon roads they %ent, slo%ly at
!irst, and then, as they le!t the to%n behind, more +ui-ly#
8oon they %ere ri&ht into the o,en -ountry, and the -ar
s,ed alon& !ast# *he -hildren san& son&s to themselves, as
they al%ays did %hen they %ere ha,,y#
"0re %e ,i-ni-in& soon?" ased 0nne, !eelin&
hun&ry all o! a sudden#
"6es," said Mother# "9ut not yet# (t)s only eleven
o)-lo-# 7e shan)t have lun-h till at least hal!",ast t%elve,
0nne#"
"4h, &ra-ious3" said 0nne# "( no% ( -an)t last out till
then3"
8o her mother handed her some -ho-olate, and she
and the boys mun-hed ha,,ily, %at-hin& the hills, %oods
and !ields as the -ar s,ed by#
*he ,i-ni- %as lovely# *hey had it on the to, o! a hill,
in a slo,in& !ield that looed do%n into a sunny valley#
0nne didn)t very mu-h lie a bi& bro%n -o% %ho -ame u,
-lose and stared at her, but it %ent a%ay %hen .addy told
it to# *he -hildren ate enormously, and Mother said that
instead o! havin& a tea",i-ni- at hal!",ast !our they %ould
have to &o to a tea"house some%here, be-ause they had
eaten all the tea sand%i-hes as %ell as the lun-h ones3
"7hat time shall %e be at 0unt <anny)s?"
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ased Julian, !inishin& u, the very last sand%i-h and
%ishin& there %ere more#
"0bout si? o)-lo- %ith lu-," said .addy# "2o% %ho
%ants to stret-h their le&s a bit? 7e)ve another lon& s,ell in
the -ar, you no%#"
*he -ar seemed to eat u, the miles as it ,urred alon&#
*ea"time -ame, and then the three -hildren be&an to !eel
e?-ited all over a&ain#
"7e must %at-h out !or the sea," said .i-# "( -an smell
it some%here near3"
1e %as ri&ht# *he -ar suddenly to,,ed a hill5 and there,
%as the shinin& blue sea, -alm and smooth in the evenin& sun#
*he three -hildren &ave a yell#
"*here it is3"
"(sn)t it marvellous3"
"4h, ( %ant to bathe this very minute3"
"7e shan)t be more than t%enty minutes no%, be!ore
%e)re at @irrin 9ay," said .addy# "7e)ve made &ood time#
6ou)ll see the bay soon5 it)s +uite a bi& one5 %ith a !unny
sort o! island at the entran-e o! the bay#"
*he -hildren looed out !or it as they drove alon& the
-oast# *hen Julian &ave a shout#
"*here it is5 that must be @irrin 9ay# =oo, .i-5 isn)t
it lovely and blue?"
"0nd loo at the ro-y little island &uardin& the entran-e
o! the bay," said .i-# "()d lie to visit that#"
"7ell, ()ve no doubt you %ill," said Mother# "2o%, let)s
loo out !or 0unt <anny)s house# (t)s -alled @irrin $otta&e#"
*hey soon -ame to it# (t stood on the lo% -li!!
overlooin& the bay, and %as a very old house indeed# (t
%asn)t really a -otta&e, but +uite a
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bi& house, built o! old %hite stone# Boses -limbed
over the !ront o! it, and the &arden %as &ay %ith !lo%ers#
"1ere)s @irrin $otta&e," said .addy, and he sto,,ed
the -ar in !ront o! it# "(t)s su,,osed to be about three
hundred years old3 2o%5 %here)s :uentin? 1allo, there)s
<anny3"

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Chapter Two
THE STRANGE COUSIN
*he -hildren)s aunt had been %at-hin& !or the -ar# 8he
-ame runnin& out o! the old %ooden door as soon as she
sa% it dra% u, outside# *he -hildren lied the loo o! her
at on-e#
"7el-ome to @irrin3" she -ried# "1allo, all o! you3 (t)s
lovely to see you# 0nd %hat bi& -hildren3"
*here %ere isses all round, and then the -hildren %ent
into the house# *hey lied it# (t !elt old and rather
mysterious someho%, and the !urniture %as old and very
beauti!ul#
"7here)s >eor&ina?" ased 0nne, looin& round !or
her unno%n -ousin#
"4h, the nau&hty &irl3 ( told her to %ait in the &arden
!or you," said her aunt# "2o% she)s &one o!! some%here# (
must tell you, -hildren, you may !ind >eor&e a bit di!!i-ult
at !irst5 she)s al%ays been one on her o%n, you no%#
0nd at !irst may not lie you bein& here# 9ut you mustn)t
tae any noti-e o! that5 she)ll be all ri&ht in a short time# (
%as very &lad !or >eor&e)s sae that you %ere able to
-ome# 8he badly needs other -hildren to ,lay %ith#"
".o you -all her )>eor&e)?" ased 0nne, in sur,rise# "(
thou&ht her name %as >eor&ina#"
"8o it is," said her aunt# "9ut >eor&e hates bein& a &irl,
and %e have to -all her >eor&e, as i! she %as a boy# *he
nau&hty &irl %on)t ans%er i! %e -all her >eor&ina#"
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*he -hildren thou&ht that >eor&ina sounded rather
e?-itin&# *hey %ished she %ould -ome# 9ut she didn)t#
*heir An-le :uentin suddenly a,,eared instead# 1e %as a
most e?traordinary looin& man, very tall, very dar, and
%ith a rather !ier-e !ro%n on his %ide !orehead#
"1allo, :uentin3" said .addy# "(t)s a lon& time sin-e
()ve seen you# ( ho,e these three %on)t disturb you very
mu-h in your %or#"
":uentin is %orin& on a very di!!i-ult boo," said
0unt <anny# "9ut ()ve &iven him a room all to himsel! on
the other side o! the house# 8o ( don)t e?,e-t he %ill be
disturbed#"
*heir un-le looed at the three -hildren, and nodded to
them# *he !ro%n didn)t -ome o!! his !a-e, and they all !elt a
little s-ared, and %ere &lad that he %as to %or in another
,art o! the house#
"7here)s >eor&e?" he said, in a dee, voi-e#
">one o!! some%here a&ain," said 0unt <anny, ve?ed#
"( told her she %as to stay here and meet her -ousins#"
"8he %ants s,anin&," said An-le :uentin# *he
-hildren -ouldn)t +uite mae out %hether he %as /oin& or
not# "7ell, -hildren, ( ho,e you have a &ood time here, and
maybe you %ill no- a little -ommon"sense into >eor&e3"
*here %as no room at @irrin $otta&e !or Mother and
.addy to stay the ni&ht, so a!ter a hurried su,,er they le!t
to stay at a hotel in the nearest to%n# *hey %ould drive
ba- to =ondon immediately a!ter brea!ast the ne?t day#
8o they said &oodbye to the -hildren that ni&ht#
>eor&ina still hadn)t a,,eared# "()m sorry %e haven)t
seen >eor&ina," said Mother# "Just &ive
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her our love and tell her %e ho,e she)ll en/oy ,layin&
%ith .i-, Julian and 0nne#"
*hen Mother and .addy %ent# *he -hildren !elt a little
bit lonely as they sa% the bi& -ar disa,,ear round the
-orner o! the road, but 0unt <anny too them u,stairs to
sho% them their bedrooms, and they soon !or&ot to be sad#
*he t%o boys %ere to slee, to&ether in a room %ith
slantin& -eilin&s at the to, o! the house# (t had a marvellous
vie% o! the bay# *he boys %ere really deli&hted %ith it#
0nne %as to slee, %ith >eor&ina in a smaller room, %hose
%indo%s looed over the moors at the ba- o! the house#
9ut one side"%indo% looed over the sea, %hi-h ,leased
0nne very mu-h# (t %as a ni-e room, and red roses nodded
their heads in at the %indo%#
"( do %ish >eor&ina %ould -ome," 0nne said to her
aunt# "( %ant to see %hat she)s lie#"
"7ell, she)s a !unny little &irl," said her aunt# "8he -an
be very rude and hau&hty5but she)s ind at heart, very
loyal and absolutely truth!ul# 4n-e she maes !riends %ith
you, she %ill al%ays be your !riend5 but she !inds it very
di!!i-ult indeed to mae !riends, %hi-h is a &reat ,ity#"
0nne suddenly ya%ned# *he boys !ro%ned at her,
be-ause they ne% %hat %ould ha,,en ne?t# 0nd it did3
"'oor 0nne3 1o% tired you are3 6ou must all &o to bed
strai&ht a%ay, and have a &ood lon& ni&ht# *hen you %ill
%ae u, +uite !resh tomorro%," said 0unt <anny#
"0nne, you are an idiot," said .i-, -rossly, %hen his
aunt had &one out o! the room# "6ou no% +uite %ell %hat
&ro%n"u,s thin as soon
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as %e ya%n# ( did %ant to &o do%n on the bea-h !or a
%hile#"
"()m so sorry," said 0nne# "8omeho% ( -ouldn)t hel, it#
0nd any%ay, you)re ya%nin& no%, .i-, and Julian too3"
8o they %ere# *hey %ere as slee,y as -ould be %ith
their lon& drive# 8e-retly all o! them lon&ed to -uddle
do%n into bed and shut their eyes#
"( %onder %here >eor&ina is," said 0nne, %hen she
said &ood"ni&ht to the boys, and %ent to her o%n room#
"(sn)t she +ueer5 not %aitin& to %el-ome us5 and not
-omin& in to su,,er5 and not even in yet3 0!ter all, she)s
slee,in& in my room5 &oodness no%s %hat time she)ll be
in3"
0ll the three -hildren %ere !ast aslee, be!ore >eor&ina
-ame u, to bed3 *hey didn)t hear her o,en 0nne)s door#
*hey didn)t hear her &et undressed and -lean her teeth#
*hey didn)t hear the -rea o! her bed as she &ot into it#
*hey %ere so tired that they heard nothin& at all until the
sun a%oe them in the mornin&#
7hen 0nne a%oe she -ouldn)t at !irst thin %here she
%as# 8he lay in her little bed and looed u, at the slantin&
-eilin&, and at the red roses that nodded at the o,en
%indo%5 and suddenly remembered all in a rush %here
she %as3 "()m at @irrin 9ay5 and it)s the holidays#" she
said to hersel!, and s-re%ed u, her le&s %ith /oy#
*hen she looed a-ross at the other bed# (n it lay the
!i&ure o! another -hild, -urled u, under the bed"-lothes#
0nne -ould /ust see the to, o! a -urly head, and that %as
all# 7hen the !i&ure stirred a little, 0nne s,oe#
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"( say3 0re you >eor&ina?"
*he -hild in the o,,osite bed sat u, and looed a-ross
at 0nne# 8he had very short -urly hair, almost as short as a
boy)s# 1er !a-e %as burnt a dar"bro%n %ith the sun, and
her very blue eyes looed as bri&ht as !or&et"me"nots in her
!a-e# 9ut her mouth %as rather suly, and she had a !ro%n
lie her !ather)s#
"2o," she said# "()m not >eor&ina#"
"4h3" said 0nne, in sur,rise# "*hen %ho are you?"
"()m >eor&e," said the &irl# "( shall only ans%er i! you
-all me >eor&e# ( hate bein& a &irl# ( %on)t be# ( don)t lie
doin& the thin&s that &irls do# ( lie doin& the thin&s that
boys do# ( -an -limb better than any boy, and s%im !aster
too# ( -an sail a boat as %ell as any !isher"boy on this -oast#
6ou)re to -all me >eor&e# *hen ()ll s,ea to you# 9ut (
shan)t i! you don)t#"
"4h3" said 0nne, thinin& that her ne% -ousin %as
most e?traordinary# "0ll ri&ht3 ( don)t -are %hat ( -all you#
>eor&e is a ni-e name, ( thin# ( don)t mu-h lie >eor&ina#
0ny%ay, you loo lie a boy#"
".o ( really?" said >eor&e, the !ro%n leavin& her !a-e
!or a moment# "Mother %as a%!ully -ross %ith me %hen (
-ut my hair short# ( had hair all round my ne-C it %as
a%!ul#"
*he t%o &irls stared at one another !or a moment#
".on)t you sim,ly hate bein& a &irl?" ased >eor&e#
"2o, o! -ourse not," said 0nne# "6ou see5 ( do lie
,retty !ro-s5 and ( love my dolls5 and you -an)t do that
i! you)re a boy#"
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"'ooh3 <an-y botherin& about ,retty !ro-s," said
>eor&e, in a s-orn!ul voi-e# "0nd dolls3 7ell, you are a
baby, that)s all ( -an say#"
0nne !elt o!!ended# "6ou)re not very ,olite," she said#
"6ou %on)t !ind that my brothers tae mu-h noti-e o! you
i! you a-t as i! you ne% everythin&# *hey)re real boys, not
,retend boys, lie you#"
"7ell, i! they)re &oin& to be nasty to me ( shan)t tae
any noti-e o! them," said >eor&e, /um,in& out o! bed# "(
didn)t %ant any o! you to -ome, any%ay# (nter!erin& %ith
my li!e here3 ()m +uite ha,,y on my o%n# 2o% ()ve &ot to
,ut u, %ith a silly &irl %ho lies !ro-s and dolls, and t%o
stu,id boy"-ousins3"
0nne !elt that they had made a very bad be&innin&# 8he
said no more, but &ot dressed hersel! too# 8he ,ut on her
&rey /eans and a red /ersey# >eor&e ,ut on /eans too, and a
boy)s /ersey# Just as they %ere ready the boys hammered on
their door#
"0ren)t you ready? (s >eor&ina there? $ousin
>eor&ina, -ome out and see us#"
>eor&e !lun& o,en the door and mar-hed out %ith her
head hi&h# 8he too no noti-e o! the t%o sur,rised boys at
all# 8he staled do%nstairs# *he other three -hildren looed
at one another#
"8he %on)t ans%er i! you -all her >eor&ina," e?,lained
0nne# "8he)s a%!ully +ueer, ( thin# 8he says she didn)t
%ant us to -ome be-ause %e)ll inter!ere %ith her# 8he
lau&hed at me, and %as rather rude#"
Julian ,ut his arm round 0nne, %ho looed a bit
dole!ul# "$heer u,3" he said# "6ou)ve &ot
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us to sti- u, !or you# $ome on do%n to brea!ast#"
*hey %ere all hun&ry# *he smell o! ba-on and e&&s %as
very &ood# *hey ran do%n the stairs and said &ood"
mornin& to their aunt# 8he %as /ust brin&in& the brea!ast
to the table# *heir un-le %as sittin& at the head, readin& his
,a,er# 1e nodded at the -hildren# *hey sat do%n %ithout a
%ord, %onderin& i! they %ere allo%ed to s,ea at meals#
*hey al%ays %ere at home, but their An-le :uentin looed
rather !ier-e#
>eor&e %as there, butterin& a ,ie-e o! toast# 8he
s-o%led at the three -hildren#
".on)t loo lie that, >eor&e," said her mother# "( ho,e
you)ve made !riends already# (t %ill be !un !or you to ,lay
to&ether# 6ou must tae your -ousins to see the bay this
mornin& and sho% them the best ,la-es to bathe#"
"()m &oin& !ishin&," said >eor&e#
1er !ather looed u, at on-e#
"6ou are not," he said# "6ou are &oin& to sho% a !e%
&ood manners !or a -han&e, and tae your -ousins to the
bay# .o you hear me?"
"6es," said >eor&e, %ith a s-o%l e?a-tly lie her
!ather)s#
"4h, %e -an &o to the bay by ourselves all ri&ht, i!
>eor&e is &oin& !ishin&," said 0nne, at on-e, thinin& that
it %ould be ni-e not to have >eor&e i! she %as in a bad
tem,er#
">eor&e %ill do e?a-tly as she)s told," said her !ather#
"(! she doesn)t, ( shall deal %ith her#"
8o, a!ter brea!ast, !our -hildren &ot ready to &o do%n
to the bea-h# 0n easy ,ath led do%n
25
to the bay, and they ran do%n ha,,ily# Dven >eor&e
lost her !ro%n as she !elt the %armth o! the sun and sa% the
dan-in& s,arles on the blue sea#"6ou &o !ishin& i! you
%ant to," said 0nne %hen they %ere do%n on the bea-h#
"7e %on)t tell tales o! you# 7e don)t %ant to inter!ere %ith
you, you no%# 7e)ve &ot ourselves !or -om,any, and i!
you don)t %ant to be %ith us, you needn)t#"
"9ut %e)d lie you, all the same, i! you)d lie to be %ith
us," said Julian, &enerously# 1e thou&ht >eor&e %as rude
and ill"mannered, but he -ouldn)t hel, rather liin& the loo
o! the strai&ht"ba-ed, short"haired little &irl, %ith her
brilliant blue eyes and suly mouth#
>eor&e stared at him# "()ll see, she said# "( don)t mae
!riends %ith ,eo,le /ust be-ause they)re my -ousins, or
somethin& silly lie that# ( only mae !riends %ith ,eo,le i!
( lie them#"
"8o do %e," said Julian# "7e may not lie you, o!
-ourse#"
"4h3" said >eor&e, as i! that thou&ht hadn)t o--urred to
her# "7ell5 you may not, o! -ourse# =ots o! ,eo,le don)t
lie me, no% ( -ome to thin o! it#"
0nne %as starin& out over the blue bay# 0t the entran-e
to it lay a -urious ro-y island %ith %hat looed lie an old
ruined -astle on the to, o! it#
"(sn)t that a !unny ,la-e?" she said# "( %onder %hat it)s
-alled#"
"(t)s -alled @irrin (sland," said >eor&e, her eyes as blue
as the sea as she turned to loo at it# "(t)s a lovely ,la-e to
&o to# (! ( lie you,
26
( may tae you there some day# 9ut ( don)t ,romise#
*he only %ay to &et there is by boat#"
"7ho does the !unny island belon& to?" ased Julian#
>eor&e made a most sur,risin& ans%er# "(t belon&s to
me," she said# "0t least, it %ill belon& to me5 some day3
(t %ill be my very o%n island5 and my very o%n -astle3"

27
Chapter Three
A QUEER STORY AND A NEW FRIEND

*he three -hildren stared at >eor&e in the &reatest
sur,rise#
>eor&e stared ba- at them#
"7hat do you mean?" said .i-, at last# "@irrin (sland
-an)t belon& to you# 6ou)re /ust boastin&#"
"2o, ()m not," said >eor&e# "6ou as Mother# (! you)re
not &oin& to believe %hat ( say ( %on)t tell you another
%ord more# 9ut ( don)t tell untruths# ( thin it)s bein& a
-o%ard i! you don)t tell the truth5 and ()m not a -o%ard#"
Julian remembered that 0unt <anny had said that
>eor&e %as absolutely truth!ul, and he s-rat-hed his head
and looed at >eor&e a&ain# 1o% -ould she be ,ossibly
tellin& the truth?
"7ell, o! -ourse %e)ll believe you i! you tell us the
truth," he said# "9ut it does sound a bit e?traordinary, you
no%# Beally it does# $hildren don)t usually o%n islands,
even !unny little ones lie that#"
"(t isn)t a !unny little island," said >eor&e, !ier-ely#
"(t)s lovely# *here are rabbits there, as tame as -an be5
and the bi& -ormorants sit on the other side5 and all inds
o! &ulls &o there# *he -astle is %onder!ul too, even i! it is
all in ruins#"
"(t sounds !ine," said .i-# "1o% does it belon& to
you, >eor&ina?"
>eor&e &lared at him and didn)t ans%er#
28
"8orry," said .i-, hastily# "( didn)t mean to -all you
>eor&ina# ( meant to -all you >eor&e#"
">o on, >eor&e5 tell us ho% the island belon&s to
you," said Julian, sli,,in& his arm throu&h his suly little
-ousin)s#
8he ,ulled a%ay !rom him at on-e#
".on)t do that," she said# "()m not sure that ( %ant to
mae !riends %ith you yet#"
"0ll ri&ht, all ri&ht," said Julian, losin& ,atien-e# "9e
enemies or anythin& you lie# 7e don)t -are# 9ut %e lie
your mother a%!ully, and %e don)t %ant her to thin %e
%on)t mae !riends %ith you#"
".o you lie my mother?" said >eor&e, her bri&ht
blue eyes so!tenin& a little# "6es5 she)s a dear, isn)t she?
7ell5 all ri&ht5 ()ll tell you ho% @irrin $astle belon&s to
me# $ome and sit do%n here in this -orner %here nobody
-an hear us#"
*hey all sat do%n in a sandy -orner o! the bea-h#
>eor&e looed a-ross at the little island in the bay#
"(t)s lie this," she said# "6ears a&o my mother)s
,eo,le o%ned nearly all the land around here# *hen they
&ot ,oor, and had to sell most o! it# 9ut they -ould never
sell that little island, be-ause nobody thou&ht it %orth
anythin&, es,e-ially as the -astle has been ruined !or
years#"
"<an-y nobody %antin& to buy a dear little island lie
that3" said .i-# "()d buy it at on-e i! ( had the money#"
"0ll that)s le!t o! %hat Mother)s !amily o%ned is our
o%n house, @irrin $otta&e, and a !arm a little %ay o!!5
and @irrin (sland," said >eor&e# "Mother says %hen ()m
&ro%n"u, it %ill be
29
mine# 8he says she doesn)t %ant it no%, either, so she)s
sort o! &iven it to me# (t belon&s to me# (t)s my o%n ,rivate
island, and ( don)t let anyone &o there unless they &et my
,ermission#"
*he three -hildren stared at her# *hey believed every
%ord >eor&e said, !or it %as +uite ,lain that the &irl %as
s,eain& the truth# <an-y havin& an island o! your very
o%n3 *hey thou&ht she %as very lu-y indeed#
"4h >eor&ina5 ( mean >eor&e3" said .i-# "( do
thin you)re lu-y# (t loos su-h a ni-e island# ( ho,e you)ll
be !riends %ith us and tae us there one day soon# 6ou
sim,ly -an)t ima&ine ho% %e)d love it#"
"7ell5 ( mi&ht," said >eor&e, ,leased at the interest
she had -aused# "()ll see# ( never have taen anyone there
yet, thou&h some o! the boys and &irls round here have
be&&ed me to# 9ut ( don)t lie them, so ( haven)t#"
*here %as a little silen-e as the !our -hildren looed
out over the bay to %here the island lay in the distan-e# *he
tide %as &oin& out# (t almost looed as i! they -ould %ade
over to the island# .i- ased i! it %as ,ossible#
"2o," said >eor&e# "( told you5 it)s only ,ossible to
&et to it by boat# (t)s !arther out than it loos5and the
%ater is very, very dee,# *here are ro-s all about too5
you have to no% e?a-tly %here to ro% a boat, or you
bum, into them# (t)s a dan&erous bit o! -oast here# *here
are a lot o! %re-s about#"
"7re-s3" -ried Julian, his eyes shinin&, "( say3 ()ve
never seen an old %re-# 0re there any to see?"
"2ot no%," said >eor&e# "*hey)ve all been
3;
-leared u,# D?-e,t one, and that)s the other side o! the
island# (t)s dee, do%n in the %ater# 6ou -an /ust see the
broen mast i! you ro% over it on a -alm day and loo
do%n into the %ater# *hat %re- really belon&s to me too#"
*his time the -hildren really -ould hardly believe
>eor&e# 9ut she nodded her head !irmly#
"6es," she said, "it %as a shi, belon&in& to one o! my
&reat"&reat"&reat"&rand!athers, or someone lie that# 1e
%as brin&in& &old5 bi& bars o! &old5 ba- in his shi,5
and it &ot %re-ed o!! @irrin (sland#"
"4ooh5 %hat ha,,ened to the &old?" ased 0nne,
her eyes round and bi&#
"2obody no%s," said >eor&e# "( e?,e-t it %as stolen
out o! the shi,# .ivers have been do%n to see, o! -ourse,
but they -ouldn)t !ind any &old#"
">olly5 this does sound e?-itin&," said Julian# "(
%ish ( -ould see the %re-#"
"7ell5 %e mi&ht ,erha,s &o this a!ternoon %hen the
tide is ri&ht do%n," said >eor&e# "*he %ater is so -alm and
-lear today# 7e -ould see a bit o! it#"
"4h, ho% %onder!ul3" said 0nne# "( do so %ant to see
a real live %re-3"
*he others lau&hed# "7ell, it %on)t be very alive," said
.i-# "( say, >eor&e5 %hat about a bathe?"
"( must &o and &et *imothy !irst," said >eor&e# 8he
&ot u,#
"7ho)s *imothy?" said .i-#
"$an you ee, a se-ret?" ased >eor&e# "2obody
must no% at home#"
"7ell, &o on, %hat)s the se-ret?" ased Julian# "6ou
-an tell us# 7e)re not sneas#"
31
32
"*imothy is my very &reatest !riend," said >eor&e# "(
-ouldn)t do %ithout him# 9ut Mother and <ather don)t lie
him, so ( have to ee, him in se-ret# ()ll &o and !et-h him#"
8he ran o!! u, the -li!! ,ath# *he others %at-hed her &o#
*hey thou&ht she %as the +ueerest &irl they had ever no%n#
"7ho in the %orld -an *imothy be?" %ondered Julian#
"8ome !isher"boy, ( su,,ose, that >eor&e)s ,arents don)t
a,,rove o!#"
*he -hildren, lay ba- in the so!t sand and %aited# 8oon
they heard >eor&e)s -lear voi-e -omin& do%n !rom the -li!!
behind them#
"$ome on, *imothy3 $ome on3"
*hey sat u, and looed to see %hat *imothy %as lie#
*hey sa% no !isher"boy5 but instead a bi& bro%n mon&rel
do& %ith an absurdly lon& tail and a bi& %ide mouth that
really seemed to &rin3 1e %as boundin& all round >eor&e,
mad %ith deli&ht# 8he -ame runnin& do%n to them#
"*his is *imothy," she said# ".on)t you thin he is
sim,ly ,er!e-t?"
0s a do&, *imothy %as !ar !rom ,er!e-t# 1e %as the
%ron& sha,e, his head %as too bi&, his ears %ere too ,ri-ed,
his tail %as too lon& and it %as +uite im,ossible to say %hat
ind o! a do& he %as su,,osed to be# 9ut he %as su-h a mad,
!riendly, -lumsy, lau&hable -reature that every one o! the
-hildren adored him at on-e#
"4h, you darlin&3" said 0nne, and &ot a li- on the
nose#
"( say5 isn)t he &rand3" said .i-, and &ave *imothy a
!riendly sma- that made the do& bound madly all round
him#
"( %ish ( had a do& lie this," said Julian,
33
%ho really loved do&s, and had al%ays %anted one o!
his o%n# "4h, >eor&e5 he)s !ine# 0ren)t you ,roud o! him?"
*he little &irl smiled, and her !a-e altered at on-e, and
be-ame sunny and ,retty# 8he sat do%n on the sand and her
do& -uddled u, to her, li-in& her %herever he -ould !ind a
bare ,ie-e o! sin#
"( love him a%!ully," she said# "( !ound him out on the
moors %hen he %as /ust a ,u,, a year a&o, and ( too him
home# 0t !irst Mother lied him, but %hen he &re% bi&&er he
&ot terribly nau&hty#"
"7hat did he do?" ased 0nne#
"7ell, he)s an a%!ully -he%y ind o! do&," said >eor&e#
"1e -he%ed u, everythin& he -ould5 a ne% ru& Mother had
bou&ht5 her ni-est hat5 <ather)s sli,,ers5 some o! his
,a,ers, and thin&s lie that# 0nd he bared too# ( lied his
bar, but <ather didn)t# 1e said it nearly drove him mad# 1e
hit *imothy and that made me an&ry, so ( %as a%!ully rude
to him#"
".id you &et s,aned?" said 0nne# "( %ouldn)t lie to
be rude to your !ather# 1e loos !ier-e#"
>eor&e looed out over the bay# 1er !a-e had &one
suly a&ain# "7ell, it doesn)t matter %hat ,unishment ( &ot,"
she said, "but the %orst ,art o! all %as %hen <ather said (
-ouldn)t ee, *imothy any more, and Mother ba-ed <ather
u, and said *im must &o# ( -ried !or days5 and ( never do
-ry, you no%, be-ause boys don)t and ( lie to be lie a
boy#"
"9oys do -ry sometimes," be&an 0nne, looin& at .i-,
%ho had been a bit o! a -ry"baby three
34
or !our years ba-# .i- &ave her a shar, nud&e, and
she said no more#
>eor&e looed at 0nne#
"9oys don)t -ry," she said, obstinately# "0ny%ay, ()ve
never seen one, and ( al%ays try not to -ry mysel!# (t)s so
babyish# 9ut ( /ust -ouldn)t hel, it %hen *imothy had to &o#
1e -ried too#"
*he -hildren looed %ith &reat res,e-t at *imothy#
*hey had not no%n that a do& -ould -ry be!ore#
".o you mean5 he -ried real tears?" ased 0nne#
"2o, not +uite," said >eor&e# "1e)s too brave !or that#
1e -ried %ith his voi-e5 ho%led and ho%led and looed so
miserable that he nearly broe my heart# 0nd then ( ne% (
-ouldn)t ,ossibly ,art %ith him#"
"7hat ha,,ened then?" ased Julian#
"( %ent to 0l!, a !isher"boy ( no%," said >eor&e, "and (
ased him i! he)d ee, *im !or me, i! ( ,aid him all the
,o-et"money ( &et# 1e said he %ould, and so he does# *hat)s
%hy ( never have any money to s,end5 it all has to &o on
*im# 1e seems to eat an a%!ul lot5 don)t you, *im?"
"7oo!3" said *im, and rolled over on his ba-, all his
sha&&y le&s in the air# Julian ti-led him#
"1o% do you mana&e %hen you %ant any s%eets or i-e"
-reams?" said 0nne, %ho s,ent most o! her ,o-et"money
on thin&s o! that sort#
"( don)t mana&e," said >eor&e# "( &o %ithout, o!
-ourse#"
*his sounded a%!ul to the other -hildren, %ho loved
i-e"-reams, -ho-olates and s%eets, and had a &ood many o!
them# *hey stared at >eor&e#
35
"7ell5 ( su,,ose the other -hildren %ho ,lay on the
bea-h share their s%eets and i-es %ith you sometimes, don)t
they?" ased Julian#
"( don)t let them," said >eor&e# "(! ( -an never &ive
them any mysel! it)s not !air to tae them# 8o ( say no#"
*he tinle o! an i-e"-ream man)s bell %as heard in the
distan-e# Julian !elt in his ,o-et# 1e /um,ed u, and rushed
o!!, /in&lin& his money# (n a !e% moments he %as ba-
a&ain, -arryin& !our !at -ho-olate i-e"-ream bars# 1e &ave
one to .i-, and one to 0nne, and then held out one to
>eor&e# 8he looed at it lon&in&ly, but shoo her head#
"2o, thans," she said# "6ou no% %hat ( /ust said# (
haven)t any money to buy them, so ( -an)t share mine %ith
you, and ( -an)t tae any !rom you# (t)s mean to tae !rom
,eo,le i! you -an)t &ive even a little ba-#"
"6ou -an tae !rom us," said Julian, tryin& to ,ut the i-e
into >eor&e)s bro%n hand# "7e)re your -ousins#"
"2o, thans," said >eor&e a&ain# "*hou&h ( do thin it)s
ni-e o! you#"
8he looed at Julian out o! her blue eyes and the boy
!ro%ned as he tried to thin o! a %ay to mae the obstinate
little &irl tae the i-e# *hen he smiled#
"=isten," he said, "you)ve &ot somethin& %e badly %ant
to share5 in !a-t you)ve &ot a lot o! thin&s %e)d lie to
share, i! only you)d let us# 6ou share those %ith us, and let us
share thin&s lie i-es %ith you# 8ee?"
"7hat thin&s have ( &ot that you %ant to share?" ased
>eor&e, in sur,rise#
36
"6ou)ve &ot a do&," said Julian, ,attin& the bi& bro%n
mon&rel# "7e)d love to share him %ith you, he)s su-h a
darlin&# 0nd you)ve &ot a lovely island# 7e)d be sim,ly
thrilled i! you)d share it sometimes# 0nd you)ve &ot a %re-#
7e)d lie to loo at it and share it too# (-es and s%eets aren)t
so &ood as those thin&s5 but it %ould be ni-e to mae a
bar&ain and share %ith ea-h other#"
>eor&e looed at the bro%n eyes that &aEed steadily
into hers# 8he -ouldn)t hel, liin& Julian# (t %asn)t her nature
to share anythin&# 8he had al%ays been an only -hild, a
lonely, rather misunderstood little &irl, !ier-e and hot"
tem,ered# 8he had never had any !riends o! her o%n#
*imothy looed u, at Julian and sa% that he %as o!!erin&
somethin& ni-e and -ho-olately to >eor&e# 1e /um,ed u,
and li-ed the boy %ith his !riendly ton&ue#
"*here you are, you see5 *im %ants to be shared,"
said Julian, %ith a lau&h# "(t %ould be ni-e !or him to have
three ne% !riends#"
"6es5 it %ould," said >eor&e, &ivin& in suddenly, and
tain& the -ho-olate bar# "*han you, Julian# ( %ill share
%ith you# 9ut ,romise you)ll never tell anyone at home that
()m still ee,in& *imothy?"
"4! -ourse %e)ll ,romise," said Julian# "9ut ( -an)t
ima&ine that your !ather or mother %ould mind, so lon& as
*im doesn)t live in their house# 1o%)s the i-e? (s it ni-e?"
"4oooh5 the loveliest one ()ve ever tasted3" said
>eor&e nibblin& at it# "(t)s so -old# ( haven)t had one this
year# (t)s sim,ly .D=($(4A83"
*imothy tried to nibble it too# >eor&e &ave him
37
a !e% -rumbs at the end# *hen she turned and smiled at
the three -hildren#
"6ou)re ni-e," she said# "()m &lad you)ve -ome a!ter all#
=et)s tae a boat out this a!ternoon and ro% round the island
to have a loo at the %re-, shall %e?"
"Bather3" said all three at on-e5 and even *imothy
%a&&ed his tail as i! he understood3


38
Chapter Four
AN EXCITING AFTERNOON

*hey all had a bathe that mornin&, and the boys !ound
that >eor&e %as a mu-h better s%immer than they %ere#
8he %as very stron& and very !ast, and she -ould s%im
under %ater, too, holdin& her breath !or a&es#
"6ou)re /olly &ood," said Julian, admirin&ly# "(t)s a
,ity 0nne isn)t a bit better# 0nne, you)ll have to ,ra-tise
your s%immin& stroes hard, or you)ll never be able to
s%im out as !ar as %e do#"
*hey %ere all very hun&ry at lun-h time# *hey %ent
ba- u, the -li!!",ath, ho,in& there %ould be lots to eat5
and there %as3 $old meat and salad, ,lum",ie and -ustard,
and -heese a!ter%ards# 1o% the -hildren tu-ed in3
"7hat are you &oin& to do this a!ternoon?" ased
>eor&e)s mother#
">eor&e is &oin& to tae us out in a boat to see the
%re- on the other side o! the island," said 0nne# 1er aunt
looed most sur,rised#
">eor&e is &oin& to tae you3" she said# "7hy >eor&e
5 %hat)s -ome over you? 6ou)ve never taen a sin&le
,erson be!ore, thou&h ()ve ased you to doEens o! times3"
>eor&e said nothin&, but %ent on eatin& her ,lum",ie#
8he hadn)t said a %ord all throu&h the meal# 1er !ather had
not a,,eared at the table, mu-h to the -hildren)s relie!#
"7ell, >eor&e, ( must say ()m ,leased that you
%ant to try and do %hat your !ather said," be&an her
mother a&ain# 9ut >eor&e shoo her head#
39
"()m not doin& it be-ause ()ve &ot to," she said# "()m
doin& it be-ause ( %ant to# ( %ouldn)t have taen anyone to
see my %re-, not even the :ueen o! Dn&land, i! ( didn)t
lie them#"
1er mother lau&hed# "7ell, it)s &ood ne%s that you
lie your -ousins," she said# "( ho,e they lie you3"
"4h yes3" said 0nne, ea&erly, an?ious to sti- u, !or
her stran&e -ousin# "7e do lie >eor&e, and %e lie *i ###"
8he %as /ust about to say that they lied *imothy too,
%hen she &ot su-h a i- on her anle that she -ried out in
,ain and the tears -ame into her eyes# >eor&e &lared at her#
">eor&e? 7hy did you i- 0nne lie that %hen she
%as sayin& ni-e thin&s about you?" -ried her mother#
"=eave the table at on-e# ( %on)t have su-h behaviour#"
>eor&e le!t the table %ithout a %ord# 8he %ent out
into the &arden# 8he had /ust taen a ,ie-e o! bread and -ut
hersel! some -heese# (t %as all le!t on her ,late# *he other
three stared at it in distress# 0nne %as u,set# 1o% -ould
she have been so silly as to !or&et she mustn)t mention
*im?
"4h, ,lease -all >eor&e ba-3" she said# "8he didn)t
mean to i- me# (t %as an a--ident#"
9ut her aunt %as very an&ry %ith >eor&e# "<inish
your meal," she said to the others# "( e?,e-t >eor&e %ill &o
into the suls no%# .ear, dear, she is su-h a di!!i-ult
-hild3"
*he others didn)t mind about >eor&e &oin& into the
suls# 7hat they did mind %as that >eor&e mi&ht re!use to
tae them to see the %re- no%3
*hey !inished the meal in silen-e# *heir aunt %ent to
see i! An-le :uentin %anted any more ,ie# 1e %as havin&
his meal in the study by himsel!# 0s soon as she had &one
4;
out o! the room, 0nne ,i-ed u, the bread and -heese !rom
>eor&e)s ,late and %ent out into the &arden#
*he boys didn)t s-old her# *hey ne% that 0nne)s
ton&ue very o!ten ran a%ay %ith her5 but she al%ays tried
to mae u, !or it a!ter%ards# *hey thou&ht it %as very
brave o! her to &o and !ind >eor&e#
>eor&e %as lyin& on her ba- under a bi& tree in the
&arden# 0nne %ent u, to her# "()m sorry ( nearly made a
mistae, >eor&e," she said# "1ere)s your bread and -heese#
()ve brou&ht it !or you# ( ,romise ()ll never !or&et not to
mention *im a&ain#"
>eor&e sat u,# "()ve a &ood mind not to tae you to see
the %re-," she said# "8tu,id baby3"
0nne)s heart san# *his %as %hat she had !eared#
"7ell," she said, "you needn)t tae me, o! -ourse# 9ut you
mi&ht tae the boys, >eor&e# 0!ter all, they didn)t do
anythin& silly# 0nd any%ay, you &ave me an a%!ul i-#
=oo at the bruise#"
>eor&e looed at it# *hen she looed at 0nne# "9ut
%ouldn)t you be miserable i! ( too Julian and .i- %ithout
you?" she ased#
"4! -ourse," said 0nne# "9ut ( don)t %ant to mae
them miss a treat, even i! ( have to#"
*hen >eor&e did a sur,risin& thin& !or her# 8he &ave
0nne a hu&3 *hen she immediately looed most ashamed
o! hersel!, !or she !elt sure that no boy %ould have done
that3 0nd she al%ays tried to a-t lie a boy#
41
42
"(t)s all ri&ht," she said, &ru!!ly, tain& the bread and
-heese# "6ou %ere nearly very silly5 and ( &ave you a
i-5 so it)s all s+uare# 4! -ourse you -an -ome this
a!ternoon#"
0nne s,ed ba- to tell the boys that everythin& %as all
ri&ht5 and in !i!teen minutes) time !our -hildren ran do%n
to the bea-h# 9y a boat %as a bro%n"!a-ed !isher"boy,
about !ourteen years old# 1e had *imothy %ith him#
"9oat)s all ready, Master >eor&e," he said %ith a &rin#
"0nd *im)s ready, too#"
"*hans," said >eor&e, and told the others to &et in#
*imothy /um,ed in, too, his bi& tail %a&&in& nineteen to
the doEen# >eor&e ,ushed the boat o!! into the sur! and
then /um,ed in hersel!# 8he too the oars#
8he ro%ed s,lendidly, and the boat shot alon& over the
blue bay# (t %as a %onder!ul a!ternoon, and the -hildren
loved the movement o! the boat over the %ater# *imothy
stood at the ,ro% and bared %henever a %ave reared its
head#
"1e)s !unny on a %ild day," said >eor&e, ,ullin& hard#
"1e bars madly at the bi& %aves, and &ets so an&ry i! they
s,lash him# 1e)s an a%!ully &ood s%immer#"
"(sn)t it ni-e to have a do& %ith us?" said 0nne,
an?ious to mae u, !or her mistae# "( do so lie him#"
"7oo!," said *imothy, in his dee, voi-e and turned
round to li- 0nne)s ear#
"()m sure he ne% %hat ( said," said 0nne in deli&ht#
"4! -ourse he did," said >eor&e# "1e understands
every sin&le %ord#"
"( say5 %e)re &ettin& near to your island no%,"
43
said Julian, in e?-itement# "(t)s bi&&er than ( thou&ht#
0nd isn)t the -astle e?-itin&?"*hey dre% near to the island,
and the -hildren sa% that there %ere shar, ro-s all round
about it# Anless anyone ne% e?a-tly the %ay to tae, no
boat or shi, -ould ,ossibly land on the shore o! the ro-y
little island# (n the very middle o! it, on a lo% hill, rose the
ruined -astle# (t had been built o! bi& %hite stones# 9roen
ar-h%ays, tumbledo%n to%ers, ruined %alls5 that %as all
that %as le!t o! a on-e beauti!ul -astle, ,roud and stron&#
2o% the /a-da%s nested in it and the &ulls sat on the
to,most stones#
"(t loos a%!ully mysterious," said Julian# "1o% ()d
love to land there and have a loo at the -astle# 7ouldn)t it
be !un to s,end a ni&ht or t%o here3"
>eor&e sto,,ed ro%in&# 1er !a-e li&hted u,# "( say3"
she said, in deli&ht# ".o you no%, ( never thou&ht ho%
lovely that %ould be3 *o s,end a ni&ht on my island3 *o be
there all alone, the !our o! us# *o &et our o%n meals, and
,retend %e really lived there# 7ouldn)t it be &rand?"
"6es, rather," said .i-, looin& lon&in&ly at the
island# ".o you thin5 do you su,,ose your mother
%ould let us?"
"( don)t no%," said >eor&e# "8he mi&ht# 6ou -ould
as her#"
"$an)t %e land there this a!ternoon?" ased Julian#
"2o, not i! you %ant to see the %re-," said >eor&e#
"7e)ve &ot to &et ba- !or tea today, and it %ill tae all the
time to ro% round to the other side o! @irrin (sland and
ba-#"
44
"7ell5 ()d lie to see the %re-," said Julian, torn
bet%een the island and the %re-# "1ere, let me tae the
oars !or a bit, >eor&e# 6ou -an)t do all the ro%in&#"
"( -an," said >eor&e# "9ut ()d +uite en/oy lyin& ba- in
the boat !or a -han&e3 =oo5 ()ll /ust tae you by this
ro-y bit5 and then you -an tae the oars till %e -ome to
another a%%ard ,ie-e# 1onestly, the ro-s around this
bay are sim,ly dread!ul3"
>eor&e and Julian -han&ed ,la-es in the boat# Julian
ro%ed %ell, but not so stron&ly as >eor&e# *he boat s,ed
alon& ro-in& smoothly# *hey %ent ri&ht round the island,
and sa% the -astle !rom the other side# (t looed more
ruined on the side that !a-ed the sea#
"*he stron& %inds -ome !rom the o,en sea," e?,lained
>eor&e# "*here)s not really mu-h le!t o! it this side, e?-e,t
,iles o! stones# 9ut there)s a &ood little harbour in a little
-ove, !or those %ho no% ho% to !ind it#"
>eor&e too the oars a!ter a %hile, and ro%ed steadily
out a little beyond the island# *hen she sto,,ed and looed
ba- to%ards the shore#
"1o% do you no% %hen you are over the %re-?"
ased Julian, ,uEEled# "( should never no%3"
"7ell, do you see that -hur-h to%er on the mainland?"
ased >eor&e# "0nd do you see the ti, o! that hill over
there? 7ell, %hen you &et them e?a-tly in line %ith one
another, bet%een the t%o to%ers o! the -astle on the island,
you are ,retty %ell over the %re-3 ( !ound that out a&es
a&o#"
*he -hildren sa% that the ti, o! the !ar"o!! hill
45
and the -hur-h to%er %ere ,ra-ti-ally in line, %hen they
looed at them bet%een the t%o old to%ers o! the island
-astle# *hey looed ea&erly do%n into the sea to see i! they
-ould s,y the %re-#
*he %ater %as ,er!e-tly -lear and smooth# *here %as
hardly a %rinle# *imothy looed do%n into it too, his head
on one side, his ears -o-ed, /ust as i! he ne% %hat he %as
looin& !or3 *he -hildren lau&hed at him#
"7e)re not e?a-tly over it," said >eor&e, looin& do%n
too# "*he %ater)s so -lear today that %e should be able to see
+uite a lon& %ay do%n# 7ait, ()ll ro% a bit to the le!t#"
"7oo!3" said *imothy, suddenly, and %a&&ed his tail5
and at the same moment the three -hildren sa% somethin&
dee, do%n in the %ater3
"(t)s the %re-3" said Julian, almost !allin& out o! the
boat in his e?-itement# "( -an see a bit o! broen mast# =oo,
.i-, loo3"
0ll !our -hildren and the do&, too, &aEed do%n
earnestly into the -lear %ater# 0!ter a little %hile they -ould
mae out the outlines o! a dar hul, out o! %hi-h the broen
mast stood#
"(t)s a bit on one side," said Julian# "'oor old shi,# 1o%
it must hate lyin& there, &radually !allin& to ,ie-es# >eor&e, (
%ish ( -ould dive do%n and &et a -loser loo at it#"
"7ell, %hy don)t you?" said >eor&e# "6ou)ve &ot your
s%immin& truns on# ()ve o!ten dived do%n# ()ll -ome %ith
you, i! you lie, i! .i- -an ee, the boat round about here#
*here)s a -urrent that is tryin& to tae it out to sea# .i-,
you)ll have to ee, %orin& a bit %ith this oar to ee, the
boat in one s,ot#"
46
*he &irl stri,,ed o!! her /eans and /ersey and Julian did
the same# *hey both had on bathin& -ostumes underneath#
>eor&e too a beauti!ul header o!! the end o! the boat, dee,
do%n into the %ater# *he others %at-hed her s%immin&
stron&ly do%n%ards, holdin& her breath#
0!ter a bit she -ame u,, almost burstin& !or breath#
"7ell, ( %ent almost do%n to the %re-," she said# "(t)s /ust
the same as it al%ays is5 sea%eedy and -overed %ith
lim,ets and thin&s# ( %ish ( -ould &et ri&ht into the shi,
itsel!# 9ut ( never have enou&h breath !or that# 6ou &o do%n
no%, Julian#"
8o do%n Julian %ent5 but he %as not so &ood at
s%immin& dee, under %ater as >eor&e %as, and he -ouldn)t
&o do%n so !ar# 1e ne% ho% to o,en his eyes under %ater,
so he %as able to tae a &ood loo at the de- o! the %re-#
(t looed very !orlorn and stran&e# Julian didn)t really lie it
very mu-h# (t &ave him rather a sad sort o! !eelin&# 1e %as
&lad to &o to the to, o! the %ater a&ain, and tae dee,
breaths o! air, and !eel the %arm sunshine on his shoulders#
1e -limbed into the boat, "Most e?-itin&," he said#
">olly, %ouldn)t ( /ust love to see that %re- ,ro,erly5 you
no%5 &o do%n under the de- into the -abins and loo
around# 0nd oh, su,,ose %e -ould really !ind the bo?es o!
&old3"
"*hat)s im,ossible," said >eor&e# "( told you ,ro,er
divers have already &one do%n and !ound nothin&# 7hat)s
the time? ( say, %e)ll be late i! %e don)t hurry ba- no%3"
*hey did hurry ba-, and mana&ed to be only about !ive
minutes late !or tea# 0!ter%ards they %ent !or a %al over
the moors, %ith *imothy at
47
48
their heels, and by the time that bedtime -ame they
%ere all so slee,y that they -ould hardly ee, their eyes
o,en#
"7ell, &ood"ni&ht, >eor&e," said 0nne, snu&&lin& do%n
into her bed# "7e)ve had a lovely day5 thans to you3"
"0nd ()ve had a lovely day, too," said >eor&e, rather
&ru!!ly# "*hans to you# ()m &lad you all -ame# 7e)re &oin&
to have !un# 0nd %on)t you love my -astle and my little
island3"
"4oh, yes," said 0nne, and !ell aslee, to dream o!
%re-s and -astles and islands by the hundred# 4h, %hen
%ould >eor&e tae them to her little island?


49
Chapter Five
A VISIT TO THE ISLAND

*he -hildren)s aunt arran&ed a ,i-ni- !or them the ne?t
day, and they all %ent o!! to a little -ove not !ar o!! %here
they -ould bathe and ,addle to their hearts) -ontent# *hey
had a %onder!ul day, but se-retly Julian, .i- and 0nne
%ished they -ould have visited >eor&e)s island# *hey
%ould rather have done that than anythin&3
>eor&e didn)t %ant to &o !or the ,i-ni-, not be-ause
she dislied ,i-ni-s, but be-ause she -ouldn)t tae her do&#
1er mother %ent %ith the -hildren, and >eor&e had to ,ass
a %hole day %ithout her beloved *imothy#
"9ad lu-3" said Julian, %ho &uessed %hat she %as
broodin& about# "( -an)t thin %hy you don)t tell your
mother about old *im# ()m sure she %ouldn)t mind you
lettin& someone else ee, him !or you# ( no% my mother
%ouldn)t mind#"
"()m not &oin& to tell anybody but you," said >eor&e#
"( &et into a%!ul trouble at home al%ays# ( dare say it)s my
!ault, but ( &et a bit tired o! it# 6ou see, .addy doesn)t
mae mu-h money %ith the learned boos he %rites, and
he)s al%ays %antin& to &ive mother and me thin&s he -an)t
a!!ord# 8o that maes him bad"tem,ered# 1e %ants to send
me a%ay to a &ood s-hool but he hasn)t &ot the money# ()m
&lad# ( don)t %ant to &o a%ay to s-hool# ( lie bein& here# (
-ouldn)t bear to ,art %ith *imothy#"
5;
"6ou)d lie boardin& s-hool," said 0nne# "7e all &o#
(t)s !un#"
"2o, it isn)t," said >eor&e obstinately# "(t must be
a%!ul to be one o! a -ro%d, and to have other &irls all
lau&hin& and yellin& round you# ( should hate it#"
"2o, you %ouldn)t," said 0nne# "0ll that is &reat !un#
(t %ould be &ood !or you, >eor&e, ( should thin#"
"(! you start tellin& me %hat is &ood !or me, ( shall
hate you," said >eor&e, suddenly looin& very !ier-e#
"Mother and !ather are al%ays sayin& that thin&s are &ood
!or me5 and they are al%ays the thin&s ( don)t lie#"
"0ll ri&ht, all ri&ht," said Julian, be&innin& to lau&h#
"My &oodness, ho% you do &o u, in smoe3 1onestly, (
believe anyone -ould li&ht a -i&arette !rom the s,ars that
!ly !rom your eyes3"
*hat made >eor&e lau&h, thou&h she didn)t %ant to# (t
%as really im,ossible to sul %ith &ood"tem,ered Julian#
*hey %ent o!! to bathe in the sea !or the !i!th time that
day# 8oon they %ere all s,lashin& about ha,,ily, and
>eor&e !ound time to hel, 0nne to s%im# *he little &irl
hadn)t &ot the ri&ht stroe, and >eor&e !elt really ,roud
%hen she had tau&ht her#
"4h, thans," said 0nne, stru&&lin& alon&# "()ll never
be as &ood as you5 but ()d lie to be as &ood as the boys#"
0s they %ere &oin& home, >eor&e s,oe to Julian#
"$ould you say that you %ant to &o and buy a stam, or
somethin&?" she said# "*hen ( -ould &o %ith you, and /ust
have a
51
,ee, at old *im# 1e)ll be %onderin& %hy ( haven)t taen
him out today#"
"Bi&ht3" said Julian# "( don)t %ant stam,s, but ( -ould
do %ith an i-e# .i- and 0nne -an &o home %ith your
mother and -arry the thin&s# ()ll /ust &o and tell 0unt <anny#"
1e ran u, to his aunt# ".o you mind i! ( &o and buy
some i-e"-reams?" he ased# "7e haven)t had one today# (
%on)t be lon&# $an >eor&e &o %ith me?"
"( don)t e?,e-t she %ill %ant to," said his aunt# "9ut you
-an as her#"
">eor&e, -ome %ith me3" yelled Julian, settin& o!! to
the little villa&e at a &reat ,a-e# >eor&e &ave a sudden &rin
and ran a!ter him# 8he soon -au&ht him u, and smiled
&rate!ully at him#
"*hans," she said# "6ou &o and &et the i-e"-reams, and
()ll have a loo at *im#"
*hey ,arted, Julian bou&ht !our i-e"-reams, and turned
to &o home# 1e %aited about !or >eor&e, %ho -ame runnin&
u, a!ter a !e% minutes# 1er !a-e %as &lo%in&#
"1e)s all ri&ht," she said# "0nd you -an)t ima&ine ho%
,leased he %as to see me3 1e nearly /um,ed over my head3 (
say5 another i-e"-ream !or me# 6ou really are a s,ort,
Julian# ()ll have to share somethin& %ith you +ui-ly# 7hat
about &oin& to my island tomorro%?"
">olly3" said Julian, his eye)s shinin&# "*hat %ould be
marvellous# 7ill you really tae us tomorro%? $ome on,
let)s tell the others3"
*he !our -hildren sat in the &arden eatin& their i-es#
Julian told them %hat >eor&e had said# *hey all !elt e?-ited#
>eor&e %as ,leased# 8he had al%ays !elt +uite im,ortant
be!ore %hen she
52
had hau&htily re!used to tae any o! the other -hildren
to see @irrin (sland5 but it !elt mu-h ni-er someho% to
have -onsented to ro% her -ousins there#
"( used to thin it %as mu-h, mu-h ni-er al%ays to do
thin&s on my o%n," she thou&ht, as she su-ed the last bits
o! her i-e# "9ut it)s &oin& to be !un doin& thin&s %ith Julian
and the others#"
*he -hildren %ere sent to %ash themselves and to &et
tidy be!ore su,,er# *hey taled ea&erly about the visit to
the island ne?t day# *heir aunt heard them and smiled#
"7ell, ( really must say ()m ,leased that >eor&e is
&oin& to share somethin& %ith you," she said# "7ould you
lie to tae your dinner there, and s,end the day? (t)s
hardly %orth %hile ro%in& all the %ay there and landin&
unless you are &oin& to s,end some hours there#"
"4h, 0unt <anny3 (t %ould be marvellous to tae our
dinner3" -ried 0nne#
>eor&e looed u,# "0re you -omin& too, Mother?" she
ased#
"6ou don)t sound at all as i! you %ant me to," said her
mother, in a hurt tone# "6ou looed -ross yesterday, too,
%hen you !ound ( %as -omin&# 2o5 ( shan)t -ome
tomorro%5 but ()m sure your -ousins must thin you are a
+ueer &irl never to %ant your mother to &o %ith you#"
>eor&e said nothin&# 8he hardly ever did say a %ord
%hen she %as s-olded# *he other -hildren said nothin& too#
*hey ne% ,er!e-tly %ell that it %asn)t that >eor&e didn)t
%ant her mother to &o5 it %as /ust that she %anted
*imothy %ith her3
53
"0ny%ay, ( -ouldn)t -ome," %ent on 0unt <anny# "()ve
some &ardenin& to do# 6ou)ll be +uite sa!e %ith >eor&e#
8he -an handle a boat lie a man#"
*he three -hildren looed ea&erly at the %eather the
ne?t day %hen they &ot u,# *he sun %as shinin&, and
everythin& seemed s,lendid#
"(sn)t it a marvellous day?"said 0nne to >eor&e,as
they dressed# "()m so looin& !or%ard to &oin& to the
island#"
"7ell, honestly, ( thin really %e ou&htn)t to &o," said
>eor&e, une?,e-tedly#
"4h, but %hy?" -ried 0nne, in dismay#
"( thin there)s &oin& to be a storm or somethin&," said
>eor&e, looin& out to the south"%est#
"9ut, >eor&e, %hy do you say that?" said 0nne,
im,atiently# "=oo at the sun5 and there)s hardly a -loud
in the sy3"
"*he %ind is %ron&," said >eor&e# "0nd -an)t you see
the little %hite to,s to the %aves out there by my island?
*hat)s al%ays a bad si&n#"
"4h >eor&e5 it %ill be the bi&&est disa,,ointment o!
our lives i! %e don)t &o today," said 0nne, %ho -ouldn)t
bear any disa,,ointment, bi& or small# "0nd besides," she
added, art!ully, "i! %e han& about the house, a!raid o! a
storm, %e shan)t be able to have dear old *im %ith us#"
"6es, that)s true," said >eor&e# "0ll ri&ht5 %e)ll &o#
9ut mind, i! a storm does -ome, you)re not to be a baby#
6ou)re to try and en/oy it and not be !ri&htened#"
"7ell, ( don)t mu-h lie storms," be&an 0nne, but
sto,,ed %hen she sa% >eor&e)s s-orn!ul loo#
54
*hey %ent do%n to brea!ast, and >eor&e ased her
mother i! they -ould tae their dinner as they had ,lanned#
"6es," said her mother# "6ou and 0nne -an hel, to
mae the sand%i-hes# 6ou boys -an &o into the &arden and
,i- some ri,e ,lums#to tae %ith you# Julian, you -an &o
do%n to the villa&e %hen you)ve done that and buy some
bottles o! lemonade or &in&er"beer, %hi-hever you lie#"
">in&er",o, !or me, thans3" said Julian, and
everyone else said the same# *hey all !elt very ha,,y# (t
%ould be marvellous to visit the +ueer little island# >eor&e
!elt ha,,y be-ause she %ould be %ith *im all day#
*hey set o!! at last, the !ood in t%o it"ba&s# *he !irst
thin& they did %as to !et-h *im# 1e %as tied u, in the
!isher"boy)s ba- yard# *he boy himsel! %as there, and
&rinned at >eor&e#
"Mornin&, Master >eor&e," he said# (t seemed so
+ueer to the other -hildren to hear >eor&ina -alled )Master
>eor&e)3 )*im)s been barin& his head o!! !or you# ( &uess
he ne% you %ere -omin& !or him today#"
"4! -ourse he did," said >eor&e, untyin& him# 1e at
on-e %ent -om,letely mad, and tore round and round the
-hildren, his tail do%n and his ears !lat#
"1e)d %in any ra-e i! only he %as a &reyhound," said
Julian, admirin&ly# "6ou -an hardly see him !or dust# *im3
1ie, *im3 $ome and say ">ood"mornin&"#"
*im lea,t u, and li-ed Julian)s le!t ear as he ,assed
on his %hirl%ind %ay# *hen he sobered do%n and ran
lovin&ly by >eor&e as they all made
55
their %ay to the bea-h# 1e li-ed >eor&e)s bare le&s
every no% and a&ain, and she ,ulled at his ears &ently#
*hey &ot into the boat, and >eor&e ,ushed o!!# *he
!isher"boy %aved to them# "6ou %on)t be very lon&, %ill
you?" he -alled# "*here)s a storm blo%in& u,# 9ad one it)ll
be, too#"
"( no%," shouted ba- >eor&e# "9ut maybe %e)ll &et
ba- be!ore it be&ins# (t)s ,retty !ar o!! yet#"
>eor&e ro%ed all the %ay to the island# *im stood at
ea-h end o! the boat in turn, barin& %hen the %aves
reared u, at him# *he -hildren %at-hed the island -omin&
-loser and -loser# (t looed even more e?-itin& than it had
the other day#
">eor&e, %here are you &oin& to land?" ased Julian#
"( sim,ly -an)t ima&ine ho% you no% your %ay in and out
o! these a%!ul ro-s# ()m a!raid every moment %e)ll bum,
into them3"
"()m &oin& to land at the little -ove ( told you about the
other day," said >eor&e# "*here)s only one %ay to it, but (
no% it very %ell# (t)s hidden a%ay on the east side o! the
island#"
*he &irl -leverly %ored her boat in and out o! the
ro-s, and suddenly, as it rounded a lo% %all o! shar,
ro-s, the -hildren sa% the -ove she had s,oen o!# (t %as
lie a natural little harbour, and %as a smooth inlet o!
%ater runnin& u, to a stret-h o! sand, sheltered bet%een
hi&h ro-s# *he boat slid into the inlet, and at on-e sto,,ed
ro-in&, !or here the %ater %as lie &lass, and had hardly a
%rinle#
"( say5 this is !ine3" said Julian, his eyes shinin& %ith
deli&ht# >eor&e looed at him and
56
her eyes shone too, as bri&ht as the sea itsel!# (t %as
the !irst time she had ever taen anyone to her ,re-ious
island, and she %as en/oyin& it#
*hey landed on the smooth yello% sand# "7e)re really
on the island3" said 0nne, and she -a,ered about, *im
/oinin& her and looin& as mad as she did# *he others
lau&hed# >eor&e ,ulled the boat hi&h u, on the sand#
"7hy so !ar u,?" said Julian, hel,in& her# "*he tide)s
almost in, isn)t it? 8urely it %on)t -ome as hi&h as this#"
"( told you ( thou&ht a storm %as -omin&," said,
>eor&e# "(! one does, the %aves sim,ly tear u, this inlet
and %e don)t %ant to lose our boat, do %e?"
"=et)s e?,lore the island, let)s e?,lore the island3"
yelled 0nne, %ho %as no% at the to, o! the little natural
harbour, -limbin& u, the ro-s there# "4h do -ome on3"
*hey all !ollo%ed her# (t really %as a most e?-itin&
,la-e# Babbits %ere every%here3 *hey s-uttled about as the
-hildren a,,eared, but did not &o into their holes#
"0ren)t they a%!ully tame?" said Julian, in sur,rise#
"7ell, nobody ever -omes here but me," said >eor&e,
"and ( don)t !ri&hten them# *im3 *im, i! you &o a!ter the
rabbits, ()ll s,an you#"
*im turned bi& sorro%!ul eyes on to >eor&e# 1e and
>eor&e a&reed about every sin&le thin& e?-e,t rabbits# *o
*im rabbits %ere made !or one thin&5to -hase3 1e never
-ould understand %hy >eor&e %ouldn)t let him do this# 9ut
he held himsel! in and %aled solemnly by the -hildren, his
eyes %at-hin& the lollo,in& rabbits lon&in&ly#
57
58
"( believe they %ould almost eat out o! my hand," said
Julian#
9ut >eor&e shoo her head#
"2o, ()ve tried that %ith them," she said# "*hey %on)t#
=oo at those baby ones# 0ren)t they lovely?"
"7oo!3" said *im, a&reein&, and he too a !e% ste,s
to%ards them# >eor&e made a %arnin& noise in her throat,
and *im %aled ba-, his tail do%n#
"*here)s the -astle3" said Julian# "8hall %e e?,lore that
no%? ( do %ant to#"
"6es, %e %ill," said >eor&e# "=oo5 that is %here
the entran-e used to be5 throu&h that bi& broen
ar-h%ay#"
*he -hildren &aEed at the enormous old ar-h%ay, no%
hal!"broen do%n# 9ehind it %ere ruined stone ste,s
leadin& to%ards the -entre o! the -astle#
"(t had stron& %alls all round it, %ith t%o to%ers," said
>eor&e# "4ne to%er is almost &one, as you -an see, but the
other is not so bad# *he /a-da%s build in that every year#
*hey)ve almost !illed it u, %ith their sti-s3"
0s they -ame near to the better to%er o! the t%o the
/a-da%s -ir-led round them %ith loud -ries o! "$ha-,
-ha-, -ha-3" *im lea,t into the air as i! he thou&ht he
-ould &et them, but they only -alled mo-in&ly to him#
"*his is the -entre o! the -astle," said >eor&e, as they
entered throu&h a ruined door%ay into %hat looed lie a
&reat yard, %hose stone !loor %as no% over&ro%n %ith
&rass and other %eeds# "1ere is %here the ,eo,le used to
live# 6ou -an see %here the rooms %ere5 loo, there)s one
59
almost %hole there# >o throu&h that little door and you)ll
see it#"
*hey troo,ed throu&h a door%ay and !ound
themselves in a dar, stone"%alled, stone"roo!ed room,
%ith a s,a-e at one end %here a !ire",la-e must have been#
*%o slit"lie %indo%s li&hted the room# (t !elt very +ueer
and mysterious#
"7hat a ,ity it)s all broen do%n," said Julian,
%anderin& out a&ain# "*hat room seems to be the only one
+uite %hole# *here are some others here5 but all o! them
seem to have either no roo!, or one or other o! the %alls
&one# *hat room is the only liveable one# 7as there an
u,stairs to the -astle, >eor&e?"
"4! -ourse," said >eor&e# "9ut the ste,s that led u,
are &one, =oo3 6ou -an see ,art o! an u,stairs room there,
by the /a-da% to%er# 6ou -an)t &et u, to it, thou&h,
be-ause ()ve tried# ( nearly broe my ne- tryin& to &et u,#
*he stones -rumble a%ay so#"
"7ere there any dun&eons?" ased .i-#
"( don)t no%," said >eor&e# "( e?,e-t so# 9ut nobody
-ould !ind them no%5 every%here is so over&ro%n#"
(t %as indeed over&ro%n# 9i& bla-berry bushes &re%
here and there, and a !e% &orse bushes !or-ed their %ay
into &a,s and -orners# *he -oarse &reen &rass s,ran&
every%here, and ,in thri!t &re% its -ushions in holes and
-rannies#
"7ell, ( thin it)s a ,er!e-tly lovely ,la-e," said 0nne#
"'er!e-tly and absolutely lovely3"
".o you really?" said >eor&e, ,leased# "()m so &lad#
=oo3 7e)re ri&ht on the other side o! the island no%,
!a-in& the sea# .o you see those ro-s, %ith those +ueer
bi& birds sittin& there?"
6;
*he -hildren looed# *hey sa% some ro-s sti-in&
u,, %ith &reat bla- shinin& birds sittin& on them in +ueer
,ositions#
"*hey are -ormorants," said >eor&e# "*hey)ve -au&ht
,lenty o! !ish !or their dinner, and they)re sittin& there
di&estin& it# 1allo5 they)re all !lyin& a%ay# ( %onder
%hy3"
8he soon ne%5 !or, !rom the south%est there
suddenly -ame an ominous rumble#
"*hunder3" said >eor&e# "*hat)s the storm# (t)s -omin&
sooner than ( thou&ht3"
61
Chapter Six
WHAT THE STORM DID

*1D !our -hildren stared out to sea# *hey had all been
so interested in e?,lorin& the e?-itin& old -astle that not
one o! them had noti-ed the sudden -han&e in the %eather#
0nother rumble -ame# (t sounded lie a bi& do&
&ro%lin& in the sy# *im heard it and &ro%led ba-,
soundin& lie a small roll o! thunder himsel!#
"My &oodness, %e)re in !or it no%," said >eor&e, hal!"
alarmed# "7e -an)t &et ba- in time, that)s -ertain# (t)s
blo%in& u, at to, s,eed# .id ever you see su-h a -han&e in
the sy?"
*he sy had been blue %hen they started# 2o% it %as
over-ast, and the -louds seemed to han& very lo% indeed#
*hey s-udded alon& as i! someone %as -hasin& them5 and
the %ind ho%led round in su-h a mourn!ul %ay that 0nne
!elt +uite !ri&htened#
"(t)s be&innin& to rain," said Julian, !eelin& an
enormous dro, s,atter on his outstret-hed hand# "7e had
better shelter, hadn)t %e, >eor&e? 7e shall &et %et
throu&h#"
"6es, %e %ill in a minute," said >eor&e# "( say, /ust
loo at these bi& %aves -omin&3 My %ord, it really is
&oin& to be a storm# >olly5 %hat a !lash o! li&htnin&3"
*he %aves %ere -ertainly be&innin& to run very hi&h
indeed# (t %as +ueer to see %hat a -han&e had -ome over
them# *hey s%elled u,, turned over as soon as they -ame to
ro-s, and
62
then rushed u, the bea-h o! the island %ith a &reat
roar#
"( thin %e)d better ,ull our boat u, hi&her still," said
>eor&e suddenly# "(t)s &oin& to be a very bad storm indeed#
8ometimes these sudden summer storms are %orse than a
%inter one#"
8he and Julian ran to the other side o! the island %here
they had le!t the boat# (t %as a &ood thin& they %ent, !or
&reat %aves %ere already ra-in& ri&ht u, to it# *he t%o
-hildren ,ulled the boat u, almost to the to, o! the lo%
-li!! and >eor&e tied it to a stout &orse bush &ro%in& there#
9y no% the rain %as sim,ly ,eltin& do%n, and >eor&e
and Julian %ere soaed# "( ho,e the others have been
sensible enou&h to shelter in that room that has a roo! and
%alls," said >eor&e#
*hey %ere there all ri&ht, looin& rather -old and
s-ared# (t %as very dar there, !or the only li&ht -ame
throu&h the t%o slits o! %indo%s and the small door%ay#
"$ould %e li&ht a !ire to mae thin&s a bit more
-heer!ul?" said Julian, looin& round# "( %onder %here %e
-an !ind some ni-e dry sti-s?"
0lmost as i! they %ere ans%erin& the +uestion a small
-ro%d o! /a-da%s -ried out %ildly as they -ir-led in the
storm# "$ha-, -ha-, -ha-3"
"4! -ourse3 *here are ,lenty o! sti-s on the &round
belo% the to%er3" -ried Julian# "6ou no%5 %here the
/a-da%s nest# *hey)ve dro,,ed lots o! sti-s there#"
1e dashed out into the rain and ran to the to%er# 1e
,i-ed u, an arm!ul o! sti-s and ran ba-#
">ood," said >eor&e# "7e)ll be able to mae
63
64
a ni-e !ire %ith those# 0nyone &ot any ,a,er to start it5
or mat-hes?"
"()ve &ot some mat-hes," said Julian# "9ut nobody)s &ot
,a,er#"
"6es," said 0nne, suddenly# "*he sand%i-hes are
%ra,,ed in ,a,er# =et)s undo them, and then %e -an use the
,a,er !or the !ire#"
">ood idea," said >eor&e# 8o they undid the
sand%i-hes, and ,ut them neatly on a broen stone, rubbin&
it -lean !irst# *hen they built u, a !ire, %ith the ,a,er
underneath and the sti-s arran&ed -riss"-ross on to,#
(t %as !un %hen they li&hted the ,a,er# (t !lared u, and
the sti-s at on-e -au&ht !ire, !or they %ere very old and dry#
8oon there %as a !ine -ra-in& !ire &oin& and the little ruined
room %as li&hted by dan-in& !lames# (t %as very dar
outside no%, !or the -louds hun& almost lo% enou&h to tou-h
the to, o! the -astle to%er3 0nd ho% they ra-ed by3 *he
%ind sent them o!! to the northeast, roarin& behind them
%ith a noise lie the sea itsel!#
"()ve never, never heard the sea main& su-h an a%!ul
noise," said 0nne# "2ever3 (t really sounds as i! it)s shoutin&
at the to, o! its voi-e#"
7hat %ith the ho%lin& o! the %ind and the -rashin& o!
the &reat %aves all round the little island, the -hildren -ould
hardly hear themselves s,ea3 *hey had to shout at one
another#
"=et)s have our dinner3" yelled .i-, %ho %as !eelin&
terribly hun&ry as usual# "7e -an)t do anythin& mu-h %hile
this storm lasts#"
"6es, let)s," said 0nne, looin& lon&in&ly at the ham
sand%i-hes# "(t %ill be !un to have a ,i-ni- round the !ire in
this dar old room# ( %onder
65
ho% lon& a&o other ,eo,le had a meal here# ( %ish (
-ould see them#"
"7ell, ( don)t, said .i-, looin& round hal!"s-ared as
i! he e?,e-ted to see the old"time ,eo,le %al in to share
their ,i-ni-# "(t)s +uite a +ueer enou&h day %ithout %antin&
thin&s lie that to ha,,en#"
*hey all !elt better %hen they %ere eatin& the
sand%i-hes and drinin& the &in&er"beer# *he !ire !lared u,
as more and more sti-s -au&ht, and &ave out +uite a
,leasant %armth, !or no% that the %ind had &ot u, so
stron&ly, the day had be-ome -old#
"7e)ll tae it in turn to !et-h sti-s," said >eor&e# 9ut
0nne didn)t %ant to &o alone# 8he %as tryin& her best not
to sho% that she %as a!raid o! the storm5 but it %as more
than she -ould do to &o out o! the -osy room into the rain
and thunder by hersel!#
*im didn)t seem to lie the storm either# 1e sat -lose
by >eor&e, his ears -o-ed, and &ro%led %henever the
thunder rumbled# *he -hildren !ed him %ith titbits and he
ate them ea&erly, !or he %as hun&ry too#
0ll the -hildren had !our bis-uits ea-h# "( thin ( shall
&ive all mine to *im," said >eor&e# "( didn)t brin& him any
o! his o%n bis-uits, and he does seem so hun&ry#"
"2o, don)t do that," said Julian# "7e)ll ea-h &ive him a
bis-uit5 that %ill be !our !or him5 and %e)ll still have
three le!t ea-h# *hat %ill be ,lenty !or us#"
"6ou are really ni-e," said >eor&e# "*im, don)t you
thin they are ni-e?"
*im did# 1e li-ed everyone and made them
66
lau&h# *hen he rolled over on his ba- and let Julian
ti-le him underneath#
*he -hildren !ed the !ire and !inished their ,i-ni-#
7hen it -ame to Julian)s turn to &et more sti-s, he
disa,,eared out o! the room into the storm# 1e stood and
looed around, the rain %ettin& his bare head#
*he storm seemed to be ri&ht overhead no%# *he
li&htnin& !lashed and the thunder -rashed at the same
moment# Julian %as not a bit a!raid o! storms, but he
-ouldn)t hel, !eelin& rather over"a%ed at this one# (t %as so
ma&ni!i-ent# *he li&htnin& tore the sy in hal! almost every
minute, and the thunder -rashed so loudly that it sounded
almost as i! mountains %ere !allin& do%n all around3
*he sea)s voi-e -ould be heard as soon as the thunder
sto,,ed5 and that %as ma&ni!i-ent to hear too# *he s,ray
!le% so hi&h into the air that it %etted Julian as he stood in
the -entre o! the ruined -astle#
"( really must see %hat the %aves are lie," thou&ht
the boy# "(! the s,ray !lies ri&ht over me here, they must be
sim,ly enormous3"
1e made his %ay out o! the -astle and -limbed u, on
to ,art o! the ruined %all that had on-e run all round the
-astle# 1e stood u, there, looin& out to the o,en sea# 0nd
%hat a si&ht met his eyes3
*he %aves %ere lie &reat %alls o! &rey"&reen3 *hey
dashed over the ro-s that lay all around the island, and
s,ray !le% !rom them, &leamin& %hite in the stormy sy#
*hey rolled u, to the island and dashed themselves a&ainst
it %ith su-h terri!i- !or-e that Julian -ould !eel the %all
beneath his !eet tremble %ith the sho-#
67
*he boy looed out to sea, marvellin& at the really
&reat si&ht he sa%# <or hal! a moment he %ondered i! the
sea mi&ht -ome ri&ht over the island itsel!3 *hen he ne%
that -ouldn)t ha,,en, !or it %ould have ha,,ened be!ore#
1e stared at the &reat %aves -omin& in5 and then he sa%
somethin& rather +ueer#
*here %as somethin& else out on the sea by the ro-s
besides the %aves5 somethin& dar, somethin& bi&,
somethin& that seemed to lur-h out o! the %aves and settle
do%n a&ain# 7hat -ould it be?
"(t -an)t be a shi,," said Julian to himsel!, his heart
be&innin& to beat !ast as he strained his eyes to see throu&h
the rain and the s,ray# "0nd yet it loos more lie a shi,
than anythin& else# ( ho,e it isn)t a shi,# *here %ouldn)t be
anyone saved !rom it on this dread!ul day3"
1e stood and %at-hed !or a %hile# *he dar sha,e
heaved into si&ht a&ain and then san a%ay on-e more#
Julian de-ided to &o and tell the others# 1e ran ba- to the
!irelit room#
">eor&e3 .i-3 *here)s somethin& +ueer out on the
ro-s beyond the island3" he shouted, at the to, o! his
voi-e# "(t loos lie a shi,5 and yet it -an)t ,ossibly be#
$ome and see3"
*he others stared at him in sur,rise, and /um,ed to
their !eet# >eor&e hurriedly !lun& some more sti-s on the
!ire to ee, it &oin&, and then she and the others +ui-ly
!ollo%ed Julian out into the rain#
*he storm seemed to be ,assin& over a little no%# *he
rain %as not ,eltin& do%n +uite so hard# *he thunder %as
rollin& a little !arther o!!, and
68
the li&htnin& did not !lash so o!ten# Julian led the %ay
to the %all on %hi-h he had -limbed to %at-h the sea#
Dveryone -limbed u, to &aEe out to sea# *hey sa% a
&reat tumbled, heavin& mass o! &rey"&reen %ater, %ith
%aves rearin& u, every%here# *heir to,s broe over the
ro-s and they rushed u, to the island as i! they %ould
&obble it %hole# 0nne sli,,ed her arm throu&h Julian)s#
8he !elt rather small and s-ared#
"6ou)re all ri&ht, 0nne", said Julian, loudly# "2o% /ust
%at-h5 you)ll see somethin& +ueer in a minute#"
*hey all %at-hed# 0t !irst they sa% nothin&, !or the
%aves reared u, so hi&h that they hid everythin& a little
%ay out# *hen suddenly >eor&e sa% %hat Julian meant#
">ra-ious3" she shouted, )it is a shi,3 6es, it is3 (s it
bein& %re-ed? (t)s a bi& shi,5 not a sailin&"boat, or
!ishin&"sma-3"
"4h, is anyone in it?" %ailed 0nne#
*he !our -hildren %at-hed and *im be&an to bar as
he sa% the +ueer dar sha,e lur-hin& here and there in the
enormous %aves# *he sea %as brin&in& the shi, nearer to
shore#
"(t %ill be dashed on to those ro-s," said Julian,
suddenly# "=oo5 there it &oes3"
0s he s,oe there -ame a tremendous -rashin&,
s,linterin& sound, and the dar sha,e o! the shi, settled
do%n on to the shar, teeth o! the dan&erous ro-s on the
south%est side o! the island# (t stayed there, shi!tin& only
sli&htly as the bi& %aves ran under it and li!ted it a little#
"8he)s stu- there," said Julian# "8he %on)t move no%#
*he sea %ill soon be &oin& do%n a
69
7;
bit, and then the shi, %ill !ind hersel! held by those
ro-s#"
0s he s,oe, a ray o! ,ale sunshine -ame %averin& out
bet%een a &a, in the thinnin& -louds# (t %as &one almost at
on-e# ">ood3" said .i-, looin& u,%ards# "*he sun %ill
be out a&ain soon# 7e -an %arm ourselves then and &et dry
5 and maybe %e -an !ind out %hat that ,oor shi, is# 4h
Julian5 ( do so ho,e there %as nobody in it# ( ho,e they)ve
all taen to boats and &ot sa!ely to land#"
*he -louds thinned out a little more# *he %ind sto,,ed
roarin& and dro,,ed to a steady breeEe# *he sun shone out
a&ain !or a lon&er time, and the -hildren !elt its %el-ome
%armth# *hey all stared at the shi, on the ro-s# *he sun
shone on it and li&hted it u,#
"*here)s somethin& +ueer about it someho%," said
Julian, slo%ly# "8omethin& a%!ully +ueer# ()ve never seen a
shi, +uite lie it#"
>eor&e %as starin& at it %ith a stran&e loo in her
eyes# 8he turned to !a-e the three -hildren, and they %ere
astonished to see the bri&ht &leam in her blue eyes# *he &irl
looed almost too e?-ited to s,ea#
"7hat is it?" ased Julian, -at-hin& hold o! her hand#
"Julian5 oh Julian5 it)s my %re-3" she -ried, in a
hi&h e?-ited voi-e# ".on)t you see %hat)s ha,,ened3 *he
storm has li!ted the shi, u, !rom the bottom o! the sea, and
has lod&ed it on those ro-s# (t)s my %re-3"
*he others sa% at on-e that she %as ri&ht# (t %as the
old %re-ed shi,3 2o %onder it looed +ueer# 2o %onder
it looed so old and dar,
71
and su-h a stran&e sha,e# (t %as the %re-, li!ted hi&h
out o! its slee,in&",la-e and ,ut on the ro-s near by#
">eor&e3 7e shall be able to ro% out and &et into the
%re- no%3" shouted Julian# "7e shall be able to e?,lore it
!rom end to end# 7e may !ind the bo?es o! &old# 4h,
George3"


72
Chapter Seven
BACK TO KIRRIN COTTAGE

*1D !our -hildren %ere so tremendously sur,rised
and e?-ited that !or a minute or t%o they didn)t say a %ord#
*hey /ust stared at the dar hul o! the old %re-,
ima&inin& %hat they mi&ht !ind# *hen Julian -lut-hed
>eor&e)s arm and ,ressed it ti&htly#
"(sn)t this %onder!ul?" he said# "4h, >eor&e, isn)t it an
e?traordinary thin& to ha,,en?"
8till >eor&e said nothin&, but stared at the %re-, all
inds o! thou&hts ra-in& throu&h her mind# *hen she turned
to Julian#
"(! only the %re- is still mine no% it)s thro%n u, lie
this3" she said# "( don)t no% i! %re-s belon& to the +ueen
or anyone, lie lost treasure does# 9ut a!ter all, the shi, did
belon& to our !amily# 2obody bothered mu-h about it %hen
it %as do%n under the sea5 but do you su,,ose ,eo,le
%ill still let me have it !or my o%n no% it)s thro%n u,?"
"7ell, don)t let)s tell anyone3" said .i-#
".on)t be silly," said >eor&e# "4ne o! the !ishermen is
sure to see it %hen his shi, &oes sli,,in& out o! the bay#
*he ne%s %ill soon be out#"
"7ell then, %e)d better e?,lore it thorou&hly ourselves
be!ore anyone else does3" said .i-, ea&erly# "2o one
no%s about it yet# 4nly us# $an)t %e e?,lore it as soon as
the %aves &o do%n a bit?"
73
"7e -an)t %ade out to the ro-s, i! that)s %hat you
mean," said >eor&e# "7e mi&ht &et there by boat5 but %e
-ouldn)t ,ossibly ris it no%, %hile the %aves are so bi&#
*hey %on)t &o do%n today, that)s -ertain# *he %ind is still
too stron&#"
"7ell, %hat about tomorro% mornin&, early?" said
Julian# "9e!ore anyone has &ot to no% about it? ( bet i!
only %e -an &et into the shi, !irst, %e -an !ind anythin&
there is to !ind3"
"6es, ( e?,e-t %e -ould," said >eor&e# "( told you
divers had been do%n and e?,lored the shi, as thorou&hly
as they -ould5 but o! -ourse it is di!!i-ult to do that
,ro,erly under %ater# 7e mi&ht !ind somethin& they)ve
missed# 4h, this is lie a dream# ( -an)t believe it)s true that
my old %re- has -ome u, !rom the bottom o! the sea lie
that3"
*he sun %as no% ,ro,erly out, and the -hildren)s %et
-lothes dried in its hot rays# *hey steamed in the sun, and
even *im)s -oat sent u, a mist too# 1e didn)t seem to lie
the %re- at all, but &ro%led dee,ly at it#
"6ou are !unny, *im," said >eor&e, ,attin& him# "(t
%on)t hurt you3 7hat do you thin it is?"
"1e ,robably thins it)s a %hale," said 0nne %ith a
lau&h# "4h, >eor&e5 this is the most e?-itin& day o! my
li!e3 4h, -an)t %e ,ossibly tae the boat and see i! %e -an
&et to the %re-?"
"2o, %e -an)t," said >eor&e# "( only %ish %e -ould#
9ut it)s +uite im,ossible, 0nne# <or one thin& ( don)t thin
the %re- has +uite settled do%n on the ro-s yet, and
maybe it %on)t till the tide has &one do%n# ( -an see it
li!tin& a little still %hen an e?tra bi& %ave -omes# (t %ould
74
be dan&erous to &o into it yet# 0nd !or another thin& (
don)t %ant my boat smashed to bits on the ro-s, and us
thro%n into that %ild %ater3 *hat)s %hat %ould ha,,en# 7e
must %ait till tomorro%# (t)s a &ood idea to -ome early# (
e?,e-t lots o! &ro%n"u,s %ill thin it)s their business to
e?,lore it#"
*he -hildren %at-hed the old %re- !or a little time
lon&er and then %ent all round the island a&ain# (t %as
-ertainly not very lar&e, but it really %as e?-itin&, %ith its
ro-y little -oast, its +uiet inlet %here their boat %as, the
ruined -astle, the -ir-lin& /a-da%s, and the s-am,erin&
rabbits every%here#
"( do love it," said 0nne# "( really do# (t)s /ust small
enou&h to !eel lie an island# Most islands are too bi& to
!eel lie islands# ( mean, 9ritain is an island, but nobody
livin& on it -ould ,ossibly no% it unless they %ere told#
2o% this island really !eels lie one be-ause %herever you
are you -an see to the other side o! it# ( love it#"
>eor&e !elt very ha,,y# 8he had o!ten been on her
island be!ore, but al%ays alone e?-e,t !or *im# 8he had
al%ays vo%ed that she never, never %ould tae anyone
there, be-ause it %ould s,oil her island !or her# 9ut it
hadn)t been s,oilt# (t had made it mu-h ni-er# <or the !irst
time >eor&e be&an to understand that sharin& ,leasures
doubles their /oy#
"7e)ll %ait till the %aves &o do%n a bit then %e)ll &o
ba- home," she said# "( rather thin there)s some more
rain -omin&, and %e)ll only &et soaed throu&h# 7e shan)t
be ba- till tea"time as it is, be-ause %e)ll have a lon& ,ull
a&ainst the out"&oin& tide#"
75
0ll the -hildren !elt a little tired a!ter the e?-itements
o! the mornin&# *hey said very little as they ro%ed home#
Dveryone too turns at ro%in& e?-e,t 0nne, %ho %as not
stron& enou&h %ith the oars to ro% a&ainst the tide# *hey
looed ba- at the island as they le!t it# *hey -ouldn)t see
the %re- be-ause that %as on the o,,osite side, !a-in& the
o,en sea#
"(t)s /ust as %ell it)s there," said Julian# "2o one -an
see it yet# 4nly %hen a boat &oes out to !ish %ill it be seen#
0nd %e shall be there as early as any boat &oes out3 ( vote
%e &et u, at da%n#"
"7ell, that)s ,retty early," said >eor&e# "$an you
%ae u,? ()m o!ten out at da%n, but you)re not used to it#"
"4! -ourse %e -an %ae u,," said Julian# "7ell5 here
%e are ba- at the bea-h a&ain5 and ()m /olly &lad# My
arms are a%!ully tired and ()m so hun&ry ( -ould eat a
%hole larder!ul o! thin&s#"
"7oo!," said *im, +uite a&reein&#
"()ll have to tae *im to 0l!," said >eor&e, /um,in&
out o! the boat# "6ou &et the boat in, Julian# ()ll /oin you in
a !e% minutes#"
(t %asn)t lon& be!ore all !our %ere sittin& do%n to a
&ood tea# 0unt <anny had baed ne% s-ones !or them, and
had made a &in&er -ae %ith bla- trea-le# (t %as dar
bro%n and sti-y to eat# *he -hildren !inished it all u, and
said it %as the ni-est they had ever tasted#
".id you have an e?-itin& day?" ased their aunt#
"4h yes3" said 0nne, ea&erly# "*he storm %as &rand#
(t thre% u, ###"
76
Julian and .i- both i-ed her under the table#
>eor&e -ouldn)t rea-h her or she %ould most -ertainly have
i-ed her too# 0nne stared at the boys an&rily, %ith tears
in her eyes#
"2o% %hat)s the matter?" ased 0unt <anny# ".id
somebody i- you, 0nne? 7ell, really, this i-in& under
the table has &ot to sto,# 'oor 0nne %ill be -overed %ith
bruises# 7hat did the sea thro% u,, dear?"
"(t thre% u, the most enormous %aves," said 0nne,
looin& de!iantly at the others# 8he ne% they had thou&ht
she %as &oin& to say that the sea had thro%n u, the %re-
5 but they %ere %ron&3 *hey had i-ed her !or nothin&3
"8orry !or i-in& you, 0nne," said Julian# "My !oot
sort o! sli,,ed#"
"8o did mine," said .i-# "6es, 0unt <anny, it %as a
ma&ni!i-ent si&ht on the island# *he %aves ra-ed u, that
little inlet, and %e had to tae our boat almost u, to the to,
o! the lo% -li!! there#"
"( %asn)t really a!raid o! the storm," said 0nne# "(n
!a-t, ( %asn)t really as a!raid o! it as *i ###"
Dveryone ne% ,er!e-tly %ell that 0nne %as &oin& to
mention *imothy, and they all interru,ted her at on-e,
s,eain& very loudly# Julian mana&ed to &et a i- in
a&ain#
"4ooh3" said 0nne#
"*he rabbits %ere so tame," said Julian, loudly#
"7e %at-hed the -ormorants," said .i-, and >eor&e
/oined in too, talin& at the same time#
"*he /a-da%s made su-h a noise, they said )$ha-,
-ha-, -ha-,) all the time#"
77
78
"7ell, really, you sound lie /a-da%s yourselves,
talin& all at on-e lie this3" said 0unt <anny, %ith a lau&h#
"2o%, have you all !inished? Fery %ell, then, &o and %ash
your sti-y hands5 yes, >eor&e, ( no% they)re sti-y,
be-ause ( made that &in&erbread, and you)ve had three
sli-es3 *hen you had better &o and ,lay +uietly in the other
room, be-ause it)s rainin&, and you -an)t &o out# 9ut don)t
disturb your !ather, >eor&e# 1e)s very busy#"
*he -hildren %ent to %ash# "(diot3" said Julian to
0nne# "2early &ave us a%ay t%i-e3"
"( didn)t mean %hat you thou&ht ( meant the !irst
time3" be&an 0nne indi&nantly#
>eor&e interru,ted her#
"()d rather you &ave the se-ret o! the %re- a%ay than
my se-ret about *im," she said# "( do thin you)ve &ot a
-areless ton&ue#"
"6es, ( have," said 0nne, sorro%!ully# "( thin ()d
better not tal at meal"times any more# ( love *im so mu-h
( /ust -an)t seem to hel, %antin& to tal about him#"
*hey all %ent to ,lay in the other room# Julian turned
a table u,side do%n %ith a -rash# "7e)ll ,lay at %re-s,"
he said# "*his is the %re-# 2o% %e)re &oin& to e?,lore it#"
*he door !le% o,en and an an&ry, !ro%nin& !a-e
looed in# (t %as >eor&e)s !ather3
"7hat %as that noise?" he said# ">eor&e3 .id you
overturn that table?"
"( did," said Julian# "()m sorry, sir# ( +uite !or&ot you
%ere %orin&#"
"0ny more noise lie that and ( shall ee, you all in
bed tomorro%3" said his An-le :uentin# ">eor&ina, ee,
your -ousins +uiet#"
79
*he door shut and An-le :uentin %ent out# *he
-hildren looed at one another#
"6our !ather)s a%!ully !ier-e, isn)t he?" said Julian#
"()m sorry ( made that ro%# ( didn)t thin#"
"7e)d better do somethin& really +uiet," said >eor&e#
"4r he)ll ee, his %ord5 and %e)ll !ind ourselves in bed
tomorro% /ust %hen %e %ant to e?,lore the %re-#"
*his %as a terrible thou&ht# 0nne %ent to &et one o!
her dolls to ,lay %ith# 8he had mana&ed to brin& +uite a
number a!ter all# Julian !et-hed a boo# >eor&e too u, a
beauti!ul little boat she %as -arvin& out o! a ,ie-e o! %ood#
.i- lay ba- on a -hair and thou&ht o! the e?-itin& %re-#
*he rain ,oured do%n steadily, and everyone ho,ed it
%ould have sto,,ed by the mornin&#
"7e)ll have to be u, most a%!ully early," said .i-,
ya%nin&# "7hat about &oin& to bed in &ood time toni&ht?
()m tired %ith all that ro%in&#"
(n the ordinary %ay none o! the -hildren lied &oin& to
bed early5 but %ith su-h an e?-itin& thin& to loo !or%ard
to, early"bed seemed di!!erent that ni&ht#
"(t %ill mae the time &o +ui-ly," said 0nne, ,uttin&
do%n her doll# "8hall %e &o no%?"
"7hatever do you su,,ose Mother %ould say i! %e
%ent /ust a!ter tea?" said >eor&e# "8he)d thin %e %ere all
ill# 2o, let)s &o a!ter su,,er# 7e)ll /ust say %e)re tired %ith
ro%in&5 %hi-h is ,er!e-tly true5 and %e)ll &et a &ood
ni&ht)s slee,, and be ready !or our adventure tomorro%
mornin&# 0nd it is an adventure, you no%# (t isn)t
8;
many ,eo,le that have the -han-e o! e?,lorin& an old,
old %re- lie that, %hi-h has al%ays been at the bottom o!
the sea3"
8o, by ei&ht o)-lo-, all the -hildren %ere in bed,
rather to 0unt <anny)s sur,rise# 0nne !ell aslee, at on-e#
Julian and .i- %ere not lon&5 but >eor&e lay a%ae !or
some time, thinin& o! her island, her %re-5 and, o!
-ourse, her beloved do&3
"( must tae *im too," she thou&ht, as she !ell aslee,#
"7e -an)t leave old *im out o! this# 1e shall share in the
adventure too3
81
Chapter E!ht
EX"LORING THE WRECK

JA=(02 %oe !irst the ne?t mornin&# 1e a%oe /ust
as the sun %as sli,,in& over the horiEon in the east, and
!illin& the sy %ith &old# Julian stared at the -eilin& !or a
moment, and then, in a rush, he remembered all that had
ha,,ened the day be!ore# 1e sat u, strai&ht in bed and
%his,ered as loudly as he -ould#
".i-3 7ae u,3 7e)re &oin& to see the %re-3 .o
%ae u,3"
.i- %oe and &rinned at Julian# 0 !eelin& o!
ha,,iness -re,t over him# *hey %ere &oin& on an
adventure# 1e lea,t out o! bed and ran +uietly to the &irls)
room# 1e o,ened the door# 9oth the &irls %ere !ast aslee,,
0nne -urled u, lie a dormouse under the sheet#
.i- shoo >eor&e and then du& 0nne in the ba-#
*hey a%oe and sat u,# "9u- u,3" %his,ered .i-# "*he
sun is /ust risin&# 7e)ll have to hurry#"
>eor&e)s blue eyes shone as she dressed# 0nne
si,,ed about +uietly, !indin& her !e% -lothes5 /ust a
bathin& suit, /eans and /ersey5 and rubber shoes !or her
!eet# (t %asn)t many minutes be!ore they %ere all ready#
"2o%, not a -rea on the stairs5 not a -ou&h or a
&i&&le3" %arned Julian, as they stood to&ether on the
landin&# 0nne %as a dread!ul &i&&ler, and had o!ten &iven
se-ret ,lans a%ay by her sudden e?,losive -hoe# 9ut this
time the little &irl %as
82
as solemn as the others, and as -are!ul# *hey -re,t
do%n the stairs and undid the little !ront door# 2ot a sound
%as made# *hey shut the door +uietly and made their %ay
do%n the &arden ,ath to the &ate# *he &ate al%ays -reaed,
so they -limbed over it instead o! o,enin& it#
*he sun %as no% shinin& bri&htly, thou&h it %as still
lo% in the eastern sy# (t !elt %arm already# *he sy %as so
beauti!ully blue that 0nne -ouldn)t hel, !eelin& it had been
!reshly %ashed3 "(t loos /ust as i! it had -ome ba- !rom
the laundry," she told the others#
*hey s+uealed %ith lau&hter at her# 8he did say odd
thin&s at times# 9ut they ne% %hat she meant# *he day
had a lovely ne% !eelin& about itthe -louds %ere so ,in in
the bri&ht blue sy, and the sea looed so smooth and
!resh# (t %as im,ossible to ima&ine that it had been so
rou&h the day be!ore#
>eor&e &ot her boat# *hen she %ent to &et *im, %hile
the boys hauled the boat do%n to the sea# 0l!, the !isher"
boy, %as sur,rised to see >eor&e so early# 1e %as about to
&o %ith his !ather, !ishin&# 1e &rinned at >eor&e#
"6ou &oin& !ishin&, too?" he said to her# "My, %asn)t
that a storm yesterday3 ( thou&ht you)d be -au&ht in it#"
"7e %ere," said >eor&e# "$ome on, *im3 $ome on3"
*im %as very ,leased to see >eor&e so early# 1e
-a,ered round her as she ran ba- to the others, almost
tri,,in& her u, as she %ent# 1e lea,t into the boat as soon
as he sa% it, and stood at the stern, his red ton&ue out, his
tail %a&&in& violently#
83
"( %onder his tail ee,s on," said 0nne, looin& at it#
"4ne day, *imothy, you)ll %a& it ri&ht o!!#"
*hey set o!! to the island# (t %as easy to ro% no%,
be-ause the sea %as so -alm# *hey -ame to the island, and
ro%ed around it to the other side#
0nd there %as the %re-, ,iled hi&h on some shar,
ro-s3 (t had settled do%n no% and did not stir as %aves
slid under it# (t lay a little to one side, and the broen mast,
no% shorter than be!ore, stu- out at an an&le#
"*here she is," said Julian, in e?-itement# "'oor old
%re-3 ( &uess she)s a bit more battered no%# 7hat a noise
she made %hen she %ent -rashin& on to those ro-s
yesterday3"
"1o% do %e &et to her?" ased 0nne, looin& at the
mass o! u&ly, shar, ro-s all around# 9ut >eor&e %as not
at all dismayed# 8he ne% almost every in-h o! the -oast
around her little island# 8he ,ulled steadily at the oars and
soon -ame near to the ro-s in %hi-h the &reat %re-
rested#
*he -hildren looed at the %re- !rom their boat# (t
%as bi&, mu-h bi&&er than they had ima&ined %hen they
had ,eered at it !rom the to, o! the %ater# (t %as en-rusted
%ith shell!ish o! some ind, and strands o! bro%n and
&reen sea%eed hun& do%n# (t smelt +ueer# (t had &reat
holes in its sides, sho%in& %here it had battered a&ainst
ro-s# *here %ere holes in the de- too# 0lto&ether it
looed a sad and !orlorn old shi,5 but to the !our -hildren
it %as the most e?-itin& thin& in the %hole %orld#
*hey ro%ed to the ro-s on %hi-h the %re- lay# *he
tide %ashed over them# >eor&e too a loo round#
84
"7e)ll tie our boat u, to the %re- itsel!," she said#
"0nd %e)ll &et on to the de- +uite easily by -limbin& u,
the side# =oo, Julian35 thro% this loo, o! ro,e over that
broen bit o! %ood there, sti-in& out !rom the side#"
Julian did as he %as told# *he ro,e ti&htened and the
boat %as held in ,osition# *hen >eor&e -lambered u, the
side o! the %re- lie a money# 8he %as a marvel at
-limbin&# Julian and .i- !ollo%ed her, but 0nne had to be
hel,ed u,# 8oon all !our %ere standin& on the slantin&
de-# (t %as sli,,ery %ith sea%eed, and the smell %as very
stron& indeed# 0nne didn)t lie it#
"7ell, this %as the de-," said >eor&e, "and that)s
%here the men &ot u, and do%n#" 8he ,ointed to a lar&e
hole# *hey %ent to it and looed do%n# *he remains o! an
iron ladder %ere still there# >eor&e looed at it#
"( thin it)s still stron& enou&h to hold us," she said# ()ll
&o !irst# 0nyone &ot a tor-h? (t loos ,retty dar do%n
there#"
Julian had a tor-h# 1e handed it to >eor&e# *he
-hildren be-ame rather +uiet# (t %as mysterious someho%
to loo do%n into the dar inside o! the bi& shi,# 7hat
%ould they !ind? >eor&e s%it-hed on the tor-h and then
s%un& hersel! do%n the ladder# *he others !ollo%ed#
*he li&ht !rom the tor-h sho%ed a very +ueer si&ht#
*he under",arts o! the shi, %ere lo%"-eilin&ed, made o!
thi- oa# *he -hildren had to bend their heads to &et
about# (t seemed as i! there %ere ,la-es that mi&ht have
been -abins, thou&h it %as di!!i-ult to tell no%, !or
everythin& %as so battered, sea"dren-hed and sea%eedy#
85
86
*he smell %as really horrid, thou&h it %as mostly o!
dryin& sea%eed#
*he -hildren sli,,ed about on the sea%eed as they
%ent round the inside o! the shi,# (t didn)t seem so bi&
inside a!ter all# *here %as a bi& hold under the -abins,
%hi-h the -hildren sa% by the li&ht o! their tor-h#
"*hat)s %here the bo?es o! &old %ould have been e,t,
( e?,e-t," said Julian# 9ut there %as nothin& in the hold
e?-e,t %ater and !ish3 *he -hildren -ouldn)t &o do%n
be-ause the %ater %as too dee,# 4ne or t%o barrels !loated
in the %ater, but they had burst o,en and %ere +uite em,ty#
"( e?,e-t they %ere %ater"barrels, or barrels o! ,or or
bis-uit," said >eor&e# "=et)s &o round the other ,art o! the
shi, a&ain5 %here the -abins are# (sn)t it stran&e to see
buns there that sailors have sle,t in5 and loo at that old
%ooden -hair# <an-y it still bein& here a!ter all these years3
=oo at the thin&s on those hoos too5 they are all rusty
no%, and -overed %ith sea%eedy stu!!5 but they must
have been the -oo)s ,ans and dishes3"
(t %as a very +ueer tri, round the old %re-# *he
-hildren %ere all on the loo"out !or bo?es %hi-h mi&ht
-ontain bars o! &old5 but there didn)t seem to be one
sin&le bo? o! any ind any%here3
*hey -ame to a rather bi&&er -abin than the others# (t
had a bun in one -orner, in %hi-h a lar&e -rab rested# 0n
old bit o! !urniture looin& rather lie a tablet %ith t%o
le&s, all en-rusted %ith &reyish shells, lay a&ainst the bun#
7ooden shelves, !estooned %ith &rey"&reen sea%eed, hun&
-rooedly on the %alls o! the -abin#
87
"*his must have been the -a,tain)s o%n -abin," said
Julian# "(t)s the bi&&est one# =oo, %hat)s that in the
-orner?"
"0n old -u,3" said 0nne, ,i-in& it u,# "0nd here)s
hal! o! a sau-er# ( e?,e-t the -a,tain %as sittin& here
havin& a -u, o! tea %hen the shi, %ent do%n#"
*his made the -hildren !eel rather +ueer# (t %as dar
and smelly in the little -abin, and the !loor %as %et and
sli,,ery to their !eet# >eor&e be&an to !eel that her %re-
%as really more ,leasant sun under the %ater than raised
above it3
"=et)s &o," she said, %ith a shiver# "( don)t lie it
mu-h# (t is e?-itin&, ( no%5 but it)s a bit !ri&htenin& too#"
*hey turned to &o# Julian !lashed his tor-h round the
little -abin !or the last time# 1e %as about to s%it-h it o!!
and !ollo% the others u, to the de- above %hen he -au&ht
si&ht o! somethin& that made him sto,# 1e !lashed his tor-h
on to it, and then -alled to the others#
"( say3 7ait a bit# *here)s a -u,board here in the %all#
=et)s see i! there)s anythin& in it3"
*he others turned ba- and looed# *hey sa% %hat
looed lie a small -u,board let in level %ith the %all o!
the -abin# 7hat had -au&ht Julian)s eye %as the eyhole#
*here %as no ey there, thou&h#
"*here /ust mi&ht be somethin& inside," said Julian#
1e tried to ,rise o,en the %ooden door %ith his !in&ers,
but it %ouldn)t move# "(t)s lo-ed," he said# "4! -ourse it
%ould be3"
"( e?,e-t the lo- is rotten by no%," said >eor&e, and
she tried too# *hen she too out
88
her bi& stron& ,o-et"ni!e and inserted it bet%een the
-u,board door and the -abin"%all# 8he !or-ed ba- the
blade5 and the lo- o! the -u,board suddenly sna,,ed3
0s she had said, it %as +uite rotten# *he door s%un& o,en,
and the -hildren sa% a shel! inside %ith a !e% -urious
thin&s on it#
*here %as a %ooden bo?, s%ollen %ith the %et sea"
%ater in %hi-h it had lain !or years# *here %ere t%o or
three thin&s that looed lie old, ,ul,y boos# *here %as
some sort o! &lass drinin&"vessel, -ra-ed in hal!5 and
t%o or three !unny ob/e-ts so s,oilt by sea"%ater that no
one -ould ,ossibly say %hat they %ere#
"2othin& very interestin&5 e?-e,t the bo?," said
Julian, and he ,i-ed it u,# "0ny%ay, ( e?,e-t that
%hatever is inside is ruined# 9ut %e may as %ell try and
o,en it#"
1e and >eor&e tried their best to !or-e the lo- o! the
old %ooden bo?# 4n the to, o! it %ere stam,ed initials5
1#J# @#
"( e?,e-t those %ere the -a,tain)s initials," said .i-#
"2o, they %ere the initials o! my &reat"&reat"
&reat&rand!ather3" said >eor&e, her eyes shinin& suddenly#
"()ve heard all about him# 1is name %as 1enry John @irrin#
*his %as his shi,, you no%# *his must have been his
very",rivate bo? in %hi-h he e,t his old ,a,ers or diaries#
4h,%e sim,ly must o,en it3"
9ut it %as +uite im,ossible to !or-e the lid u, %ith the
tools they had there# *hey soon &ave it u,, and Julian
,i-ed u, the bo? to -arry it to the boat#
"7e)ll o,en it at home," he said, his voi-e
89
9;
soundin& rather e?-ited# "7e)ll &et a hammer or
somethin&, and &et it o,en someho%# 4h, >eor&e5 this
really is a !ind3"
*hey all o! them !elt that they really had somethin&
mysterious in their ,ossession# 7as there anythin& inside
the bo?5 and i! so, %hat %ould it be? *hey lon&ed to &et
home and o,en it3
*hey %ent u, on de-, -limbin& the old iron ladder#
0s soon as they &ot there they sa% that others besides
themselves had dis-overed that the %re- had been thro%n
u, !rom the bottom o! the sea3
">olly3 1al! the !ishin&"sma-s o! the bay have
dis-overed it3" -ried Julian, looin& round at the !ishin&"
boats that had -ome as near as they dared to the %re-# *he
!ishermen %ere looin& at the %re- in %onder# 7hen they
sa% the -hildren on board they halloo"ed loudly#
"0hoy there3 7hat)s that shi,?"
"(t)s the old %re-3" yelled ba- Julian# "8he %as
thro%n u, yesterday in the storm3"
".on)t say any more," said >eor&e, !ro%nin&# "(t)s my
%re-# ( don)t %ant si&htseers on it3"
8o no more %as said, and the !our -hildren &ot into
their boat and ro%ed home as !ast as they -ould# (t %as ,ast
their brea!ast"time# *hey mi&ht &et a &ood s-oldin&# *hey
mi&ht even be sent to bed by >eor&e)s !ier-e !ather5 but
%hat did they -are? *hey had e?,lored the %re-5and had
-ome a%ay %ith a bo? %hi-h mi&ht -ontain5%ell, i! not
bars o! &old, one small bar, ,erha,s3
*hey did &et a s-oldin&# *hey had to &o %ithout hal!
their brea!ast, too, be-ause An-le :uentin said that
-hildren %ho -ame in so late didn)t
91
deserve hot ba-on and e&&s5 only toast and
marmalade# (t %as very sad#
*hey hid the bo? under the bed in the boys) room# *im
had been le!t %ith the !isher"boy5 or rather, had been tied
u, in his ba- yard, !or 0l! had &one out !ishin&, and %as
even no% &aEin& !rom his !ather)s boat at the stran&e
%re-#
"7e -an mae a bit o! money tain& si&htseers out to
this %re-," said 0l!# 0nd be!ore the day %as out s-ores o!
interested ,eo,le had seen the old %re- !rom the de-s o!
motor"boats and !ishin&"sma-s#
>eor&e %as !urious about it# 9ut she -ouldn)t do
anythin&# 0!ter all, as Julian said, anybody -ould have a
loo3

92
Chapter Nine
THE BOX FROM THE WRECK

*1D !irst thin& that the -hildren did a!ter brea!ast
%as to !et-h the ,re-ious bo? and tae it out to the tool"
shed in the &arden# *hey %ere sim,ly lon&in& to !or-e it
o,en# 0ll o! them se-retly !elt -ertain that it %ould hold
treasure o! some sort#
Julian looed round !or a tool# 1e !ound a -hisel and
de-ided that %ould be /ust the thin& to !or-e the bo? o,en#
1e tried, but the tool sli,,ed and /abbed his !in&ers# *hen
he tried other thin&s, but the bo? obstinately re!used to
o,en# *he -hildren stared at it -rossly#
"( no% %hat to do," said 0nne at last# "=et)s tae it to
the to, o! the house and thro% it do%n to the &round# (t
%ould burst o,en then, ( e?,e-t#"
*he others thou&ht over the idea# "(t mi&ht be %orth
tryin&," said Julian# "*he only thin& is5 it mi&ht brea or
s,oil anythin& inside the bo?#"
9ut there didn)t seem any other %ay to o,en the bo?,
so Julian -arried it u, to the to, o! the house# 1e %ent to
the atti- and o,ened the %indo% there# *he others %ere
do%n belo%, %aitin&# Julian hurled the bo? out o! the
%indo% as violently as he -ould# (t !le% throu&h the air and
landed %ith a terri!i- -rash on the -raEy ,avin& belo%#
0t on-e the !ren-h %indo% there o,ened and their
An-le :uentin -ame out lie a bullet !rom a &un#
93
94
"7hatever are you doin&?" he -ried# "8urely you
aren)t thro%in& thin&s at ea-h other out o! the %indo%?
7hat)s this on the &round?"
*he -hildren looed at the bo?# (t had burst o,en, and
lay on the &round, sho%in& a tin linin& that %as
%ater,roo!# 7hatever %as in the bo? %ould not be s,oilt3
(t %ould be +uite dry3
.i- ran to ,i- it u,#
"( said, %hat)s this on the &round?" shouted his un-le
and moved to%ards him#
"(t)s5 it)s somethin& that belon&s to us," said .i-,
&oin& red#
"7ell, ( shall tae it a%ay !rom you," said his un-le#
".isturbin& me lie this3 >ive it to me# 7here did you &et
it?"
2obody ans%ered# An-le :uentin !ro%ned till his
&lasses nearly !ell o!!# "7here did you &et it?" he bared,
&larin& at ,oor 0nne, %ho %as nearest#
"4ut o! the %re-," stammered the little &irl, s-ared#
"4ut o! the %re-3" said her un-le, in sur,rise# "*he
old %re- that %as thro%n u, yesterday? ( heard about
that# .o you mean to say you)ve been in it?"
"6es," said .i-# Julian /oined them at that moment,
looin& %orried# (t %ould be too a%!ul i! his un-le too the
bo? /ust as they &ot it o,en# 9ut that %as e?a-tly %hat he
did do3
"7ell, this bo? may -ontain somethin& im,ortant," he
said, and he too it !rom .i-)s hands# "6ou)ve no ri&ht to
&o ,ryin& about in that old %re-# 6ou mi&ht tae
somethin& that mattered#"
"7ell, it)s my %re-," said >eor&e, in a de!iant tone#
"'lease, <ather, let us have the bo?# 7e)d
95
/ust &ot it o,ened# 7e thou&ht it mi&ht hold5 a &old
bar5 or somethin& lie that3"
"0 &old bar3" said her !ather, %ith a snort# "7hat a
baby you are3 *his small bo? %ould never hold a thin& lie
that3 (t)s mu-h more liely to -ontain ,arti-ulars o! %hat
ha,,ened to the bars3 ( have al%ays thou&ht that the &old
%as sa!ely delivered some%here5 and that the shi,, em,ty
o! its valuable -ar&o, &ot %re-ed as it le!t the bay3"
"4h, <ather5 ,lease, ,lease let us have our bo?,"
be&&ed >eor&e, almost in tears# 8he suddenly !elt -ertain
that it did -ontain ,a,ers that mi&ht tell them %hat had
ha,,ened to the &old# 9ut %ithout another %ord her !ather
turned and %ent into the house, -arryin& the bo?, burst
o,en and -ra-ed, its tin linin& sho%in& throu&h under his
arm#
0nne burst into tears# ".on)t blame me !or tellin& him
%e &ot it !rom the %re-," she sobbed# "'lease don)t# 1e
&lared at me so# ( /ust had to tell him#"
"0ll ri&ht, 9aby," said Julian, ,uttin& his arm round
0nne# 1e looed !urious# 1e thou&ht it %as very un!air o!
his un-le to tae the bo? lie that# "=isten5 ()m not &oin&
to stand this# 7e)ll &et hold o! that bo? someho% and loo
into it# ()m sure your !ather %on)t bother himsel! %ith it,
>eor&e5 he)ll start %ritin& his boo a&ain and !or&et all
about it# ()ll %ait my -han-e and sli, into his study and &et
it, even i! it means a s,anin& i! ()m dis-overed3"
">ood3" said >eor&e# "7e)ll all ee, a %at-h and see
i! <ather &oes out#"
8o they too it in turns to ee, %at-h, but most
96
annoyin&ly their An-le :uentin remained in his study
all the mornin&# 0unt <anny %as sur,rised to see one or t%o
-hildren al%ays about the &arden that day, instead o! do%n
on the bea-h#
"7hy don)t you all ee, to&ether and bathe or do
somethin&?" she said# "1ave you +uarrelled %ith one
another?"
"2o," said .i-# "4! -ourse not#" 9ut he didn)t say %hy
they %ere in the &arden3
".oesn)t your !ather ever &o out?" he said to >eor&e,
%hen it %as her turn to ee, %at-h# "( don)t thin he leads a
very healthy li!e#"
"8-ientists never do," said >eor&e, as i! she ne% all
about them# "9ut ( tell you %hat5 he may &o to slee, this
a!ternoon3 1e sometimes does3"
Julian %as le!t behind in the &arden that a!ternoon# 1e
sat do%n under a tree and o,ened a boo# 8oon he heard a
-urious noise that made him loo u,# 1e ne% at on-e %hat
it %as3
"*hat)s An-le :uentin snorin&3" he said in e?-itement#
"(t is3 4h5 ( %onder i! ( -ould ,ossibly -ree, in at the
!ren-h %indo%s and &et our bo?3"
1e stole to the %indo%s and looed in# 4ne %as a little
%ay o,en and Julian o,ened it a little more# 1e sa% his
un-le lyin& ba- in a -om!ortable arm"-hair, his mouth a
little o,en, his eyes -losed, !ast aslee,3 Dvery time he too a
breath, he snored#
"7ell, he really does loo sound aslee,," thou&ht the
boy# "0nd there)s the bo?, /ust behind him, on that table# ()ll
ris it# ( bet ()ll &et an a%!ul s,anin& i! ()m -au&ht, but (
-an)t hel, that3"
97
98
1e stole in# 1is un-le still snored# 1e ti,toed by him
to the table behind his un-le)s -hair# 1e too hold o! the
bo?#
0nd then a bit o! the broen %ood o! the bo? !ell to
the !loor %ith a thud3 1is un-le stirred in his -hair and
o,ened his eyes# :ui- as li&htnin& the boy -rou-hed do%n
behind his un-le)s -hair, hardly breathin&#
"7hat)s that?" he heard his un-le say# Julian didn)t
move# *hen his un-le settled do%n a&ain and shut his eyes#
8oon there %as the sound o! his rhythmi- snorin&3
"1urrah3" thou&ht Julian# "1e)s o!! a&ain3"
:uietly he stood u,, holdin& the bo?# 4n ti,toe he
-re,t to the <ren-h %indo%# 1e sli,,ed out and ran so!tly
do%n the &arden ,ath# 1e didn)t thin o! hidin& the bo?#
0ll he %anted to do %as to &et to the other -hildren and
sho% them %hat he had done3
1e ran to the bea-h %here the others %ere lyin& in the
sun# "1i3" he yelled# "1i3 ()ve &ot it3 ()ve &ot it3"
*hey all sat u, %ith a /er, thrilled to see the bo? in
Julian)s arms# *hey !or&ot all about the other ,eo,le on the
bea-h# Julian dro,,ed do%n on the sand and &rinned#
"6our !ather %ent to slee,," he said to >eor&e# "*im,
don)t li- me lie that3 0nd >eor&e, ( %ent in5 and a bit
o! the bo? dro,,ed on the !loor5 and it %oe him u,3"
">olly3" said >eor&e# "7hat ha,,ened?"
"( -rou-hed do%n behind his -hair till he %ent to slee,
a&ain," said Julian# "*hen ( !led# 2o%5 let)s see %hat)s in
here# ( don)t believe your !ather)s even tried to see3"
99
1e hadn)t# *he tin linin& %as inta-t# (t had rusted %ith
the years o! lyin& in the %et, and the lid %as so ti&htly !itted
do%n that it %as almost im,ossible to move it#
9ut on-e >eor&e be&an to %or at it %ith her ,o-et"
ni!e, s-ra,in& a%ay the rust, it be&an to loosen5 and in
about a +uarter"o!"an"hour it -ame o!!3
*he -hildren bent ea&erly over it# (nside lay some old
,a,ers and a boo o! some ind %ith a bla- -over# 2othin&
else at all# 2o bar o! &old# 2o treasure# Dveryone !elt a little
bit disa,,ointed#
"(t)s all +uite dry," said Julian, sur,rised# "2ot a bit
dam,# *he tin linin& e,t everythin& ,er!e-t#"
1e ,i-ed u, the boo and o,ened it# "(t)s a diary your
&reat"&reat"&reat"&rand!ather e,t o! the shi,)s voya&es," he
said# "( -an hardly read the %ritin&# (t)s so small and !unny#"
>eor&e ,i-ed u, one o! the ,a,ers# (t %as made o!
thi- ,ar-hment, +uite yello% %ith a&e# 8he s,read it out on
the sand and looed at it# *he others &lan-ed at it too, but
they -ouldn)t mae out %hat it %as at all# (t seemed to be a
ind o! ma,#
"'erha,s it)s a ma, o! some ,la-e he had to &o to," said
Julian# 9ut suddenly >eor&e)s hands be&an to shae as she
held the ma,, and her eyes &leamed brilliantly as she looed
u, at the others# 8he o,ened her mouth but didn)t s,ea#
"7hat)s the matter?" said Julian, -uriously# "7hat)s u,?
1ave you lost your ton&ue?"
>eor&e shoo her head and then be&an to s,ea %ith a
rush# "Julian3 .o you no% %hat this is? (t)s a ma, o! my
old -astle5 o! @irrin $astle5
1;;
%hen it %asn)t a ruin# 0nd it sho%s the dun&eons3 0nd
loo5 /ust loo %hat)s %ritten in this -orner o! the
dun&eons3"
8he ,ut a tremblin& !in&er on one ,art o! the ma,# *he
others leaned over to see %hat it %as5 and, ,rinted in old"
!ashioned letters %as a -urious %ord#
INGOTS
"(n&ots3" said 0nne, ,uEEled# "7hat does that mean?
()ve never heard that %ord be!ore#"
9ut the t%o boys had# "(n&ots3" -ried .i-# "7hy5
that must be the bars o! &old# *hey %ere -alled in&ots#"
"Most bars o! metal are -alled in&ots," said Julian,
&oin& red %ith e?-itement# "9ut as %e no% there is &old
missin& !rom that shi,, then it really loos as i! in&ots here
meant bars o! &old# 4h &olly3 *o thin they may still be
hidden some%here under @irrin $astle# >eor&e3 >eor&e3
(sn)t it terribly, a%!ully e?-itin&?"
>eor&e nodded# 8he %as tremblin& all over %ith
e?-itement# "(! only %e -ould !ind it3" she %his,ered# "(!
only %e -ould3"
"7e)ll have a /olly &ood hunt !or it," said Julian# "(t
%ill be a%!ully di!!i-ult be-ause the -astle is in ruins no%,
and so over&ro%n# 9ut someho% or other %e)ll !ind those
in&ots# 7hat a lovely %ord# (n&ots3 (n&ots3 (n&ots3"
(t sounded someho% more e?-itin& than the %ord
&old# 2obody s,oe about &old any more# *hey taled
about the (n&ots# *im -ouldn)t mae out %hat the
e?-itement %as at all# 1e %a&&ed his tail and tried hard to
li- !irst one and then another
1;1
1;2
o! the -hildren, but !or on-e in a %ay not one o! them
,aid any attention to him3 1e sim,ly -ouldn)t understand it,
and a!ter a %hile he %ent and sat do%n by himsel! %ith his
ba- to the -hildren, and his ears do%n#
"4h, do loo at ,oor *imothy3" said >eor&e# "1e -an)t
understand our e?-itement# *im3 *im, darlin&, it)s all ri&ht,
you)re not in dis&ra-e or anythin&# 4h, *im, %e)ve &ot the
most %onder!ul se-ret in the %hole %orld#"
*im bounded u,, his tail %a&&in&, ,leased to be taen
noti-e o! on-e more# 1e ,ut his bi& ,a% on the ,re-ious
ma,, and the !our -hildren shouted at him at on-e#
">olly3 7e -an)t have that torn3" said Julian# *hen he
looed at the others and !ro%ned# "7hat are %e &oin& to
do about the bo??" he said# "( mean5 >eor&e)s !ather %ill
be sure to miss it, %on)t he? 7e)ll have to &ive it ba-#"
"7ell, -an)t %e tae out the ma, and ee, it?" said
.i-# "1e %on)t no% it %as there i! he hasn)t looed in the
bo?# 0nd it)s ,retty -ertain he hasn)t# *he other thin&s don)t
matter mu-h5 they are only that old diary, and a !e%
letters#"
"*o be on the sa!e side, let)s tae a -o,y o! the ma,,"
said .i-# "*hen %e -an ,ut the real ma, ba- and re,la-e
the bo?#"
*hey all voted that a very &ood idea# *hey %ent ba-
to @irrin $otta&e and tra-ed out the ma, -are!ully# *hey
did it in the tool"shed be-ause they didn)t %ant anyone to
see them# (t %as a +ueer ma,# (t %as in three ,arts#
"*his ,art sho%s the dun&eons under the -astle," said
Julian# "0nd this sho%s a ,lan o! the &round !loor o! the
-astle5 and this sho%s the
1;3
to, ,art# My %ord, it %as a !ine ,la-e in those days3
*he dun&eons run all under the -astle# ( bet they %ere
,retty a%!ul ,la-es# ( %onder ho% ,eo,le &ot do%n to
them#"
"7e)ll have to study the ma, a bit more and see," said
>eor&e# "(t all loos rather muddled to us at ,resent5 but
on-e %e tae the ma, over to the -astle and study it there,
%e may be able to mae out ho% to &et do%n to the hidden
dun&eons# 4oooh3 ( don)t e?,e-t any -hildren ever had
su-h an adventure as this#"
Julian ,ut the tra-ed ma, -are!ully into his /eans
,o-et# 1e didn)t mean it to leave him# (t %as very
,re-ious# *hen he ,ut the real ma, ba- into the bo? and
looed to%ards the house# "7hat about ,uttin& it ba-
no%?" he said# "Maybe your !ather is still aslee,, >eor&e#"
9ut he %asn)t# 1e %as a%ae# =u-ily he hadn)t
missed the bo?3 1e -ame into the dinin&"room to have tea
%ith the !amily, and Julian too his -han-e# 1e muttered an
e?-use, sli,,ed a%ay !rom the table, and re,la-ed the bo?
on the table behind his un-le)s -hair3
1e %ined at the others %hen he -ame ba-# *hey !elt
relieved# *hey %ere all s-ared o! An-le :uentin, and %ere
not at all an?ious to be in his bad boos# 0nne didn)t say
one %ord durin& the %hole o! the meal# 8he %as so terribly
a!raid she mi&ht &ive somethin& a%ay, either about *im or
the bo?# *he others s,oe very little too# 7hile they %ere
at tea the tele,hone ran& and 0unt <anny %ent to ans%er it#
8he soon -ame ba-# "(t)s !or you, :uentin," she said#
"0,,arently the old %re- has -aused +uite a lot o!
e?-itement, and there are men !rom
1;4
a =ondon ,a,er %ho %ant to as you +uestions about
it#"
"*ell them ()ll see them at si?," said An-le :uentin#
*he -hildren looed at one another in alarm# *hey ho,ed
that their un-le %ouldn)t sho% the bo? to the
ne%s,a,ermen# *hen the se-ret o! the hidden &old mi&ht
-ome out3
"7hat a mer-y %e too a tra-in& o! the ma,3" said
Julian, a!ter tea# "9ut ()m /olly sorry no% %e le!t the real
ma, in the bo?# 8omeone else may &uess our se-ret3"
1;5
Chapter Ten
AN ASTONISHING OFFER

*1D ne?t mornin& the ,a,ers %ere !ull o! the
e?traordinary %ay in %hi-h the old %re- had been thro%n
u, out o! the sea# *he ne%s,a,er men had &ot out o! the
-hildren)s un-le the tale o! the %re- and the lost &old, and
some o! them even mana&ed to land on @irrin (sland and
tae ,i-tures o! the old ruined -astle#
>eor&e %as !urious# "(t)s my -astle3" she stormed to
her mother# "(t)s my island# 6ou said it -ould be mine# 6ou
did, you did3"
"( no%, >eor&e dear," said her mother# "9ut you
really must be sensible# (t -an)t hurt the island to be landed
on, and it -an)t hurt the -astle to be ,hoto&ra,hed#"
"9ut ( don)t %ant it to be," said >eor&e, her !a-e dar
and suly# "(t)s mine# 0nd the %re- is mine# 6ou said so#"
"7ell, ( didn)t no% it %as &oin& to be thro%n u, lie
that," said her mother# ".o be sensible, >eor&e# 7hat -an
it ,ossibly matter i! ,eo,le &o to loo at the %re-? 6ou
-an)t sto, them#"
>eor&e -ouldn)t sto, them, but that didn)t mae her
any the less an&ry about it# *he -hildren %ere astonished at
the interest that the -ast"u, %re- -aused, and be-ause o!
that, @irrin (sland be-ame an ob/e-t o! &reat interest too#
8i&htseers !rom the ,la-es all around -ame to see it, and
the !ishermen mana&ed to !ind the little inlet and land
1;6
the ,eo,le there# >eor&e sobbed %ith ra&e, and Julian
tried to -om!ort her#
"=isten, >eor&e3 2o one no%s our se-ret yet# 7e)ll
%ait till this e?-itement has died do%n, and then %e)ll &o to
@irrin $astle and !ind the in&ots#"
"(! someone doesn)t !ind them !irst," said >eor&e,
dryin& her eyes# 8he %as !urious %ith hersel! !or -ryin&,
but she really -ouldn)t hel, it#
"1o% -ould they?" said Julian# "2o one has seen
inside the bo? yet3 ()m &oin& to %ait my -han-e and &et
that ma, out be!ore anyone sees it3"
9ut he didn)t have a -han-e, be-ause somethin&
dread!ul ha,,ened# An-le :uentin sold the old bo? to a
man %ho bou&ht anti+ue thin&s3 1e -ame out !rom his
study, beamin&, a day or t%o a!ter the e?-itement be&an,
and told 0unt <anny and the -hildren#
"()ve stru- a very &ood bar&ain %ith that man," he
said to his %i!e# "6ou no% that old tin"lined bo? !rom the
%re-? 7ell, this !ello% -olle-ts -urious thin&s lie that,
and he &ave me a very &ood ,ri-e !or it# Fery &ood indeed#
More even than ( -ould e?,e-t !or the %ritin& o! my boo3
0s soon as he sa% the old ma, there and the old diary he
said at on-e that he %ould buy the %hole -olle-tion#"
*he -hildren stared at him in horror# *he bo? %as
sold3 2o% someone %ould study that ma, and ,erha,s
/um, to %hat )in&ots) meant# *he story o! the lost &old had
been ,ut into all the ne%s,a,ers no%# 2obody -ould !ail to
no% %hat the ma, sho%ed i! they studied it -are!ully#
*he -hildren did not dare to tell An-le :uentin
1;7
%hat they ne%# (t %as true he %as all smiles no%,
and %as ,romisin& to buy them ne% shrim,in&"nets, and a
ra!t !or themselves5 but he %as su-h a -han&eable ,erson#
1e mi&ht !ly into a !urious tem,er i! he heard that Julian
had taen the bo? and o,ened it himsel!, %hile his un-le
%as slee,in&#
7hen they %ere alone the -hildren dis-ussed the
%hole matter# (t seemed very serious indeed to them# *hey
hal!"%ondered i! they should let 0unt <anny into the se-ret
5but it %as su-h a ,re-ious se-ret, and so marvellous, that
they !elt they didn)t %ant to &ive it a%ay to anyone at all#
"2o% listen3" said Julian, at last# "7e)ll as 0unt
<anny i! %e -an &o to @irrin (sland and s,end a day or t%o
there5 slee, there at ni&ht too, ( mean# *hat %ill &ive us a
little time to ,oe round and see %hat %e -an !ind# *he
si&htseers %on)t -ome a!ter a day or t%o, ()m sure# Maybe
%e)ll &et in be!ore anyone tumbles to our se-ret# 0!ter all,
the man %ho brou&ht the bo? may not even &uess that the
ma, sho%s @irrin $astle#"
*hey !elt more -heer!ul# (t %as so a%!ul to do nothin&#
0s soon as they had ,lanned to a-t, they !elt better# *hey
de-ided to as their aunt the ne?t day i! they mi&ht &o and
s,end the %ee"end at the -astle# *he %eather %as
&loriously !ine, and it %ould be &reat !un# *hey -ould tae
,lenty o! !ood %ith them#
7hen they %ent to as 0unt <anny, An-le :uentin
%as %ith her# 1e %as all smiles a&ain, and even -la,,ed
Julian on the ba-# "7ell3" he said# "7hat)s this de,utation
!or?"
"7e /ust %anted to as 0unt <anny somethin&," said
Julian, ,olitely# "0unt <anny, as the %eather is so !ine, do
1;8
you thin you %ould let us &o !or the %ee"end to @irrin
$astle, ,lease, and s,end a day or t%o there on the island?
6ou -an)t thin ho% %e %ould love to3"
"7ell5 %hat do you thin, :uentin?" ased their
aunt, turnin& to her husband#
"(! they %ant to, they -an," said An-le :uentin# "*hey
%on)t have a -han-e to, soon# My dears, %e have had a
marvellous o!!er !or @irrin (sland3 0 man %ants to buy it,
rebuild the -astle as a hotel, and mae it into a ,ro,er
holiday ,la-e3 7hat do you thin o! that?"
0ll !our -hildren stared at the smilin& man, sho-ed
and horri!ied# 8omebody %as &oin& to buy the island3 1ad
their se-ret been dis-overed? .id the man %ant to buy the
-astle be-ause he had read the ma,, and ne% there %as
,lenty o! &old hidden there?
>eor&e &ave a -urious -hoe# 1er eyes burned as i!
they %ere on !ire# "Mother3 6ou -an)t sell my island3 6ou
-an)t sell my -astle3 ( %on)t let them be sold#"
1er !ather !ro%ned# ".on)t be silly, >eor&ina," he
said# "(t isn)t really yours# 6ou no% that# (t belon&s to
your mother, and naturally she %ould lie to sell it i! she
-ould# 7e need the money very badly# 6ou %ill be able to
have a &reat many ni-e thin&s on-e %e sell the island#"
"( don)t %ant ni-e thin&s3" -ried ,oor >eor&e# "My
-astle and my island are the ni-est thin&s ( -ould ever have#
Mother3 Mother3 6ou no% you said ( -ould have them#
6ou no% you did3 ( believed you#"
1;9
11;
">eor&e dear, ( did mean you to have them to ,lay on,
%hen ( thou&ht they -ouldn)t ,ossibly be %orth anythin&,"
said her mother, looin& distressed# "9ut no% thin&s are
di!!erent# 6our !ather has been o!!ered +uite a &ood sum,
!ar more than %e ever thou&ht o! &ettin&5 and %e really
-an)t a!!ord to turn it do%n#"
"8o you only &ave me the island %hen you thou&ht it
%asn)t %orth anythin&," said >eor&e, her !a-e %hite and
an&ry# "0s soon as it is %orth money you tae it a%ay
a&ain# ( thin that)s horrid# (t5 it isn)t honourable#"
"*hat)s enou&h, >eor&ina," said her !ather, an&rily#
"6our mother is &uided by me# 6ou)re only a -hild# 6our
mother didn)t really mean %hat she said5 it %as only to
,lease you# 9ut you no% %ell enou&h you %ill share in
the money %e &et and have anythin& you %ant#"
"( %on)t tou-h a ,enny3" said >eor&e, in a lo%,
-hoin& voi-e# "6ou)ll be sorry you sold it#"
*he &irl turned and stumbled out o! the room# *he
others !elt very sorry !or her# *hey ne% %hat she %as
!eelin&# 8he too thin&s so very seriously# Julian thou&ht
she didn)t understand &ro%n"u,s very %ell# (t %asn)t a bit
o! &ood !i&htin& &ro%n"u,s# *hey -ould do e?a-tly as they
lied# (! they %anted to tae a%ay >eor&e)s island and
-astle, they -ould# (! they %anted to sell it, they -ould3 9ut
%hat An-le :uentin didn)t no% %as the !a-t that there
mi&ht be a store o! &old"in&ots there3 Julian stared at his
un-le and %ondered %hether to %arn him# *hen he de-ided
not to# *here %as /ust a -han-e that the !our -hildren -ould
!ind the &old !irst3
111
"7hen are you sellin& the island, An-le?" he ased
+uietly#
"*he deeds %ill be si&ned in about a %ee)s time," %as
the ans%er# "8o i! you really %ant to s,end a day or t%o
there, you)d better do so +ui-ly, !or a!ter that you may not
&et ,ermission !rom the ne% o%ners#"
"7as it the man %ho bou&ht the old bo? %ho %ants to
buy the island?" ased Julian#
"6es", said his un-le# "( %as a little sur,rised mysel!,
!or ( thou&ht he %as /ust a buyer o! old thin&s# (t %as
astonishin& to me that he should &et the idea o! buyin& the
island to rebuild the -astle as a hotel# 8till, ( dare say there
%ill be bi& money in runnin& an hotel there5 very
romanti-, stayin& on a little island lie that5 ,eo,le %ill
lie it# ()m no businessman mysel!, and ( -ertainly shouldn)t
-are to invest my money in a ,la-e lie @irrin (sland# 9ut (
should thin he no%s %hat he is doin& all ri&ht#"
"6es, he -ertainly does," thou&ht Julian to himsel!, as
he %ent out o! the room %ith .i- and 0nne# "1e)s read
that ma,5 and has /um,ed to the same idea that %e did5
the store o! hidden in&ots is some%here on that island5
and he)s &oin& to &et it3 1e doesn)t %ant to build an hotel3
1e)s a!ter the treasure3 ( e?,e-t he)s o!!ered An-le :uentin
some silly lo% ,ri-e that ,oor old un-le thins is
marvellous3 4h dear5 this is a horrible thin& to ha,,en#"
1e %ent to !ind >eor&e# 8he %as in the tool"shed,
looin& +uite &reen# 8he said she !elt si-#
"(t)s only be-ause you)re so u,set," said Julian# 1e
sli,,ed his arm round her# <or on-e in a %ay >eor&e didn)t
,ush it a%ay# 8he !elt -om!orted#
112
*ears -ame into her eyes, and she an&rily tried to blin
them a%ay#
"=isten, >eor&e3" said Julian# "7e mustn)t &ive u,
ho,e# 7e)ll &o to @irrin (sland tomorro%, and %e)ll do our
very, very best to &et do%n into the dun&eons someho%
and !ind the in&ots# 7e)ll /olly %ell stay there till %e do#
8ee? 2o% -heer u,, be-ause %e)ll %ant your hel, in
,lannin& everythin&# *han &oodness %e too a tra-in& o!
the ma,#"
>eor&e -heered u, a little# 8he still !elt an&ry %ith her
!ather and mother, but the thou&ht o! &oin& to @irrin (sland
!or a day or t%o, and tain& *imothy too, -ertainly seemed
rather &ood#
"( do thin my !ather and mother are unind," she
said#
"7ell, they)re not really," said Julian, %isely# "0!ter
all, i! they need money badly, they %ould be silly not to
,art %ith somethin& they thin is +uite useless# 0nd you
no%, your !ather did say you -ould have anythin& you
%ant# ( no% %hat ( %ould as !or, i! ( %ere you3"
"7hat?" ased >eor&e#
"*imothy, o! -ourse3" said Julian# 0nd that made
>eor&e smile and -heer u, tremendously3
113
Chapter Eleven
OFF TO KIRRIN ISLAND

JA=(02 and >eor&e %ent to !ind .i- and 0nne#
*hey %ere %aitin& !or them in the &arden, looin& rather
u,set# *hey %ere &lad to see Julian and >eor&e and ran to
meet them#
0nne too >eor&e)s hands# "()m a%!ully sorry about
your island, >eor&e," she said#
"8o am (," said .i-# "9ad lu-, old &irl5( mean, old
boy3"
>eor&e mana&ed to smile# "()ve been behavin& lie a
&irl," she said, hal!"ashamed# "9ut ( did &et an a%!ul
sho-#"
Julian told the others %hat they had ,lanned# "7e)ll &o
tomorro% mornin&," he said# "7e)ll mae out a list o! all
the thin&s %e shall need# =et)s be&in no%#"
1e too out a ,en-il and noteboo# *he others looed
at him#
"*hin&s to eat," said .i- at on-e# "'lenty be-ause
%e)ll be hun&ry#"
"8omethin& to drin," said >eor&e# "*here)s no %ater
on the island5 thou&h ( believe there %as a %ell or
somethin&, years a&o, that %ent ri&ht do%n belo% the level
o! the sea, and %as !resh %ater# 0ny%ay, ()ve never !ound
it#"
"<ood," %rote do%n Julian, "and drin#" 1e looed at
the others#
"8,ades," he said solemnly, and s-ribbled the %ord
do%n#
0nne stared in sur,rise#
114
"7hat !or?" she ased#
"7ell, %e)ll %ant to di& about %hen %e)re huntin& !or
a %ay do%n to the dun&eons," said Julian#
"Bo,es," said .i-# "7e may %ant those too#"
"0nd tor-hes," said >eor&e# "(t)ll be dar in the
dun&eons#"
"4ooh3" said 0nne, !eelin& a ,leasant shiver &o do%n
her ba- at the thou&ht# 8he had no idea %hat dun&eons
%ere lie, but they sounded thrillin&#
"Bu&s," said .i-# "7e)ll be -old at ni&ht i! %e slee,
in that little old room#"
Julian %rote them do%n# "Mu&s to drin !rom," he
said# "0nd %e)ll tae a !e% tools too5 %e may ,erha,s
need them# 6ou never no%#"
0t the end o! hal! an hour they had +uite a ni-e lon&
list, and everyone !elt ,leased and e?-ited# >eor&e %as
be&innin& to re-over !rom her ra&e and disa,,ointment# (!
she had been alone, and had brooded over everythin&, she
%ould have been in an even %orse sul and tem,er5but
someho% the others %ere so -alm and sensible and
-heer!ul# (t %as im,ossible to sul !or lon& i! she %as %ith
them#
"( thin ()d have been mu-h ni-er i! ( hadn)t been on
my o%n so mu-h," thou&ht >eor&e to hersel!, as she
looed at Julian)s bent head# "*alin& about thin&s to other
,eo,le does hel, a lot# *hey don)t seem so dread!ul thenC
they seem more bearable and ordinary# ( lie my three
-ousins a%!ully# ( lie them be-ause they tal and lau&h
and are al%ays
115
-heer!ul and ind# ( %ish ( %as lie them# ()m suly
and bad"tem,ered and !ier-e, and no %onder <ather doesn)t
lie me and s-olds me so o!ten# Mother)s a dear, but (
understand no% %hy she says ( am di!!i-ult# ()m di!!erent
!rom my -ousins5 they)re easy to understand, and
everyone lies them# ()m &lad they -ame# *hey are main&
me more lie ( ou&ht to be#"
*his %as a lon& thou&ht to thin, and >eor&e looed
very serious %hile she %as thinin& it# Julian looed u,
and -au&ht her blue eyes !i?ed on him# 1e smiled#
"'enny !or your thou&hts3" he said#
"*hey)re not %orth a ,enny," said >eor&e, &oin& red#
"( %as /ust thinin& ho% ni-e you all are5 and ho% (
%ished ( -ould be lie you#"
"6ou)re an a%!ully ni-e ,erson," said Julian,
sur,risin&ly# "6ou -an)t hel, bein& an only -hild# *hey)re
al%ays a bit +ueer, you no%, unless they)re mi&hty
-are!ul# 6ou)re a most interestin& ,erson, ( thin#"
>eor&e !lushed red a&ain, and !elt ,leased# "=et)s &o
and tae *imothy !or a %al," she said# "1e)ll be
%onderin& %hat)s ha,,ened to us today#"
*hey all %ent o!! to&ether, and *imothy &reeted them
at the to, o! his voi-e# *hey told him all about their ,lans
!or the ne?t day, and he %a&&ed his tail and looed u, at
them out o! his so!t bro%n eyes as i! he understood every
sin&le %ord they said3
"1e must !eel ,leased to thin he)s &oin& to be %ith us
!or t%o or three days," said 0nne#
(t %as very e?-itin& the ne?t mornin&, settin& o!! in
the boat %ith all their thin&s ,a-ed neatly
116
at one end# Julian -he-ed them all by readin& out aloud
!rom his list# (t didn)t seem as i! they had !or&otten anythin&#
">ot the ma,?" said .i-, suddenly#
Julian nodded#
"( ,ut on -lean /eans this mornin&," he said, "but you
may be sure ( remembered to ,o, the ma, into my ,o-et#
1ere it is3
1e too it out5 and the %ind at on-e ble% it ri&ht out
o! his hands3 (t !ell into the sea and bobbed there in the
%ind# 0ll !our -hildren &ave a -ry o! utter dismay# *heir
,re-ious ma,3
":ui-3 Bo% a!ter it3" -ried >eor&e, and s%un& the
boat round# 9ut someone %as +ui-er than she %as3 *im had
seen the ,a,er !ly !rom Julian)s hand, and had heard and
understood the -ries o! dismay# 7ith an enormous s,lash he
lea,t into the %ater and s%am valiantly a!ter the ma,#
1e -ould s%im %ell !or a do&, !or he %as stron& and
,o%er!ul# 1e soon had the ma, in his mouth and %as
s%immin& ba- to the boat# *he -hildren thou&ht he %as
sim,ly marvellous3
>eor&e hauled him into the boat and too the ma, !rom
his mouth# *here %as hardly the mar o! his teeth on it3 1e
had -arried it so -are!ully# (t %as %et, and the -hildren
looed an?iously at it to see i! the tra-in& had been s,oilt#
9ut Julian had tra-ed it very stron&ly, and it %as +uite all
ri&ht# 1e ,la-ed it on a seat to dry, and told .i- to hold it
there in the sun#
"*hat %as a narro% s+uea3" he said, and the others
a&reed#
>eor&e too the oars a&ain, and they set o!! on-e more
to the island, &ettin& a ,er!e-t sho%er"bath
117
118
!rom *imothy %hen he stood u, and shoo his %et -oat#
1e %as &iven a bi& bis-uit as a re%ard, and -run-hed it u,
%ith &reat en/oyment#
>eor&e made her %ay throu&h the ree!s o! ro-s %ith a
sure hand# (t %as marvellous to the others ho% she -ould
slide the boat in bet%een the dan&erous ro-s and never &et a
s-rat-h# *hey thou&ht she %as really %onder!ul# 8he brou&ht
them sa!ely to the little inlet, and they /um,ed out on to the
sand# *hey ,ulled the boat hi&h u,, in -ase the tide -ame !ar
u, the tiny -ove, and then be&an to unload their &oods#
"7e)ll -arry all the thin&s to that little stone room," said
Julian# "*hey %ill be sa!e there and %on)t &et %et i! it rains# (
ho,e nobody -omes to the island %hile %e are here,
>eor&e#"
"( shouldn)t thin they %ould," said >eor&e# "<ather
said it %ould be about a %ee be!ore the deeds %ere si&ned,
main& over the island to that man# (t %on)t be his till then#
7e)ve &ot a %ee, anyho%#"
"7ell, %e don)t need to ee, a %at-h in -ase anyone
else arrives then," said Julian, %ho had hal! thou&ht that it
%ould be a &ood idea to mae someone stay on &uard at the
inlet, to &ive a %arnin& to the others in -ase anyone else
arrived# "$ome on3 6ou tae the s,ades, .i-# ()ll tae the
!ood and drin %ith >eor&e# 0nd 0nne -an tae the little
thin&s#"
*he !ood and drin %ere in a bi& bo?, !or the -hildren
did not mean to starve %hile they %ere on the island3 *hey
had brou&ht loaves o! bread, butter, bis-uits, /am, tins o!
!ruit, ri,e ,lums, bottles o! &in&er"beer, a ettle to mae tea,
and anythin& else they -ould thin o!3 >eor&e and
Julian sta&&ered u, the -li!! %ith the heavy bo?# *hey
had to ,ut it do%n on-e or t%i-e to &ive themselves a rest3
119
*hey ,ut everythin& into the little room# *hen they
%ent ba- to &et the -olle-tion o! blanets and ru&s !rom
the boat# *hey arran&ed them in the -orners o! the little
room, and thou&ht that it %ould be most e?-itin& to s,end
the ni&ht there#
"*he t%o &irls -an slee, to&ether on this ,ile o! ru&s,"
said Julian# "0nd %e t%o boys %ill have this ,ile#"
>eor&e looed as i! she didn)t %ant to be ,ut %ith
0nne, and -lassed as a &irl# 9ut 0nne didn)t %ish to slee,
alone in her -orner, and she looed so besee-hin&ly at
>eor&e that the bi&&er &irl smiled at her and made no
ob/e-tion# 0nne thou&ht that >eor&e %as &ettin& ni-er and
ni-er3
"7ell, no% %e)ll &et do%n to business," said Julian,
and he ,ulled out his ma,# "7e must study this really
-are!ully, and !ind out e?a-tly under %hat s,ot the
entran-es to the dun&eons are# 2o%5 -ome around and
let)s do our best to !ind out3 (t)s u, to us to use our brains5
and beat that man %ho)s bou&ht the island3"
*hey all bent over the tra-ed ma,# (t %as +uite dry
no%, and the -hildren looed at it earnestly# (t %as ,lain
that in the old days the -astle had been a very !ine ,la-e#
"2o% loo," said Julian, ,uttin& his !in&er on the ,lan
o! the dun&eons# "*hese seem to run all alon& under the
-astle5 and here5 and here5 are the mars that seem to
be meant to re,resent ste,s or stairs#"
"6es," said >eor&e# "( should thin they are# 7ell, i!
so, there a,,ear to be t%o %ays o! &ettin&
do%n into the dun&eons# 4ne lot o! ste,s seems to
be&in some%here near this little room5 and the other seems
12;
to start under the to%er there# 0nd %hat do you su,,ose this
thin& is here, Julian?"
8he ,ut her !in&er on a round hole that %as sho%n not
only in the ,lan o! the dun&eons, but also in the ,lan o! the
&round !loor o! the -astle#
"( -an)t ima&ine %hat that is," said Julian, ,uEEled# "4h
yes, ( no% %hat it mi&ht be3 6ou said there %as an old %ell
some%here, do you remember? 7ell, that may be it, ( should
thin# (t %ould have to be very dee, to &et !resh %ater ri&ht
under the sea5 so it ,robably &oes do%n throu&h the
dun&eons too# (sn)t this thrillin&?"
Dveryone thou&ht it %as# *hey !elt ha,,y and e?-ited#
*here %as somethin& to dis-over5 somethin& they -ould
and must dis-over %ithin the ne?t day or t%o#
*hey looed at one another# "7ell," said .i-, "%hat
are %e &oin& to start on? 8hall %e try to !ind the entran-e to
the dun&eons5 the one that seems to start round about this
little room? <or all %e no% there may be a bi& stone %e -an
li!t that o,ens above the dun&eon ste,s3"
*his %as a thrillin& thou&ht, and the -hildren /um,ed u,
at on-e# Julian !olded u, the ,re-ious ma, and ,ut it into his
,o-et# 1e looed round# *he stone !loor o! the little room
%as over&ro%n %ith -ree,in& %eeds# *hey must be -leared
a%ay be!ore it %as ,ossible to see i! there %ere any stones
that looed as i! they mi&ht be moved#
"7e)d better set to %or," said Julian, and he ,i-ed u,
a s,ade# "=et)s -lear a%ay these %eeds %ith our s,ades5
s-ra,e them o!!, loo, lie this5 and then e?amine every
sin&le stone3"
121
122
*hey all ,i-ed u, s,ades and soon the little stone
room %as !ull o! a s-ra,in& sound as the !our o! them
-hiselled a%ay at the -lose"&ro%in& %eeds %ith their
s,ades# (t %asn)t very di!!i-ult to &et the stones -lear o!
them, and the -hildren %ored %ith a %ill#
*im &ot most e?-ited about everythin&# 1e hadn)t any
idea at all %hat they %ere doin&, but he /oined in valiantly#
1e s-ra,ed a%ay at the !loor %ith his !our ,a%s, sendin&
earth and ,lants !lyin& hi&h into the air3
"1i, *im3" said Julian, shain& a -lod o! earth out o!
his hair# "6ou)re bein& a bit too vi&orous# My %ord, you)ll
send the stones !lyin& into the air too, in a minute# >eor&e,
isn)t *im marvellous the %ay he /oins in everythin&?"
1o% they all %ored3 1o% they all lon&ed to !ind the
entran-e to the under&round dun&eons3 7hat a thrill that
%ould be#


123
Chapter Twelve
EXCITING DISCOVERIES

8442 the stones o! the little room %ere -lear o! earth,
sand and %eeds# *he -hildren sa% that they %ere all the
same siEe5 bi& and s+uare, !itted %ell to&ether# *hey %ent
over them -are!ully %ith their tor-hes, tryin& to !ind one
that mi&ht move or li!t#
"7e should ,robably !ind one %ith an iron rin& handle
sun into it," said Julian# 9ut they didn)t# 0ll the stones
looed e?a-tly the same# (t %as most disa,,ointin&#
Julian tried insertin& his s,ade into the -ra-s bet%een
the various stones, to see i! by any -han-e he -ould move
one# 9ut they -ouldn)t be moved# (t seemed as i! they %ere
all set in the solid &round# 0!ter about three hours hard
%or the -hildren sat do%n to eat a meal#
*hey %ere very hun&ry indeed, and !elt &lad to thin
there %ere so many thin&s to eat# 0s they ate they
dis-ussed the ,roblem they %ere tryin& to solve#
"(t loos as i! the entran-e to the dun&eons %as not
under this little room a!ter all," said Julian# "(t)s
disa,,ointin&5 but someho% ( don)t thin no% that the
ste,s do%n to the dun&eon started !rom here# =et)s measure
the ma, and see i! %e -an mae out e?a-tly %here the ste,s
do start# (t may be, o! -ourse, that the measurements aren)t
-orre-t and %on)t be any hel, to us at all# 9ut %e -an try#"
124
8o they measured as best they -ould, to try and !ind
out in e?a-tly %hat ,la-e the dun&eon ste,s seemed to
be&in# (t %as im,ossible to tell, !or the ,lans o! the three
!loors seemed to be done to di!!erent s-ales# Julian stared at
the ma,, ,uEEled# (t seemed rather ho,eless# 8urely they
%ouldn)t have to hunt all over the &round !loor o! the
-astle3 (t %ould tae a&es#
"=oo," said >eor&e, suddenly, ,uttin& her !in&er on
the hole that they all thou&ht must be meant to re,resent
the %ell# "*he entran-e to the dun&eons seems to be not
very !ar o!! the %ell# (! only %e -ould !ind the %ell, %e
-ould hunt around a bit !or the be&innin& o! the dun&eon
ste,s# *he %ell is sho%n in both ma,s# (t seems to be
some%here about the middle o! the -astle#"
"*hat)s a &ood idea o! yours," said Julian, ,leased#
"=et)s &o out into the middle o! the -astle5 %e -an more
or less &uess %here the old %ell ou&ht to be, be-ause it
de!initely seems to be about the middle o! the old yard out
there#"
4ut they all %ent into the sunshine# *hey !elt very
im,ortant and serious# (t %as marvellous to be looin& !or
lost in&ots o! &old# *hey all !elt ,er!e-tly -ertain that they
really %ere some%here beneath their !eet# (t didn)t o--ur to
any o! the -hildren that the treasure mi&ht not be there#
*hey stood in the ruined -ourtyard that had on-e been
the -entre o! the -astle# *hey ,a-ed out the middle o! the
yard and then stood there, looin& around in vain !or
anythin& that mi&ht ,erha,s have been the o,enin& o! an
old %ell# (t %as all so over&ro%n# 8and had blo%n in !rom
the shore, and %eeds and bushes o! all inds &re% there#
*he stones that had on-e !ormed the !loor
125
o! the bi& -ourtyard %ere no% -ra-ed and %ere no
lon&er lyin& !lat# Most o! them %ere -overed %ith sand or
%eeds#
"=oo3 *here)s a rabbit3" -ried .i-, as a bi& sandy
rabbit lollo,,ed slo%ly a-ross the yard# (t disa,,eared into
a hole on the other side# *hen another rabbit a,,eared, sat
u, and looed at the -hildren, and then vanished too# *he
-hildren %ere thrilled# *hey had never seen su-h tame
rabbits be!ore#
0 third rabbit a,,eared# (t %as a small one %ith
absurdly bi& ears, and the tiniest %hite bob o! a tail# (t
didn)t even loo at the -hildren# (t bounded about in a
,lay!ul %ay, and then, to the -hildren)s enormous deli&ht, it
sat u, on its hind le&s, and be&an to %ash its bi& ears,
,ullin& do%n !irst one and then another#
9ut this %as too mu-h !or *imothy# 1e had %at-hed
the other t%o bound a-ross the yard and then disa,,ear
%ithout so mu-h as barin& at them# 9ut to see this
youn&ster a-tually sittin& there %ashin& its ears under his
very nose %as really too mu-h !or any do&# 1e &ave an
e?-ited yel, and rushed !ull"tilt at the sur,rised rabbit#
<or a moment the little thin& didn)t move# (t had never
been !ri&htened or -hased be!ore, and it stared %ith bi&
eyes at the rushin& do&# *hen it turned itsel! about and tore
o!! at to, s,eed, its %hite bobtail &oin& u, and do%n as it
bounded a%ay# (t disa,,eared under a &orse bush near the
-hildren# *imothy %ent a!ter it, vanishin& under the bi&
bush too#
*hen a sho%er o! sand and earth %as thro%n u, as
*im tried to &o do%n the hole a!ter the rabbit and s-ra,ed
and s-rabbled %ith his stron& !ront
126
,a%s as !ast as he -ould# 1e yel,ed and %hined in
e?-itement, not seemin& to hear >eor&e)s voi-e -allin& to
him# 1e meant to &et that rabbit3 1e %ent almost mad as he
s-ra,ed at the hole, main& it bi&&er and bi&&er#
"*im3 .o you hear me3 $ome out o! there3" shouted
>eor&e# "6ou)re not to -hase the rabbits here# 6ou no%
you mustn)t# 6ou)re very nau&hty# $ome out3"
9ut *im didn)t -ome out# 1e /ust %ent on and on
s-ra,in& a%ay madly# >eor&e %ent to !et-h him# Just as
she &ot u, to the &orse bush the s-ra,in& suddenly sto,,ed#
*here -ame a s-ared yel,5 and no more noise %as heard#
>eor&e ,eered under the ,ri-ly bush in astonishment#
*im had disa,,eared3 1e /ust sim,ly %asn)t there any
more# *here %as the bi& rabbit"hole, made enormous by
*im5 but there %as no *im#
"( say, Julian5 *im)s &one," said >eor&e in a s-ared
voi-e# "1e surely -an)t have &one do%n that rabbit)s hole
-an he? ( mean5 he)s su-h a bi& do&3"
*he -hildren -ro%ded round the bi& &orse bush# *here
-ame the sound o! a mu!!led %hine !rom some%here belo%
it# Julian looed astonished#
"1e is do%n the hole3" he said# "1o% +ueer3 ( never
heard o! a do& really &oin& do%n a rabbit"hole be!ore#
1o%ever are %e &oin& to &et him out?"
"7e)ll have to di& u, the &orse bush, to be&in %ith,"
said >eor&e, in a determined voi-e# 8he %ould have du& u,
the %hole o! @irrin $astle to &et *im ba-, that %as
-ertain3 "( -an)t have ,oor old *im %hinin& !or hel, do%n
there and not do %hat %e -an to hel, him#"
127
*he bush %as !ar too bi& and ,ri-ly to -ree,
underneath# Julian %as &lad they had brou&ht tools o! all
inds# 1e %ent to !et-h an a?e# *hey had brou&ht a small
one %ith them and it %ould do to -ho, a%ay the ,ri-ly
bran-hes and trun o! the &orse bush# *he -hildren slashed
at it and soon the ,oor bush be&an to loo a sorry si&ht#
(t too a lon& time to destroy it, !or it %as ,ri-ly,
sturdy and stout# Dvery -hild)s hands %ere s-rat-hed by the
time the bush had been redu-ed to a mere stum,# *hen they
-ould see the hole +uite %ell# Julian shone his tor-h do%n
it#
1e &ave a shout o! sur,rise# "( no% %hat)s ha,,ened3
*he old %ell is here3 *he rabbits had a hole at the side o! it
5 and *im s-ra,ed a%ay to mae it bi&&er and un-overed
a bit o! the %ell"hole5 and he)s !allen do%n the %ell3"
"4h no, oh no," -ried >eor&e, in ,ani-# "4h *im, *im,
are you all ri&ht?"
0 distant %hine -ame to their ears# Dvidently *im %as
there some%here# *he -hildren looed at one another#
"7ell, there)s only one thin& to do," said Julian, "7e
must &et our s,ades no% and di& out the hole o! the %ell#
*hen maybe %e -an let a ro,e do%n or somethin& and &et
*im#"
*hey set to %or %ith their s,ades# (t %as not really
di!!i-ult to un-over the hole, %hi-h had been blo-ed only
by the s,readin& roots o! the bi& &orse bush, some !allen
masonry, earth, sand and small stones# 0,,arently a bi&
slab had !allen !rom ,art o! the to%er a-ross the %ell"hole,
and ,artly -losed it# *he %eather and the &ro%in& &orse
bush had done the rest#
128
(t too all the -hildren to&ether to move the slab#
Anderneath %as a very rotten %ooden -over, %hi-h had
,lainly been used in the old days to ,rote-t the %ell# (t had
rotted so mu-h that %hen *im)s %ei&ht had been ,ressed
on it, it had &iven /ust there and made a hole !or *im to !all
throu&h#
Julian removed the old %ooden -over and then the
-hildren -ould see do%n the %ell"hole# (t %as very dee,
and very dar# *hey -ould not ,ossibly see the bottom#
Julian too a stone and dro,,ed it do%n# *hey all listened
!or the s,lash# 9ut there %as no s,lash# Dither there %as no
lon&er any %ater there, or the %ell %as too dee, even to
hear the s,lash3
"( thin it)s too dee, !or us to hear anythin&," said
Julian# "2o%5 %here)s *im?"
1e shone his tor-h do%n5 and there %as *im3 Many
years be!ore a bi& slab had !allen do%n the %ell itsel! and
had stu- a little %ay do%n, a-ross the %ell"hole5 and on
this old -ra-ed slab sat *im, his bi& eyes starin& u, in
!ri&ht# 1e sim,ly -ould not ima&ine %hat had ha,,ened to
him#
*here %as an old iron ladder !astened to the side o! the
%ell# >eor&e %as on it be!ore anyone else -ould &et there3
.o%n she %ent, not -arin& i! the ladder held or not, and
rea-hed *im# 8omeho% she &ot him on to her shoulder
and, holdin& him there %ith one hand, she -limbed slo%ly
u, a&ain# *he other three hauled her out and *im /um,ed
round her, barin& and li-in& !or all he %as %orth3
"7ell, *im3" said .i-, "you shouldn)t -hase rabbits
5but you)ve -ertainly done us a &ood turn, be-ause you)ve
!ound the %ell !or us3 2o%
129
13;
%e)ve only &ot to loo around a little to !ind the
dun&eon entran-e3"
*hey set to %or a&ain to hunt !or the dun&eon
entran-e# *hey du& about %ith their s,ades under all the
bushes# *hey ,ulled u, -rooed stones and du& their
s,ades into the earth belo%, ho,in& that they mi&ht
suddenly !ind them &oin& throu&h into s,a-e3 (t %as really
very thrillin&#
0nd then 0nne !ound the entran-e3 (t %as +uite by
a--ident# 8he %as tired and sat do%n to rest# 8he lay on her
!ront and s-rabbled about in the sand# 8uddenly her !in&ers
tou-hed somethin& hard and -old in the sand# 8he
un-overed it5 and lo and behold, it %as an iron rin&3 8he
&ave a shout and the others looed u,#
"*here)s a stone %ith an iron rin& in it here3" yelled
0nne, e?-itedly# *hey all rushed over to her# Julian du&
about %ith his s,ade and un-overed the %hole stone# 8ure
enou&h, it did have a rin& in it5 and rin&s are only let into
stones that need to be moved3 8urely this stone must be the
one that -overed the dun&eon entran-e3
0ll the -hildren too turns at ,ullin& on the iron rin&,
but the stone did not move# *hen Julian tied t%o or three
turns o! ro,e throu&h it and the !our -hildren ,ut out their
!ull stren&th and ,ulled !or all they %ere %orth#
*he stone moved# *he -hildren distin-tly !elt it stir#
"0ll to&ether a&ain3" -ried Julian# 0nd all to&ether they
,ulled# *he stone stirred a&ain and then suddenly &ave
%ay# (t moved u,%ards5 and the -hildren !ell over on to,
o! one another lie a ro% o! dominoes suddenly ,ushed
do%n3 *im darted to the hole and bared madly do%n it as
i! all the rabbits o! the %orld lived there3
131
132
Julian and >eor&e shot to their !eet and rushed to the
o,enin& that the moved stone had dis-losed# *hey stood
there, looin& do%n%ards, their !a-es shinin& %ith deli&ht#
*hey had !ound the entran-e to the dun&eons3 0 stee,
!li&ht o! ste,s, -ut out o! the ro- itsel!, led do%n%ards
into dee, darness#
"$ome on3" -ried Julian, sna,,in& on his tor-h#
"7e)ve !ound %hat %e %anted3 2o% !or the dun&eons3"
*he ste,s do%n %ere sli,,ery# *im darted do%n !irst,
lost his !oot"hold and rolled do%n !ive or si? ste,s, yel,in&
%ith !ri&ht# Julian %ent a!ter him, then >eor&e, then .i-
and then 0nne# *hey %ere all tremendously thrilled#
(ndeed, they +uite e?,e-ted to see ,iles o! &old and all
inds o! treasure every%here around them3
(t %as dar do%n the stee, !li&ht o! ste,s, and smelt
very musty# 0nne -hoed a little#
"( ho,e the air do%n here is all ri&ht," said Julian#
"8ometimes it isn)t &ood in these under&round ,la-es# (!
anyone !eels a bit !unny they)d better say so and %e)ll &o u,
into the o,en air a&ain#"
9ut ho%ever !unny they mi&ht !eel nobody %ould
have said so# (t %as all !ar too e?-itin& to %orry about
!eelin& +ueer#
*he ste,s %ent do%n a lon& %ay# *hen they -ame to
an end# Julian ste,,ed do%n !rom the last ro-"stair and
!lashed his tor-h around# (t %as a %eird si&ht that met his
eyes#
*he dun&eons o! @irrin $astle %ere made out o! the
ro- itsel!# 7hether there %ere natural -aves there, or
%hether they had been hollo%ed out by man the -hildren
-ould not tell# 9ut -ertainly
133
they %ere very mysterious, dar and !ull o! e-hoin&
sounds# 7hen Julian &ave a si&h o! e?-itement it !led into
the ro-y hollo%s and s%elled out and e-hoed around as i!
it %ere a live thin&# (t &ave all the -hildren a very +ueer
!eelin&#
"(sn)t it stran&e?" said >eor&e, in a lo% voi-e# 0t on-e
the e-hoes too u, her %ords, and multi,lied them and
made them louder5 and all the dun&eon -aves &ave ba-
the &irl)s %ords over and over a&ain# "(sn)t it stran&e, (82)*
(* 8*B02>D, (82)* (* 8*B02>D#"
0nne sli,,ed her hand into .i-)s# 8he !elt s-ared#
8he didn)t lie the e-hoes at all# 8he ne% they %ere only
e-hoes5 but they did sound e?a-tly lie the voi-es o!
s-ores o! ,eo,le hidden in the -aves3
"7here do you su,,ose the in&ots are?" said .i-#
0nd at on-e the -aves thre% him ba- his %ords#
"(2>4*83 (n&ots are3 (2>4*8 0BD3 0BD3 0BD3"
Julian lau&hed5 and his lau&h %as s,lit u, into
doEens o! di!!erent lau&hs that -ame out o! the dun&eons
and s,un round the listenin& -hildren# (t really %as the
+ueerest thin&#
"$ome on," said Julian# "Maybe the e-hoes %on)t be
so bad a little !arther in#"
"<0B*1DB (2," said the e-hoes at on-e# "<0B*1DB
(23"
*hey moved a%ay !rom the end o! the ro-y ste,s and
e?,lored the nearby dun&eons# *hey %ere really only ro-y
-ellars stret-hin& under the -astle# Maybe %ret-hed
,risoners had been e,t there many, many years be!ore, but
mostly they had been used !or storin& thin&s#
"( %onder %hi-h dun&eon %as used !or storin&
134
the in&ots," said Julian# 1e sto,,ed and too the ma,
out o! his ,o-et# 1e !lashed his tor-h on to it# 9ut
althou&h it sho%ed him +uite ,lainly the dun&eon %here
(2>4*8 %ere mared, he had no idea at all o! the ri&ht
dire-tion#
"( say5 loo5 there)s a door here, shuttin& o!! the
ne?t dun&eon3" suddenly -ried .i-# "( bet this is the
dun&eon %e)re looin& !or3 ( bet there are in&ots in here3"


135
Chapter Thirteen
DOWN IN THE DUNGEONS
<4AB tor-hes %ere !lashed on to the %ooden door# (t
%as bi& and stout, studded %ith &reat iron nails# Julian
&ave a %hoo, o! deli&ht and rushed to it# 1e !elt -ertain
that behind it %as the dun&eon used !or storin& thin&s#
9ut the door %as !ast shut# 2o amount o! ,ushin& or
,ullin& %ould o,en it# (t had a &reat ey"hole5 but no ey
there3 *he !our -hildren stared in e?as,eration at the door#
9other it3 Just as they really thou&ht they %ere near the
in&ots, this door %ouldn)t o,en3
"7e)ll !et-h the a?e," said Julian, suddenly# "7e may
be able to -ho, round the eyhole and smash the lo-#"
"*hat)s a &ood idea3" said >eor&e, deli&hted# "$ome
on ba-3"
*hey le!t the bi& door, and tried to &et ba- the %ay
they had -ome# 9ut the dun&eons %ere so bi& and so
ramblin& that they lost their %ay# *hey stumbled over old
broen barrels, rottin& %ood, em,ty bottles and many other
thin&s as they tried to !ind their %ay ba- to the bi& !li&ht
o! ro-"ste,s#
"*his is si-enin&3" said Julian, at last# "( sim,ly
haven)t any idea at all %here the entran-e is# 7e ee, on
&oin& into one dun&eon a!ter another, and one ,assa&e
a!ter another, and they all seem to be e?a-tly the same5
dar and smelly and mysterious#"
136
"8u,,ose %e have to stay here all the rest o! our
lives3" said 0nne, &loomily#
"(diot3" said .i-, tain& her hand# "7e shall soon
!ind the %ay out# 1allo35 %hat)s this5"
*hey all sto,,ed# *hey had -ome to %hat looed lie a
-himney sha!t o! bri-, stret-hin& do%n !rom the roo! o!
the dun&eon to the !loor# Julian !lashed his tor-h on to it#
1e %as ,uEEled#
"( no% %hat it is3" said >eor&e, suddenly# "(t)s the
%ell, o! -ourse3 6ou remember it %as sho%n in the ,lan o!
the dun&eons, as %ell as in the ,lan o! the &round !loor#
7ell, that)s the sha!t o! the %ell &oin& do%n and do%n# (
%onder i! there)s any o,enin& in it /ust here5so that %ater
-ould be taen into the dun&eons as %ell as u, to the
&round !loor#"
*hey %ent to see# 4n the other side o! the %ell"sha!t
%as a small o,enin& bi& enou&h !or one -hild at a time to
,ut his head and shoulders throu&h and loo do%n# *hey
shone their tor-hes do%n and u,# *he %ell %as so dee, that
it %as still im,ossible to see the bottom o! it# Julian
dro,,ed a stone do%n a&ain, but there %as no sound o!
either a thud or a s,lash# 1e looed u,%ards, and -ould see
the !aint &leam o! dayli&ht that slid round the broen slab
o! stone lyin& a little %ay do%n the sha!t5 the slab on
%hi-h *im had sat, %aitin& to be res-ued#
"6es," he said,"this is the %ell all ri&ht# (sn)t it +ueer?
7ell5 no% %e)ve !ound the %ell %e no% that the
entran-e to the dun&eons isn)t very !ar o!!3"
*hat -heered them all u, tremendously# *hey too
hands and hunted around in the dar, their
137
tor-hes main& bri&ht beams o! li&ht here and there#
0nne &ave a s-ree-h o! e?-itement# "1ere)s the
entran-e3 (t must be, be-ause ( -an see !aint dayli&ht
-omin& do%n3"
*he -hildren rounded a -orner and sure enou&h, there
%as the stee,, ro-y !li&ht o! ste,s leadin& u,%ards# Julian
too a +ui- loo round so that he mi&ht no% the %ay to
&o %hen they -ame do%n a&ain# 1e didn)t !eel at all -ertain
that he %ould !ind the %ooden door3
*hey all %ent u, into the sunshine# (t %as deli-ious to
!eel the %armth on their heads and shoulders a!ter the -old
air do%n in the dun&eons# Julian looed at his %at-h and
&ave a loud e?-lamation#
"(t)s hal!",ast si?3 1al!",ast si?3 2o %onder ( !eel
hun&ry# 7e haven)t had any tea# 7e)ve been %orin&, and
%anderin& about those dun&eons !or hours#"
"7ell, let)s have a ind o! tea"su,,er be!ore %e do
anythin& else," said .i-# ( don)t !eel as i! ()ve had
anythin& to eat !or about t%elve months#"
"7ell, -onsiderin& you ate about t%i-e as mu-h as
anyone else at dinner"time," be&an Julian, indi&nantly#
*hen he &rinned# "( !eel the same as you," he said# "$ome
on35let)s &et a really &ood meal# >eor&e, %hat about
boilin& a ettle and main& some -o-oa, or somethin&? (
!eel -old a!ter all that time under&round#"
(t %as !un boilin& the ettle on a !ire o! dry sti-s# (t
%as lovely to lie about in the %armth o! the evenin& sun
and mun-h bread and -heese
138
and en/oy -ae and bis-uits# *hey all en/oyed
themselves thorou&hly# *im had a &ood meal too# 1e
hadn)t very mu-h lied bein& under&round, and had
!ollo%ed the others very -losely indeed, his tail %ell do%n#
1e had been very !ri&htened, too, o! the -urious e-hoes
here and there#
4n-e he had bared, and it had seemed to *im as i!
the %hole o! the dun&eons %ere !ull o! other do&s, all
barin& !ar more loudly than he -ould# 1e hadn)t even
dared to %hine a!ter that3 9ut no% he %as ha,,y a&ain,
eatin& the tit"bits that the -hildren &ave him, and li-in&
>eor&e %henever he %as near her#
(t %as ,ast ei&ht o)-lo- by the time that the -hildren
had !inished their meal and tidied u,# Julian looed at the
others# *he sun %as sinin&, and the day %as no lon&er so
%arm#
"7ell," he said, "( don)t no% %hat you !eel# 9ut (
don)t someho% %ant to &o do%n into those dun&eons a&ain
today, not even !or the sae o! smashin& in that door %ith
the a?e and o,enin& it3 ()m tired, and ( don)t lie the
thou&ht o! losin& my %ay in those dun&eons at ni&ht#"
*he others heartily a&reed %ith him, es,e-ially 0nne,
%ho had se-retly been dreadin& &oin& do%n a&ain %ith the
ni&ht -omin& on# *he little &irl %as almost aslee,C she %as
so tired out %ith hard %or and e?-itement#
"$ome on, 0nne3" said >eor&e, ,ullin& her to her !eet#
"9ed !or you# 7e)ll -uddle u, to&ether in the ru&s on the
!loor o! that little room5 and in the mornin& %hen %e
%ae %e)ll be sim,ly thrilled to thin o! o,enin& that bi&
%ooden door#"
139
0ll !our -hildren, %ith *im -lose behind, %ent o!! to
the little stone room# *hey -urled u, on their ,iles o! ru&s,
and *im -re,t in %ith >eor&e and 0nne# 1e lay do%n on
them, and !elt so heavy that 0nne had to ,ush him o!! her
le&s#
1e sat himsel! do%n on her a&ain, and she &roaned,
hal!"aslee,# *im %a&&ed his tail and thum,ed it hard
a&ainst her anles# *hen >eor&e ,ulled him on to her o%n
le&s and lay there, !eelin& him breathe# 8he %as very
ha,,y# 8he %as s,endin& the ni&ht on her island# *hey had
almost !ound the in&ots, she %as sure# 8he had *im %ith
her, a-tually slee,in& on her ru&s# 'erha,s everythin&
%ould -ome ri&ht a!ter all5 someho%#
8he !ell aslee,# *he -hildren !elt ,er!e-tly sa!e %ith
*im on &uard# *hey sle,t ,ea-e!ully until the mornin&,
%hen *im sa% a rabbit throu&h the broen ar-h%ay leadin&
to the little room, and s,ed a%ay to -hase it# 1e a%oe
>eor&e as he &ot u, !rom the ru&s, and she sat u, and
rubbed her eyes#
"7ae u,3" she -ried to the others# "7ae u,, all o!
you3 (t)s mornin&3 0nd %e)re on the island3"
*hey all a%oe# (t %as really thrillin& to sit u, and
remember everythin&# Julian thou&ht o! the bi& %ooden
door at on-e# 1e %ould soon smash it in %ith his a?e, he
!elt sure# 0nd then %hat %ould they !ind?
*hey had brea!ast, and ate /ust as mu-h as ever# *hen
Julian ,i-ed u, the a?e they had brou&ht and too
everyone to the !li&ht o! ste,s# *im %ent too, %a&&in& his
tail, but not really !eelin& very ,leased at the thou&ht o!
&oin& do%n
14;
into the +ueer ,la-es %here other do&s seemed to bar,
and yet %ere not to be !ound# 'oor *im %ould never
understand e-hoes3
*hey all %ent do%n under&round a&ain# 0nd then, o!
-ourse, they -ouldn)t !ind the %ay to the %ooden door3 (t
%as most tiresome#
"7e shall lose our %ay all over a&ain," said >eor&e,
des,erately# "*hese dun&eons are about the most ramblin&
s,read"out maEe o! under&round -aves ()ve ever no%n3
7e shall lose the entran-e a&ain too3"
Julian had a bri&ht idea# 1e had a ,ie-e o! %hite -hal
in his ,o-et, and he too it out# 1e %ent ba- to the ste,s,
and mared the %all there# *hen he be&an to ,ut -hal"
mars alon& the ,assa&es as they %aled in the musty
darness# *hey -ame to the %ell, and Julian %as ,leased#
"2o%," he said, "%henever %e -ome to the %ell %e
shall at least be able to !ind the %ay ba- to the ste,s,
be-ause %e -an !ollo% my -hal"mars# 2o% the thin& is
5 %hi-h is the %ay ne?t? 7e)ll try and !ind it and ()ll ,ut
-hal"mars alon& the %alls here and there5 but i! %e &o
the %ron& %ay and have to -ome ba-, %e)ll rub out the
mars, and start a&ain !rom the %ell another %ay#"
*his %as really a very &ood idea# *hey did &o the
%ron& %ay, and had to -ome ba-, rubbin& out Julian)s
mars# *hey rea-hed the %ell, and set o!! in the o,,osite
dire-tion# 0nd this time they did !ind the %ooden door3
*here it %as, stout and sturdy, its old iron nails rusty
and red# *he -hildren stared at it in deli&ht# Julian li!ted his
a?e#
141
142
$rash3 1e drove it into the %ood and round about the
eyhole# 9ut the %ood %as still stron&, and the a?e only
%ent in an in-h or t%o# Julian drove it in on-e more# *he
a?e hit one o! the bi& nails and sli,,ed a little to one side#
0 bi& s,linter o! %ood !le% out5 and stru- ,oor .i- on
the -hee3
1e &ave a yell o! ,ain# Julian /um,ed in alarm, and
turned to loo at him# .i-)s -hee %as ,ourin& %ith
blood3
"8omethin& !le% out o! the door and hit me," said
,oor .i-# "(t)s a s,linter, or somethin&#"
">olly3" said Julian, and he shone his tor-h on to
.i-# "$an you bear it a moment i! ( ,ull the s,linter out?
(t)s a bi& one, and it)s still sti-in& into your ,oor -hee#"
9ut .i- ,ulled it out himsel!# 1e made a !a-e %ith
the ,ain, and then turned very %hite#
"6ou)d better &et u, into the o,en air !or a bit," said
Julian# "0nd %e)ll have to bathe your -hee and sto, it
bleedin& someho%# 0nne)s &ot a -lean hany# 7e)ll bathe
it and dab it %ith that# 7e brou&ht some %ater %ith us,
lu-ily#"
"()ll &o %ith .i-," said 0nne# "6ou stay here %ith
>eor&e# *here)s no need !or us all to &o#"
9ut Julian thou&ht he %ould lie to see .i- sa!ely u,
into the o,en air !irst, and then he -ould leave him %ith
0nne %hile he %ent ba- to >eor&e and %ent on %ith the
smashin& do%n o! the door# 1e handed the a?e to >eor&e#
"6ou -an do a bit o! -ho,,in& %hile ()m &one," he
said# "(t %ill tae some time to smash that bi& door in# 6ou
&et on %ith it5 and ()ll be do%n in a !e% minutes a&ain#
7e -an easily
143
!ind the %ay to the entran-e be-ause %e)ve only &ot to
!ollo% my -hal"mars#"
"Bi&ht3" said >eor&e, and she too the a?e# "'oor old
.i-5 you do loo a si&ht#"
=eavin& >eor&e behind %ith *im, valiantly atta-in&
the bi& door, Julian too .i- and 0nne u, to the o,en air#
0nne di,,ed her hany into the ettle o! %ater and dabbed
.i-)s -hee &ently# (t %as bleedin& very mu-h, as -hees
do, but the %ound %as not really very bad# .i-)s -olour
soon -ame ba-, and he %anted to &o do%n into the
dun&eons a&ain#
"2o, you)d better lie do%n on your ba- !or a little,"
said Julian# "( no% that)s &ood !or nose"bleedin&5 and
maybe it)s &ood !or -hee"bleedin& too# 7hat about 0nne
and you &oin& out on the ro-s over there, %here you -an
see the %re-, and stayin& there !or hal! an hour or so?
$ome on5 ()ll tae you both there, and leave you !or a bit#
6ou)d better not &et u, till your -hee)s sto,,ed bleedin&,
old boy#"
Julian too the t%o out o! the -astle yard and out on to
the ro-s on the side o! the island that !a-ed the o,en sea#
*he dar hul o! the old %re- %as still there on the ro-s#
.i- lay do%n on his ba- and stared u, into the sy,
ho,in& that his -hee %ould soon sto, bleedin&# 1e didn)t
%ant to miss any o! the !un3
0nne too his hand# 8he %as very u,set at the little
a--ident, and althou&h she didn)t %ant to miss the !un
either, she meant to stay %ith .i- till he !elt better# Julian
sat do%n beside them !or a minute or t%o# *hen he %ent
ba- to the ro-y ste,s and disa,,eared do%n them#
144
1e !ollo%ed his -hal"mars, and soon -ame to %here
>eor&e %as atta-in& the door#
8he had smashed it %ell round the lo-5 but it
sim,ly %ould not &ive %ay# Julian too the a?e !rom her
and drove it hard into the %ood#
0!ter a blo% or t%o somethin& seemed to ha,,en to
the lo-# (t be-ame loose, and hun& a little side%ays# Julian
,ut do%n his a?e#
"( thin someho% that %e -an o,en the door no%," he
said, in an e?ited voi-e# ">et out o! the %ay, *im, old
!ello%# 2o% then, ,ush, >eor&e3"
*hey both ,ushed5 and the lo- &ave %ay %ith a
&ratin& noise# *he bi& door o,ened -reain&ly, and the t%o
-hildren %ent inside, !lashin& their tor-hes in e?-itement#
*he room %as not mu-h more than a -ave, hollo%ed
out o! the ro-5 but in it %as somethin& +uite di!!erent
!rom the old barrels and bo?es the -hildren had !ound
be!ore# 0t the ba-, in untidy ,iles, %ere -urious, bri-"
sha,ed thin&s o! dull yello%"bro%n metal# Julian ,i-ed
one u,#
">eor&e3" he -ried# "*he in&ots3 *hese are real &old3
4h, ( no% they don)t loo lie it5 but they are, all the
same# >eor&e, oh >eor&e, there)s a small !ortune here in
this -ellar5 and it)s yours3 7e)ve !ound it at last3"
145


146
Chapter F#$rtee%
"RISONERS&
>D4B>D -ouldn)t say a %ord# 8he /ust stood there,
starin& at the ,ile o! in&ots, holdin& one in her hand# 8he
-ould hardly believe that these stran&e bri-"sha,ed thin&s
%ere really &old# 1er heart thum,ed !ast# 7hat a
%onder!ul, marvellous !ind3
8uddenly *im be&an to bar loudly# 1e stood %ith his
ba- to the -hildren, his nose to%ards the door5 and ho%
he bared3
"8hut u,, *im3" said Julian# "7hat -an you hear? (s it
the others -omin& ba-?"
1e %ent to the door and yelled do%n the ,assa&e
outside# ".i-3 0nne3 (s it you? $ome +ui-ly, be-ause
%e)ve !ound the in&ots3 7D)FD <4A2. *1DM3
1ABB63 1ABB63"
*im sto,,ed barin& and be&an to &ro%l# >eor&e
looed ,uEEled# "7hatever -an be the matter %ith *im?"
she said# "1e surely -an)t be &ro%lin& at .i- and 0nne#"
*hen both -hildren &ot a most tremendous sho-5 !or
a man)s voi-e -ame boomin& do%n the dar ,assa&e,
main& +ueer e-hoes all around#
"7ho is here? 7ho is do%n here?"
>eor&e -lut-hed Julian in !ri&ht# *im %ent on
&ro%lin&, all the hairs on his ne- standin& u, strai&ht# ".o
be +uiet, *im3" %his,ered >eor&e, sna,,in& o!! her tor-h#
9ut *im sim,ly %ould not be +uiet# 1e %ent on
&ro%lin& as i! he %ere a small thunderstorm#
147
148
*he -hildren sa% the beam o! a ,o%er!ul tor-hli&ht
-omin& round the -orner o! the dun&eon ,assa&e# *hen the
li&ht ,i-ed them out, and the holder o! the tor-h -ame to a
sur,rised sto,#
"7ell, %ell, %ell3" said a voi-e# "=oo %ho)s here3
*%o -hildren in the dun&eons o! my -astle#"
"7hat do you mean, your -astle3" -ried >eor&e#
"7ell, my dear little &irl, it is my -astle, be-ause ()m
in the ,ro-ess o! buyin& it," said the voi-e# *hen another
voi-e s,oe, more &ru!!ly#
"7hat are you doin& do%n here? 7hat did you mean
%hen you shouted out G.i-H and G0nne,H and said you had
!ound the in&ots? 7hat in&ots?"
".on)t ans%er," %his,ered Julian to >eor&e# 9ut the
e-hoes too his %ords and made them very loud in the
,assa&e#".42)* 0287DB3 .42)* 0287DB3"
"4h, so you %on)t ans%er," said the se-ond man, and
he ste,,ed to%ards the -hildren# *im bared his teeth, but
the man didn)t seem at all !ri&htened o! him# *he man %ent
to the door and !lashed his tor-h inside the dun&eon# 1e
&ave a lon& %histle o! sur,rise#
"Jae3 =oo here3" he said# "6ou %ere ri&ht# *he
&old)s here all ri&ht# 0nd ho% easy to tae a%ay3 0ll in
in&ots 5my %ord, this is the most amaEin& thin& %e)ve
ever stru-#"
"*his &old is mine," said >eor&e, in a !ury# "*he
island and the -astle belon& to my mother5 and so does
anythin& !ound here# *his &old %as brou&ht here and
stored by my &reat"&reat"&reat"&rand!ather be!ore his shi,
&ot %re-ed# (t)s not yours, and never %ill be# 0s soon as (
149
15;
&et ba- home ( shall tell my !ather and mother %hat
%e)ve !ound5 and then you may be sure you %on)t be able
to buy the -astle or the island3 6ou %ere very -lever,
!indin& out !rom the ma, in the old bo? about the &old Ibut
/ust not -lever enou&h !or us# 7e !ound it !irst3"
*he men listened in silen-e to >eor&e)s -lear and
an&ry voi-e# 4ne o! them lau&hed# "6ou)re only a -hild,"
he said# "6ou surely don)t thin you -an ee, us !rom
&ettin& our %ay? 7e)re &oin& to buy this island5 and
everythin& in it5 and %e shall tae the &old %hen the
deeds are si&ned# 0nd i! by any -han-e %e -ouldn)t buy the
island, %e)d tae the &old /ust the same# (t %ould be easy
enou&h to brin& a shi, here and trans!er the in&ots !rom
here by boat to the shi,# .on)t %orry5 %e shall &et %hat
%e %ant all ri&ht#"
"6ou %ill not3" said >eor&e, and she ste,,ed out o!
the door# "()m &oin& strai&ht home no%5 and ()ll tell my
!ather all you)ve said#"
"My dear little &irl, you are not &oin& home," said the
!irst man, ,uttin& his hands on >eor&e and !or-in& her ba-
into the dun&eon# "0nd, by the %ay, unless you %ant me to
shoot this un,leasant do& o! yours, -all him o!!, %ill you?"
>eor&e sa%, to her dismay, that the man had a shinin&
revolver in his hand# (n !ri&ht she -au&ht hold o! *im)s
-ollar and ,ulled him to her# "9e +uiet, *im," she said# "(t)s
all ri&ht#"
9ut *im ne% +uite %ell that it %asn)t all ri&ht#
8omethin& %as very %ron&# 1e %ent on &ro%lin& !ier-ely#
"2o% listen to me," said the man, a!ter he had had a
hurried tal %ith his -om,anion# "(! you
151
are &oin& to be sensible, nothin& un,leasant %ill
ha,,en to you# 9ut i! you %ant to be obstinate, you)ll be
very sorry# 7hat %e are &oin& to do is this5 %e)re &oin&
o!! in our motor"boat, leavin& you ni-ely lo-ed u, here5
and %e)re &oin& to &et a shi, and -ome ba- !or the &old#
7e don)t thin it)s %orth %hile buyin& the island no% %e
no% %here the in&ots are#"
"0nd you are &oin& to %rite a note to your
-om,anions above, tellin& them you)ve !ound the &old and
they are to -ome do%n and loo !or it," said the other man#
"*hen %e shall lo- u, all o! you in this dun&eon, %ith the
in&ots to ,lay %ith, leavin& you !ood and drin till %e
-ome ba-# 2o% then5 here is a ,en-il# 7rite a note to
.i- and 0nne, %hoever they are, and send your do& u,
%ith it# $ome on#"
"( %on)t," said >eor&e, her !a-e !urious# "( %on)t# 6ou
-an)t mae me do a thin& lie that# ( %on)t &et ,oor .i-
and 0nne do%n here to be made ,risoners# 0nd ( %on)t let
you have my &old, /ust %hen ()ve dis-overed it#"
"7e shall shoot your do& i! you don)t do as you)re
told," said the !irst man, suddenly# >eor&e)s heart san
do%n and she !elt -old and terri!ied#
"2o, no," she said, in a lo%, des,erate voi-e#
"7ell, %rite the note then," said the man, o!!erin& her
a ,en-il and ,a,er# ">o on# ()ll tell you %hat to say#"
"( -an)t3" sobbed >eor&e# "( don)t %ant to &et .i- and
0nne do%n here to be made ,risoners#"
"0ll ri&ht5 ()ll shoot the do& then," said the man, in a
-old voi-e and he levelled his revolver at ,oor *im# >eor&e
thre% her arms round her do& and &ave a s-ream#
152
"2o, no3 ()ll %rite the note# .on)t shoot *im, don)t
shoot him3"
*he &irl too the ,a,er and ,en-il in a shain& hand
and looed at the man# "7rite this," he ordered# " ".ear
.i- and 0nne# 7e)ve !ound the &old# $ome on do%n at
on-e and see it#" *hen si&n your name, %hatever it is#"
>eor&e %rote %hat the man had said# *hen she si&ned
her name# 9ut instead o! %ritin& G>eor&eH she ,ut
G>eor&ina#H 8he ne% that the others %ould !eel -ertain she
%ould never si&n hersel! that5 and she ho,ed it %ould
%arn them that somethin& +ueer %as u,# *he man too the
note and !astened it to *im)s -ollar# *he do& &ro%led all
the time, but >eor&e e,t tellin& him not to bite#
"2o% tell him to &o and !ind your !riends," said the
man#
"<ind .i- and 0nne," -ommanded >eor&e# ">o on,
*im# <ind .i- and 0nne# >ive them the note#"
*im did not %ant to leave >eor&e, but there %as
somethin& very ur&ent in her voi-e# 1e too one last loo
at his mistress, &ave her hand a li- and s,ed o!! do%n the
,assa&e# 1e ne% the %ay no%# A, the ro-y ste,s he
bounded and into the o,en air# 1e sto,,ed in the old yard,
sni!!in&# 7here %ere .i- and 0nne?
1e smelt their !ootste,s and ran o!!, his nose to the
&round# 1e soon !ound the t%o -hildren out on the ro-s#
.i- %as !eelin& better no% and %as sittin& u,# 1is -hee
had almost sto,,ed bleedin&#
"1allo," he said in sur,rise, %hen he sa% *im# "1ere)s
*imothy3 7hy, *im, old -ha,, %hy
153
have you -ome to see us? .id you &et tired o! bein&
under&round in the dar?"
"=oo, .i-5 he)s &ot somethin& t%isted into his
-ollar," said 0nne, her shar, eyes seein& the ,a,er there# "(t)s
a note# ( e?,e-t it)s !rom the others, tellin& us to &o do%n#
(sn)t *im -lever to brin& it?"
.i- too the ,a,er !rom *im)s -ollar# 1e undid it and
read it#
".ear .i- and 0nne," he read out aloud, "7e)ve !ound
the &old# $ome on do%n at on-e and see it# >eor&ina#"
"4ooh3" said 0nne, her eyes shinin&# "*hey)ve !ound it#
4h .i-5 are you %ell enou&h to -ome no%? =et)s hurry#"
9ut .i- did not &et u, !rom the ro-s# 1e sat and
stared at the note, ,uEEled#
"7hat)s the matter?" said 0nne, im,atiently#
"7ell, don)t you thin it)s !unny that >eor&e should
suddenly si&n hersel! G>eor&inaH?" said .i-, slo%ly# "6ou
no% ho% she hates bein& a &irl, and havin& a &irl)s name#
6ou no% ho% she %ill never ans%er i! anyone -alls her
>eor&ina# 0nd yet in this note she si&ns hersel! by the name
she hates# (t does seem a bit !unny to me# 0lmost as i! it)s a
ind o! %arnin& that there)s somethin& %ron&#"
"4h, don)t be so silly, .i-," said 0nne# "7hat -ould be
%ron&? .o -ome on#"
"0nne, ()d lie to ,o, over to that inlet o! ours to mae
sure there)s no one else -ome to the island," said .i-# "6ou
stay here#"
9ut 0nne didn)t %ant to stay there alone# 8he ran round
the -oast %ith .i-, tellin& him all the time that she thou&ht
he %as very silly#
154
9ut %hen they -ame to the little harbour, they sa% that
there %as another boat there, as %ell as their o%n# (t %as a
motor"boat3 8omeone else %as on the island3
"=oo," said .i-, in a %his,er# "*here is someone
else here# 0nd ( bet it)s the men %ho %ant to buy the
island# ( bet they)ve read that old ma, and no% there)s
&old here# 0nd they)ve !ound >eor&e and Julian and %ant
to &et us all to&ether do%n in the dun&eons so that they -an
ee, us sa!e till they)ve stolen the &old# *hat)s %hy they
made >eor&e send us that note5 but she si&ned it %ith a
name she never uses5 to %arn us3 2o%5 %e must thin
hard# 7hat are %e &oin& to do?"
155
Chapter F'tee%
DICK TO THE RESCUE&
.($@ -au&ht hold o! 0nne)s hand and ,ulled her
+ui-ly a%ay !rom the -ove# 1e %as a!raid that %hoever
had -ome to the island mi&ht be some%here about and see
them# *he boy too 0nne to the little stone room %here
their thin&s %ere and they sat do%n in a -orner#
"7hoever has -ome has dis-overed Julian and >eor&e
smashin& in that door, ( should thin," said .i-, in a
%his,er# "( sim,ly -an)t thin %hat to do# 7e mustn)t &o
do%n into the dun&eons or %e)ll most -ertainly be -au&ht#
1allo5 %here)s *im o!! to?"
*he do& had e,t %ith them !or a %hile but no% he
ran o!! to the entran-e o! the dun&eons# 1e disa,,eared
do%n the ste,s# 1e meant to &et ba- to >eor&e, !or he
ne% she %as in dan&er# .i- and 0nne stared a!ter him#
*hey had !elt -om!orted %hile he %as there, and no% they
%ere sorry he had &one#
*hey really didn)t no% %hat to do# *hen 0nne had an
idea# "( no%3" she said, "%e)ll ro% ba- to the land in our
boat and &et hel,#"
"()d thou&ht o! that," said .i-, &loomily# "9ut you
no% ,er!e-tly %ell %e)d never no% the %ay in and out o!
those a%!ul ro-s# 7e)d %re- the boat# ()m sure %e)re not
stron& enou&h either to ro% all the %ay ba-# 4h, dear5 (
do %ish %e -ould thin %hat to do#"
*hey didn)t need to ,uEEle their brains lon&#
156
*he men -ame u, out o! the dun&eons and be&an to
hunt !or the t%o -hildren3 *hey had seen *im %hen he
-ame ba- and had !ound the note &one# 8o they ne% the
t%o -hildren had taen it5 and they -ouldn)t ima&ine %hy
they had not obeyed %hat >eor&e had said in the note, and
-ome do%n to the dun&eons3
.i- heard their voi-es# 1e -lut-hed hold o! 0nne to
mae her ee, +uiet# 1e sa% throu&h the broen ar-h%ay
that the men %ere &oin& in the o,,osite dire-tion#
"0nne3 ( no% %here %e -an hide3" said the boy,
e?-itedly# ".o%n the old %ell3 7e -an -limb do%n the
ladder a little %ay and hide there# ()m sure no one %ould
ever loo there3"
0nne didn)t at all %ant to -limb do%n the %ell even a
little %ay# 9ut .i- ,ulled her to her !eet and hurried her
o!! to the middle o! the old -ourtyard# *he men %ere
huntin& around the other side o! the -astle# *here %as /ust
time to -limb in# .i- sli,,ed aside the old %ooden -over
o! the %ell and hel,ed 0nne do%n the ladder# 8he %as very
s-ared# *hen the boy -limbed do%n himsel! and sli,,ed the
%ooden -over ba- a&ain over his head, as best he -ould#
*he old stone slab that *im had sat on %hen he !ell
do%n the %ell %as still there# .i- -limbed do%n to it and
tested it# (t %as immovable#
"(t)s sa!e !or you to sit on, 0nne, i! you don)t %ant to
ee, -lin&in& to the ladder," he %his,ered# 8o 0nne sat
shiverin& on the stone slab a-ross the %ell"sha!t, %aitin& to
see i! they %ere dis-overed or not# *hey e,t hearin& the
voi-es o! the men, no% near at hand and no% !ar"o!!# *hen
the men be&an to shout !or them#
157
158
".i-3 0nne3 *he others %ant you3 7here are you?
7e)ve e?-itin& ne%s !or you#"
"7ell, %hy don)t they let Julian and >eor&e -ome u,
and tell us then?" %his,ered .i-# "*here)s somethin&
%ron&, ( no% there is# ( do %ish %e -ould &et to Julian and
>eor&e and !ind out %hat has ha,,ened#"
*he t%o men -ame into the -ourtyard# *hey %ere an&ry#
"7here have those ids &ot to?" said Jae# "*heir boat is still
in the -ove, so they haven)t &ot a%ay# *hey must be hidin&
some%here# 7e -an)t %ait all day !or them#"
"7ell, let)s tae some !ood and drin do%n to the t%o
%e)ve lo-ed u,," said the other man# "*here)s ,lenty in that
little stone room# ( su,,ose it)s a store the -hildren brou&ht
over# 7e)ll leave hal! in the room so that the other t%o ids
-an have it# 0nd %e)ll tae their boat %ith us so that they
-an)t es-a,e#"
"Bi&ht," said Jae# "*he thin& to do is to &et the &old
a%ay as +ui-ly as ,ossible, and mae sure the -hildren are
,risoners here until %e)ve made a sa!e &eta%ay# 7e %on)t
bother any more about tryin& to buy the island# 0!ter all, it
%as only the idea o! &ettin& the in&ots that ,ut us u, to the
idea o! &ettin& @irrin $astle and the island#"
"7ell5-ome on," said his -om,anion# "7e %ill tae
the !ood do%n no%, and not bother about the other ids# 6ou
stay here and see i! you -an s,ot them %hile ( &o do%n#"
.i- and 0nne hardly dared to breathe %hen they heard
all this# 1o% they ho,ed that the men %ouldn)t thin o!
looin& do%n the %ell3 *hey heard one man %al to the
little stone room# (t %as ,lain that he %as &ettin& !ood and
drin to
159
tae do%n to the t%o ,risoners in the dun&eons belo%#
*he other man stayed in the -ourtyard, %histlin& so!tly#
0!ter %hat seemed a very lon& time to the hidden
-hildren, the !irst man -ame ba-# *hen the t%o taled
to&ether, and at last %ent o!! to the -ove# .i- heard the
motor"boat bein& started u,#
"(t)s sa!e to &et out no%, 0nne," he said# "(sn)t it -old
do%n here? ()ll be &lad to &et out into the sunshine#"
*hey -limbed out and stood %armin& themselves in
the hot summer sunshine# *hey -ould see the motor"boat
streain& to%ards the mainland#
"7ell, they)re &one !or the moment," said .i-# "0nd
they)ve not taen our boat, as they said# (! only %e -ould
res-ue Julian and >eor&e, %e -ould &et hel,, be-ause
>eor&e -ould ro% us ba-#"
"7hy -an)t %e res-ue them?" -ried 0nne, her eyes
shinin&# "7e -an &o do%n the ste,s and unbolt the door,
-an)t %e?"
"2o5 %e -an)t," said .i-# "=oo3"
0nne looed to %here he ,ointed# 8he sa% that the
t%o men had ,iled bi&, heavy slabs o! broen stone over
the dun&eon entran-e# (t had taen all their stren&th to ,ut
the bi& stones there# 2either .i- nor 0nne -ould ho,e to
move them#
"(t)s +uite im,ossible to &et do%n the ste,s," said
.i-# "*hey)ve made sure %e shan)t do that3 0nd you no%
%e haven)t any idea %here the se-ond entran-e is# 7e only
no% it %as some%here near the to%er#"
16;
"=et)s see i! %e -an !ind it," said 0nne ea&erly# *hey set
o!! to the to%er on the ri&ht o! the -astle5 but it %as +uite
-lear that %hatever entran-e there mi&ht have been on-e, it
%as &one no%3 *he -astle had !allen in very mu-h /ust there,
and there %ere ,iles o! old broen stones every%here, +uite
im,ossible to move# *he -hildren soon &ave u, the sear-h#
"9lo%3" said .i-# "1o% ( do hate to thin o! ,oor old
Julian and >eor&e ,risoners do%n belo%, and %e -an)t even
hel, them3 4h, 0nne5 -an)t you thin o! somethin& to do?"
0nne sat do%n on a stone and thou&ht hard# 8he %as
very %orried# *hen she bri&htened u, a little and turned to
.i-#
".i-3 ( su,,ose5 ( su,,ose %e -ouldn)t ,ossibly
-limb do%n the %ell, -ould %e?" she ased# "6ou no% it
&oes ,ast the dun&eons5 and there)s an o,enin& on the
dun&eon !loor !rom the %ell"sha!t, be-ause don)t you
remember %e %ere able to ,ut in our heads and shoulders
and loo ri&ht u, the %ell to the to,? $ould %e &et ,ast that
slab, do you thin5 the one that ( sat on /ust no%, that has
!allen a-ross the %ell?"
.i- thou&ht it all over# 1e %ent to the %ell and ,eered
do%n it# "6ou no%, ( believe you are ri&ht, 0nne," he said
at last# "7e mi&ht be able to s+ueeEe ,ast that slab# *here)s
/ust about room# ( don)t no% ho% !ar the iron ladder &oes
do%n thou&h#"
"4h, .i-5 do let)s try," said 0nne# "(t)s our only
-han-e o! res-uin& the others3"
"7ell," said .i-, )()ll try it5 but not you, 0nne# ()m
not &oin& to have you !allin& do%n that %ell# *he ladder
mi&ht be broen hal!"%ay
161
do%n5 anythin& mi&ht ha,,en# 6ou must stay u,
here and ()ll see %hat ( -an do#"
"6ou %ill be -are!ul, %on)t you?" said 0nne,
an?iously# "*ae a ro,e %ith you, .i-, so that i! you need
one you %on)t have to -limb all the %ay u, a&ain#"
">ood idea," said .i-# 1e %ent to the little stone
room and &ot one o! the ro,es they had ,ut there# 1e
%ound it round and round his %aist# *hen he %ent ba- to
0nne#
"7ell, here &oes3" he said, in a -heer!ul voi-e# ".on)t
%orry about me# ()ll be all ri&ht#"
0nne %as rather %hite# 8he %as terribly a!raid that
.i- mi&ht !all ri&ht do%n to the bottom o! the %ell# 8he
%at-hed him -limb do%n the iron ladder to the slab o!
stone# 1e tried his best to s+ueeEe by it, but it %as very
di!!i-ult# 0t last he mana&ed it and a!ter that 0nne -ould
see him no more# 9ut she -ould hear him, !or he e,t
-allin& u, to her#
"=adder)s still &oin& stron&, 0nne3 ()m all ri&ht# $an
you hear me?"
"6es," shouted 0nne do%n the %ell, hearin& her voi-e
e-ho in a !unny hollo% manner# "*ae -are, .i-# ( do
ho,e the ladder &oes all the %ay do%n#"
"( thin it does3" yelled ba- .i-# *hen he &ave a
loud e?-lamation# "9lo%3 (t)s broen /ust here# 9roen
ri&ht o!!# 4r else it ends# ()ll have to use my ro,e#"
*here %as a silen-e as .i- un%ound the ro,e !rom
his %aist# 1e tied it !irmly to the last but one run& o! the
ladder, %hi-h seemed +uite stron&#
"()m &oin& do%n the ro,e no%3" he shouted to 0nne#
".on)t %orry# ()m all ri&ht# 1ere ( &o3"
162
0nne -ouldn)t hear %hat .i- said a!ter that, !or the
%ell"sha!t made his %ords &o -rooed and she -ouldn)t
mae out %hat they %ere# 9ut she %as &lad to hear him
shoutin& even thou&h she didn)t no% %hat he said# 8he
yelled do%n to him too, ho,in& he -ould hear her#
.i- slid do%n the ro,e, holdin& on to it %ith hands,
nees and !eet, &lad that he %as so &ood at &ym at s-hool#
1e %ondered i! he %as any%here near the dun&eons# 1e
seemed to have &one do%n a lon& %ay# 1e mana&ed to &et
out his tor-h# 1e ,ut it bet%een his teeth a!ter he had
s%it-hed it on, so that he mi&ht have both hands !ree !or
the ro,e# *he li&ht !rom the tor-h sho%ed him the %alls o!
the %ell around him# 1e -ouldn)t mae out i! he %as above
or belo% the dun&eons# 1e didn)t %ant to &o ri&ht do%n to
the bottom o! the %ell3
1e de-ided that he must have /ust ,assed the o,enin&
into the dun&eon"-aves# 1e -limbed ba- u, the ro,e a
little %ay and to his deli&ht sa% that he %as ri&ht# *he
o,enin& on to the dun&eons %as /ust by his head# 1e
-limbed u, till he %as level %ith it and then s%un& himsel!
to the side o! the %ell %here the small o,enin& %as# 1e
mana&ed to &et hold o! the bri-ed ed&e, and then tried to
s-ramble throu&h the o,enin& into the dun&eon#
(t %as di!!i-ult, but lu-ily .i- %as not very bi&# 1e
mana&ed it at last and stood u, strai&ht %ith a si&h o!
relie!# 1e %as in the dun&eons3 1e -ould no% !ollo% the
-hal"mars to the room or -ave %here the in&ots %ere5
and %here he !elt sure that >eor&e and Julian %ere
im,risoned3
1e shone his tor-h on the %all# 6es5 there
163
164
%ere the -hal"mars# >ood3 1e ,ut his head into the
%ell"o,enin& and yelled at the to, o! his voi-e#
"0nne3 ()m in the dun&eons3 7at-h out that the men
don)t -ome ba-3"
*hen he be&an to !ollo% the %hite -hal"mars, his
heart beatin& !ast# 0!ter a %hile he -ame to the door o! the
store"room# 0s he had e?,e-ted, it %as !astened so that
>eor&e and Julian -ouldn)t &et out# 9i& bolts had been
driven home at the to, and bottom, and the -hildren inside
-ould not ,ossibly &et out# *hey had tried their hardest to
batter do%n the door, but it %as no &ood at all#
*hey %ere sittin& inside the store"-ave, !eelin& an&ry
and e?hausted# *he man had brou&ht them !ood and drin,
but they had not tou-hed it# *im %as %ith them, lyin&
do%n %ith his head on his ,a%s, hal!"an&ry %ith >eor&e
be-ause she hadn)t let him !ly at the men as he had so badly
%anted to# 9ut >eor&e !elt -ertain that *im %ould be shot
i! he tried bitin& or sna,,in&#
"0ny%ay, the other t%o had sense enou&h not to -ome
do%n and be made ,risoners too," said >eor&e# "*hey must
have no%n there %as somethin& !unny about that note
%hen they sa% ( had si&ned mysel! >eor&ina instead o!
>eor&e# ( %onder %hat they are doin&# *hey must be
hidin&#"
*im suddenly &ave a &ro%l# 1e lea,t to his !eet and
%ent to the -losed door, his head on one side# 1e had heard
somethin&, that %as -ertain#
"( ho,e it)s not those men ba- a&ain already," said
>eor&e# *hen she looed at *im in sur,rise, !lashin& her
tor-h on to him# 1e %as %a&&in& his tail3
165
0 &reat ban& at the door made them all /um, out o!
their sins3 *hen -ame .i-)s -heer!ul voi-e# "1i, Julian3
1i, >eor&e3 0re you here?"
"7u!!!!!!3" bared *im, /oy!ully and s-rat-hed at the
door#
".i-3 4,en the door3" yelled Julian in deli&ht#
":ui-, o,en the door3"


166
Chapter Sixteen
A "LAN AND A NARROW ESCA"E
.($@ unbolted the door at the to, and bottom and
!lun& it o,en# 1e rushed in and thum,ed >eor&e and Julian
ha,,ily on the ba-#
"1allo3" he said# "1o% does it !eel to be res-ued?"
"<ine3" -ried Julian, and *im bared madly round
them#
>eor&e &rinned at .i-#
">ood %or3" she said# "7hat ha,,ened?"
.i- told them in a !e% %ords all that had ha,,ened#
7hen he related ho% he had -limbed do%n the old %ell,
>eor&e and Julian -ould hardly believe their ears# Julian
sli,,ed his arm throu&h his youn&er brother)s#
"6ou)re a bri-3" he said# "0 real bri-3 2o% +ui-5
%hat are %e &oin& to do?"
"7ell, i! they)ve le!t us our boat ()m &oin& to tae us
all ba- to the mainland as +ui-ly as ,ossible," said
>eor&e# "()m not ,layin& about %ith men %ho brandish
revolvers all the time# $ome on3 A, the %ell %e &o and
!ind the boat#"
*hey ran to the %ell"sha!t and s+ueeEed throu&h the
small o,enin& one by one# A, the ro,e they %ent, and soon
!ound the iron ladder# Julian made them &o u, one by one
in -ase the ladder %ouldn)t bear the %ei&ht o! all three at
on-e#
(t really %asn)t very lon& be!ore they %ere all u, in the
o,en air on-e more, &ivin& 0nne
167
168
hu&s, and hearin& her e?-laim &ladly, %ith tears in
her eyes, ho% ,leased she %as to see them all a&ain#
"2o% -ome on3" said >eor&e a!ter a minute# "4!! to
the boat# :ui-3 *hose men may be ba- at any time#"
*hey rushed to the -ove# *here %as their boat, lyin&
%here they had ,ulled it, out o! rea-h o! the %aves# 9ut
%hat a sho- !or them3
"*hey)ve taen the oars3" said >eor&e, in dismay#
"*he beasts3 *hey no% %e -an)t ro% the boat a%ay
%ithout oars# *hey %ere a!raid you and 0nne mi&ht ro%
o!!, .i-5 so instead o! botherin& to to% the boat behind
them, they /ust &rabbed the oars# 2o% %e)re stu-# 7e
-an)t ,ossibly &et a%ay#"
(t %as a &reat disa,,ointment# *he -hildren %ere
almost ready to -ry# 0!ter .i-)s marvellous res-ue o!
>eor&e and Julian, it had seemed as i! everythin& %as
&oin& ri&ht5 and no% suddenly thin&s %ere &oin& %ron&
a&ain#
"7e must thin this out," said Julian, sittin& do%n
%here he -ould see at on-e i! any boat -ame in si&ht# "*he
men have &one o!!5 ,robably to &et a shi, !rom
some%here in %hi-h they -an ,ut the in&ots and sail a%ay#
*hey %on)t be ba- !or some time, ( should thin, be-ause
you -an)t -harter a shi, all in a hurry5 unless, o! -ourse,
they)ve &ot one o! their o%n#"
"0nd in the meantime %e -an)t &et o!! the island to &et
hel,, be-ause they)ve &ot our oars," said >eor&e# "7e -an)t
even si&nal to any ,assin& !ishin&"boat be-ause they %on)t
be out /ust no%# *he tide)s %ron&# (t seems as i! all %e)ve
&ot to do is %ait here ,atiently till the men -ome
169
ba- and tae my &old3 0nd %e -an)t sto, them#"
"6ou no%5 ()ve &ot a sort o! ,lan -omin& into my
head," said Julian, slo%ly# "7ait a bit5 don)t interru,t me#
()m thinin&#"
*he others %aited in silen-e %hile Julian sat and
!ro%ned, thinin& o! his ,lan# *hen he looed at the others
%ith a smile#
"( believe it %ill %or," he said# "=isten3 7e)ll %ait
here in ,atien-e till the men -ome ba-# 7hat %ill they do?
*hey)ll dra& a%ay those stones at the to, o! the dun&eon
entran-e, and &o do%n the ste,s# *hey)ll &o to the store"
room, %here they le!t us5 thinin& %e are still there, and
they %ill &o into the room# 7ell, %hat about one o! us
bein& hidden do%n there ready to bolt them into the room?
*hen %e -an either &o o!! in their motor"boat or our o%n
boat i! they brin& ba- our oars5 and &et hel,#"
0nne thou&ht it %as a marvellous idea# 9ut .i- and
>eor&e did not loo so -ertain# "7e)d have to &o do%n and
bolt that door a&ain to mae it seem as i! %e are still
,risoners there," said >eor&e# "0nd su,,ose the one %ho
hides do%n there doesn)t mana&e to bolt the men in? (t
mi&ht be very di!!i-ult to do that +ui-ly enou&h# *hey %ill
sim,ly -at-h %hoever %e ,lan to leave do%n there, and
-ome u, to loo !or the rest o! us#"
"*hat)s true," said Julian, thou&ht!ully# "7ell5 %e)ll
su,,ose that .i-, or %hoever &oes do%n, doesn)t mana&e
to bolt them in and mae them ,risoners5 and the men
-ome u, here a&ain# 0ll ri&ht5 %hile they are do%n belo%
%e)ll ,ile bi&
17;
stones over the entran-e, /ust as they did# *hen they
%on)t be able to &et out#"
"7hat about .i- do%n belo%?" said 0nne, at on-e#
"( -ould -limb u, the %ell a&ain3" said .i-, ea&erly#
"()ll be the one to &o do%n and hide# ()ll do my best to bolt
the men into the room# 0nd i! ( have to es-a,e ()ll -limb u,
the %ell"sha!t a&ain# *he men don)t no% about that# 8o
even i! they are not ,risoners in the dun&eon room, they)ll
be ,risoners under&round3"
*he -hildren taled over this ,lan, and de-ided that it
%as the best they -ould thin o!# *hen >eor&e said she
thou&ht it %ould be a &ood thin& to have a meal# *hey %ere
all hal!"starved and, no% that the %orry and e?-itement o!
bein& res-ued %as over, they %ere !eelin& very hun&ry3
*hey !et-hed some !ood !rom the little room and ate it
in the -ove, ee,in& a shar, loo"out !or the return o! the
men# 0!ter about t%o hours they sa% a bi& !ishin&"sma-
a,,ear in the distan-e, and heard the -hu&"-hu&"-hu& o! a
motor"boat too#
"*here they are3" said Julian, in e?-itement, and he
/um,ed to his !eet# "*hat)s the shi, they mean to load %ith
the in&ots, and sail a%ay in sa!ety5 and there)s the motor"
boat brin&in& the men ba-3 :ui-, .i-, do%n the %ell
you &o, and hide until you hear them in the dun&eons3"
.i- shot o!!# Julian turned to the others# "7e)ll have
to hide," he said# "2o% that the tide is out %e)ll hide over
yonder, behind those un-overed ro-s# ( don)t someho%
thin the men %ill do any huntin& !or .i- and 0nne "but
they mi&ht# $ome on3 :ui-3"
171
172
*hey all hid themselves behind the ro-s, and heard
the motor"boat -ome -hu&&in& into the tiny harbour# *hey
-ould hear men -allin& to one another# *here sounded to be
more than t%o men this time# *hen the men le!t the inlet
and %ent u, the lo% -li!! to%ards the ruined -astle#
Julian -re,t behind the ro-s and ,ee,ed to see %hat
the men %ere doin&# 1e !elt -ertain they %ere ,ullin& a%ay
the slabs o! stone that had been ,iled on to, o! the entran-e
to ,revent .i- and 0nne &oin& do%n to res-ue the others#
">eor&e3 $ome on3" -alled Julian in a lo% tone# "(
thin the men have &one do%n the ste,s into the dun&eons
no%# 7e must &o and try to ,ut those bi& stones ba-#
:ui-3"
>eor&e, Julian and 0nne ran so!tly and s%i!tly to the
old -ourtyard o! the -astle# *hey sa% that the stones had
been ,ulled a%ay !rom the entran-e to the dun&eons# *he
men had disa,,eared# *hey had ,lainly &one do%n the
ste,s#
*he three -hildren did their best to tu& at the heavy
stones to dra& them ba-# 9ut their stren&th %as not the
same as that o! the men, and they -ould not mana&e to &et
any very bi& stones a-ross# *hey ,ut three smaller ones,
and Julian ho,ed the men %ould !ind them too di!!i-ult to
move !rom belo%# "(! only .i- has mana&ed to bolt them
into that room3" he said to the others# ">ome on, ba- to
the %ell no%# .i- %ill have to -ome u, there, be-ause he
%on)t be able to &et out o! the entran-e#"
*hey all %ent to the %ell# .i- had removed the old
%ooden -over, and it %as lyin& on the &round# *he
-hildren leaned over the hole o! the %ell and %aited
an?iously# 7hat %as .i-
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174
doin&? *hey -ould hear nothin& !rom the %ell and
they lon&ed to no% %hat %as ha,,enin&#
*here %as ,lenty ha,,enin& do%n belo%3 *he t%o
men, and another, had &one do%n into the dun&eons,
e?,e-tin&, o! -ourse, to !ind Julian, >eor&e and the do&
still lo-ed u, in the store"room %ith the in&ots# *hey
,assed the %ell"sha!t not &uessin& that an e?-ited small
boy %as hidden there, ready to sli, out o! the o,enin& as
soon as they had ,assed#
.i- heard them ,ass# 1e sli,,ed out o! the %ell"
o,enin& and !ollo%ed behind +uietly, his !eet main& no
sound# 1e -ould see the beams made by the men)s ,o%er!ul
tor-hes, and %ith his heart thum,in& loudly he -re,t alon&
the smelly old ,assa&es, bet%een &reat -aves, until the men
turned into the %ide ,assa&e %here the store-ave lay#
"1ere it is," .i- heard one o! the men say, as he
!lashed his tor-h on to the &reat door# "*he &old)s in there
5 so are the ids3"
*he man unbolted the door at to, and bottom# .i-
%as &lad that he had sli,,ed alon& to bolt the door, !or i!
he hadn)t done that be!ore the men had -ome they %ould
have no%n that Julian and >eor&e had es-a,ed, and
%ould have been on their &uard#
*he man o,ened the door and ste,,ed inside# *he
se-ond man !ollo%ed him# .i- -re,t as -lose as he dared,
%aitin& !or the third man to &o in too# *hen he meant to
slam the door and bolt it3
*he !irst man s%un& his tor-h round and &ave a loud
e?-lamation# "*he -hildren are &one3 1o% stran&e3 7here
are they?"
175
176
*%o o! the men %ere no% in the -ave5 and the third
ste,,ed in at that moment# .i- darted !or%ard and
slammed the door# (t made a -rash that %ent e-hoin& round
and round the -aves and ,assa&es# .i- !umbled %ith the
bolts, his hand tremblin&# *hey %ere sti!! and rusty# *he
boy !ound it hard to shoot them home in their so-ets# 0nd
mean%hile the men %ere not idle3
0s soon as they heard the door slam they s,un round#
*he third man ,ut his shoulder to the door at on-e and
heaved hard# .i- had /ust &ot one o! the bolts almost into
its so-et# *hen all three men !or-ed their stren&th a&ainst
the door, and the bolt &ave %ay3
.i- stared in horror# *he door %as o,enin&3 1e
turned and !led do%n the dar ,assa&e# *he men !lashed
their tor-hes on and sa% him# *hey %ent a!ter the boy at
to, s,eed#
.i- !led to the %ell"sha!t# <ortunately the o,enin&
%as on the o,,osite side, and he -ould -lamber into it
%ithout bein& seen in the li&ht o! the tor-hes# *he boy only
/ust had time to s+ueeEe throu&h into the sha!t be!ore the
three men -ame runnin& by# 2ot one o! them &uessed that
the runa%ay %as s+ueeEed into the %ell"sha!t they ,assed3
(ndeed, the men did not even no% that there %as a %ell
there#
*remblin& !rom head to !oot, .i- be&an to -limb the
ro,e he had le!t dan&lin& !rom the run&s o! the iron ladder#
1e undid it %hen he rea-hed the ladder itsel!, !or he
thou&ht that ,erha,s the men mi&ht dis-over the old %ell
and try to -limb u, later# *hey %ould not be able to do that
i! there %as no ro,e dan&lin& do%n#
*he boy -limbed u, the ladder +ui-ly, and
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178
s+ueeEed round the stone slab near the to,# *he other
-hildren %ere there, %aitin& !or him#
*hey ne% at on-e by the loo on .i-)s !a-e that he
had !ailed in %hat he had tried to do# *hey ,ulled him out
+ui-ly# "(t %as no &ood," said .i-, ,antin& %ith his
-limb# "( -ouldn)t do it# *hey burst the door o,en /ust as (
%as boltin& it, and -hased me# ( &ot into the sha!t /ust in
time#"
"*hey)re tryin& to &et out o! the entran-e no%3" -ried
0nne, suddenly# ":ui-3 7hat shall %e do? *hey)ll -at-h
us all3"
"*o the boat3" shouted Julian, and he too 0nne)s
hand to hel, her alon&# "$ome alon&3 (t)s our only -han-e#
*he men %ill ,erha,s be able to move those stones#"
*he !our -hildren !led do%n the -ourtyard# >eor&e
darted into the little stone room as they ,assed it, and
-au&ht u, an a?e# .i- %ondered %hy she bothered to do
that# *im dashed alon& %ith them, barin& madly#
*hey -ame to the -ove# *heir o%n boat lay there
%ithout oars# *he motor"boat %as there too# >eor&e
/um,ed into it and &ave a yell o! deli&ht#
"1ere are our oars3" she shouted# "*ae them, Julian,
()ve &ot a /ob to do here3 >et the boat do%n to the %ater,
+ui-3"
Julian and .i- too the oars# *hen they dra&&ed their
boat do%n to the %ater, %onderin& %hat >eor&e %as
doin&# 0ll inds o! -rashin& sounds -ame !rom the motor"
boat3
">eor&e3 >eor&e3 9u- u,# *he men are out3"
suddenly yelled Julian# 1e had seen the three men runnin&
to the -li!! that led do%n to
179
the -ove# >eor&e lea,t out o! the motor"boat and
/oined the others# *hey ,ushed their boat out on to the
%ater, and >eor&e too the oars at on-e, ,ullin& !or all she
%as %orth#
*he three men ran to their motor"boat# *hen they
,aused in the &reatest dismay5 !or >eor&e had -om,letely
ruined it3 8he had -ho,,ed %ildly %ith her a?e at all the
ma-hinery she -ould see, and no% the boat -ould not
,ossibly be started3 (t %as dama&ed beyond any re,air the
men -ould mae %ith the !e% tools they had#
"6ou %i-ed &irl3" yelled Jae, shain& his !ist at
>eor&e# "7ait till ( &et you3"
"()ll %ait3" shouted ba- >eor&e, her blue eyes shinin&
dan&erously# "0nd you -an %ait too3 6ou %on)t be able to
leave my island no%3"
18;
Chapter Se(e%tee%
THE END OF THE GREAT ADVENTURE

*1D three men stood at the ed&e o! the sea, %at-hin&
>eor&e ,ull a%ay stron&ly !rom the shore# *hey -ould do
nothin&# *heir boat %as +uite useless#
"*he !ishin&"sma- they)ve &ot %aitin& out there is too
bi& to use that little inlet," said >eor&e, as she ,ulled hard
at her oars# "*hey)ll have to stay there till someone &oes in
%ith a boat# ( &uess they)re as %ild as -an be3"
*heir boat had to ,ass !airly near to the bi& !ishin&"
boat# 0 man hailed them as they -ame by#
"0hoy there3 1ave you -ome !rom @irrin (sland?"
".on)t ans%er," said >eor&e# ".on)t say a %ord#" 8o
no one said anythin& at all, but looed the other %ay as i!
they hadn)t heard#
"0146 *1DBD3" yelled the man, an&rily# "0re you
dea!? 1ave you -ome !rom the island?"
8till the -hildren said nothin& at all, but looed a%ay
%hile >eor&e ro%ed steadily# *he man on the shi, &ave it
u,, and looed in a %orried manner to%ards the island# 1e
!elt sure the -hildren had -ome !rom there5and he ne%
enou&h o! his -omrades) adventures to %onder i!
everythin& %as ri&ht on the island#
"1e may ,ut out a boat !rom the sma- and &o and see
%hat)s ha,,enin&," said >eor&e# "7ell, he -an)t do mu-h
e?-e,t tae the men
181
182
o!!5 %ith a !e% in&ots3 ( hardly thin they)ll dare to
tae any o! the &old thou&h, no% that %e)ve es-a,ed to tell
our tale3"
Julian looed behind at the shi,# 1e sa% a!ter a time
that the little boat it -arried %as bein& lo%ered into the sea#
"6ou)re ri&ht," he said to >eor&e# "*hey)re a!raid
somethin& is u,# *hey)re &oin& to res-ue those three men#
7hat a ,ity3"
*heir little boat rea-hed land# *he -hildren lea,t out
into the shallo% %ater and dra&&ed it u, to the bea-h# *im
,ulled at the ro,e too, %a&&in& his tail# 1e loved to /oin in
anythin& that the -hildren %ere doin&#
"8hall you tae *im to 0l!?" ased .i-#
>eor&e shoo her head# "2o," she said, "%e haven)t
any time to %aste# 7e must &o and tell everythin& that has
ha,,ened# ()ll tie *im u, to the !en-e in the !ront &arden#"
*hey made their %ay to @irrin $otta&e at to, s,eed#
0unt <anny %as &ardenin& there# 8he stared in sur,rise to
see the hurryin& -hildren#
"7hy," she said, "( thou&ht you %ere not -omin& ba-
till tomorro% or the ne?t day3 1as anythin& ha,,ened?
7hat)s the matter %ith .i-)s -hee?"
"2othin& mu-h," said .i-#
*he others -himed in#
"0unt <anny, %here)s An-le :uentin? 7e have
somethin& im,ortant to tell him3"
"Mother, %e)ve had su-h an adventure3"
"0unt <anny, %e)ve an a%!ul lot to tell you3 7e really
have3"
0unt <anny looed at the untidy -hildren in
amaEement# "7hatever has ha,,ened?" she
183
said# *hen she turned to%ards the house and -alled,
":uentin3 :uentin3 *he -hildren have somethin& to tell
us3"
An-le :uentin -ame out, looin& rather -ross, !or he
%as in the middle o! his %or# "7hat)s the matter?" he
ased#
"An-le, it)s about @irrin (sland," said Julian, ea&erly#
"*hose men haven)t bou&ht it yet, have they?"
"7ell, it)s ,ra-ti-ally sold," said his un-le# "()ve si&ned
my ,art, and they are to si&n their ,art tomorro%# 7hy?
7hat)s that to do %ith you?"
"An-le, those men %on)t si&n tomorro%," said Julian#
".o you no% %hy they %anted to buy the island and the
-astle? 2ot be-ause they really %anted to build an hotel or
anythin& lie that5but be-ause they ne% the lost &old
%as hidden there3"
"7hat nonsense are you talin&?" said his un-le#
"(t isn)t nonsense, <ather3" -ried >eor&e indi&nantly#
"(t)s all true# *he ma, o! the old -astle %as in that bo? you
sold5 and in the ma, %as sho%n %here the in&ots %ere
hidden by my &reat"&reat"&reat"&rand!ather3"
>eor&e)s !ather looed amaEed and annoyed# 1e
sim,ly didn)t believe a %ord3 9ut his %i!e sa% by the
solemn and serious !a-es o! the !our -hildren that
somethin& im,ortant really had ha,,ened# 0nd then 0nne
suddenly burst into loud sobs3 *he e?-itement had been too
mu-h !or her and she -ouldn)t bear to thin that her un-le
%ouldn)t believe that everythin& %as true#
184
"0unt <anny, 0unt <anny, it)s all true3" she sobbed#
"An-le :uentin is horrid not to believe us# 4h, 0unt
<anny, the man had a revolver5 and oh, he made Julian
and >eor&e ,risoners in the dun&eons5 and .i- had to
-limb do%n the %ell to res-ue them# 0nd >eor&e has
smashed u, their motor"boat to sto, them es-a,in&3"
1er aunt and un-le -ouldn)t mae head or tail o! this,
but An-le :uentin suddenly seemed to thin that the matter
%as serious and %orth looin& into# "8mashed u, a motor"
boat3" he said# "7hatever !or? $ome indoors# ( shall have
to hear the story !rom be&innin& to end# (t seems +uite
unbelievable to me#"
*hey all troo,ed indoors# 0nne sat on her aunt)s nee
and listened to >eor&e and Julian tellin& the %hole story#
*hey told it %ell and le!t nothin& out# 0unt <anny &re%
+uite ,ale as she listened, es,e-ially %hen she heard about
.i- -limbin& do%n the %ell#
"6ou mi&ht have been illed," she said# "4h, .i-3
7hat a brave thin& to do3"
An-le :uentin listened in the utmost amaEement# 1e
had never had mu-h liin& or admiration !or any -hildren
5 he al%ays thou&ht they %ere noisy, tiresome, and silly#
9ut no%, as he listened to Julian)s tale, he -han&ed his
mind about these !our -hildren at on-e3
"6ou)ve been very -lever," he said# "0nd very brave
too# ()m ,roud o! you# 6es, ()m very ,roud o! you all# 2o
%onder you didn)t %ant me to sell the island, >eor&e, %hen
you ne% about the in&ots3 9ut %hy didn)t you tell me?"
185
*he !our -hildren stared at him and didn)t ans%er#
*hey -ouldn)t very %ell say, "7ell, !irstly, you %ouldn)t
have believed us# 8e-ondly, you are bad"tem,ered and
un/ust and %e are !ri&htened o! you# *hirdly, %e didn)t
trust you enou&h to do the ri&ht thin&#" "7hy don)t you
ans%er?" said their un-le# 1is %i!e ans%ered !or them, in a
&entle voi-e#
":uentin, you s-are the -hildren, you no%, and (
don)t e?,e-t they lied to &o to you# 9ut no% that they
have, you %ill be able to tae matters into your o%n hands#
*he -hildren -annot do any more# 6ou must rin& u, the
,oli-e and see %hat they have to say about all this#"
"Bi&ht," said An-le :uentin, and he &ot u, at on-e# 1e
,atted Julian on the ba-# "6ou have all done %ell," he
said# *hen he ru!!led >eor&e)s short -urly hair# "0nd ()m
,roud o! you, too, >eor&e," he said# "6ou)re as &ood as a
boy any day3"
"4h <ather3" said >eor&e, &oin& red %ith sur,rise and
,leasure# 8he smiled at him and he smiled ba-# *he
-hildren noti-ed that he had a very ni-e !a-e %hen he
smiled# 1e and >eor&e %ere really very alie to loo at#
9oth looed u&ly %hen they suled and !ro%ned5 and
both %ere &ood to loo at %hen they lau&hed or smiled3
>eor&e)s !ather %ent o!! to tele,hone the ,oli-e and
his la%yer too# *he -hildren sat and ate bis-uits and ,lums,
tellin& their aunt a &reat many little details they had
!or&otten %hen tellin& the story be!ore#
0s they sat there, there -ame a loud and an&ry
186
bar !rom the !ront &arden# >eor&e looed u,# "*hat)s
*im," she said, %ith an an?ious loo at her mother# "(
hadn)t time to tae him to 0l!, %ho ee,s him !or me#
Mother, *im %as su-h a -om!ort to us on the island, you
no%# ()m sorry he)s barin& no%5 but ( e?,e-t he)s
hun&ry#"
"7ell, !et-h him in," said her mother, une?,e-tedly#
"1e)s +uite a hero, too5 %e must &ive him a &ood dinner#"
>eor&e smiled in deli&ht# 8he s,ed out o! the door and
%ent to *im# 8he set him !ree and he -ame boundin&
indoors, %a&&in& his lon& tail# 1e li-ed >eor&e)s mother
and -o-ed his ears at her#
">ood do&," she said, and a-tually ,atted him# "()ll &et
you some dinner3"
*im trotted out to the it-hen %ith her# Julian &rinned
at >eor&e# "7ell, loo at that," he said# "6our mother)s a
bri-, isn)t she?"
"6es5 but ( don)t no% %hat <ather %ill say %hen he
sees *im in the house a&ain," said >eor&e, doubt!ully#
1er !ather -ame ba- at that minute, his !a-e &rave#
"*he ,oli-e tae a serious vie% o! all this," he said, "and so
does my la%yer# *hey all a&ree in thinin& that you
-hildren have been remarably -lever and brave# 0nd
>eor&e5 my la%yer says that the in&ots de!initely belon&
to us# 0re there really a lot?"
"<ather3 *here are hundreds3" -ried >eor&e# "8im,ly
hundreds5 all in a bi& ,ile in the dun&eon# 4h, <ather5
shall %e be ri-h no%?"
"6es", said her !ather# "7e shall# Bi-h enou&h to &ive
you and your mother all the thin&s ()ve lon&ed to &ive you
!or so many years and
187
188
-ouldn)t# ()ve %ored hard enou&h !or you5 but it)s
not the ind o! %or that brin&s in a lot o! money, and so
()ve be-ome irritable and bad"tem,ered# 9ut no% you shall
have everythin& you %ant3"
"( don)t really %ant anythin& ( haven)t already &ot,"
said >eor&e# "9ut <ather, there is one thin& ()d lie more
than anythin& else in the %orld5 and it %on)t -ost you a
,enny3"
"6ou shall have it, my dear3" said her !ather, sli,,in&
his arm round >eor&e, mu-h to her sur,rise# "Just say %hat
it is5 and even i! it -osts a hundred ,ounds you shall have
it3"
Just then there -ame the ,atterin& o! bi& !eet do%n the
,assa&e to the room they %ere in# 0 bi& hairy head ,ushed
itsel! throu&h the door and looed in+uirin&ly at everyone
there# (t %as *im, o! -ourse3
An-le :uentin stared at him in sur,rise# "7hy, isn)t
that *im?" he ased# "1allo, *im3"
"<ather3 *im is the thin& ( %ant most in all the %orld,"
said >eor&e, s+ueeEin& her !ather)s arm# "6ou -an)t thin
%hat a !riend he %as to us on the island5 and he %anted to
!ly at those men and !i&ht them# 4h, <ather, ( don)t %ant
any other ,resent5 ( only %ant to ee, *im and have him
here !or my very o%n# 7e -ould a!!ord to &ive him a
,ro,er ennel to slee, in no%, and ()d see that he didn)t
disturb you, ( really %ould#"
"7ell, o! -ourse you -an have him3" said her !ather5
and *im -ame ri&ht into the room at on-e, %a&&in& his tail,
looin& !or all the %orld as i! he had understood every
%ord that had been said# 1e a-tually li-ed An-le
:uentin)s hand3 0nne thou&ht that %as very brave o! him#
189
9ut An-le :uentin %as +uite di!!erent no%# (t seemed
as i! a &reat %ei&ht had been li!ted o!! his shoulders# *hey
%ere ri-h no%5 >eor&e -ould &o to a &ood s-hool5 and
his %i!e -ould have the thin&s he had so mu-h %anted her
to have5 and he %ould be able to &o on %ith the %or he
loved %ithout !eelin& that he %as not earnin& enou&h to
ee, his !amily in -om!ort# 1e beamed round at everyone,
looin& as /olly a ,erson as anyone -ould %ish3
>eor&e %as over/oyed about *im# 8he !lun& her arms
round her !ather)s ne- and hu&&ed him, a thin& she had
not done !or a lon& time# 1e looed astonished but very
,leased# "7ell, %ell," he said, "this is all very ,leasant#
1allo5 is this the ,oli-e already?"
(t %as# *hey -ame u, to the door and had a !e% %ords
%ith An-le :uentin# *hen one stayed behind to tae do%n
the -hildren)s story in his note"boo and the others %ent o!!
to &et a boat to the island#
*he men had &one !rom there3 *he boat !rom the
!ishin&"sma- had !et-hed them a%ay35 and no% both
shi, and boat had disa,,eared3 *he motor"boat %as still
there, +uite unusable# *he ins,e-tor looed at it %ith a &rin#
"<ier-e youn& lady, isn)t she, that Miss >eor&ina?" he
said# ".one this /ob ,retty %ell5 no one -ould &et a%ay in
this boat# 7e)ll have to &et it to%ed into harbour#"
*he ,oli-e brou&ht ba- %ith them some o! the in&ots
o! &old to sho% An-le :uentin# *hey had sealed u, the
door o! the dun&eon so that no one else -ould &et in until
the -hildren)s un-le %as ready to &o and !et-h the &old#
Dverythin& %as
19;
bein& done thorou&hly and ,ro,erly5 thou&h !ar too
slo%ly !or the -hildren3 *hey had ho,ed that the men
%ould have been -au&ht and taen to ,rison5 and that the
,oli-e %ould brin& ba- the %hole o! the &old at on-e3
*hey %ere all very tired that ni&ht and didn)t mae any
!uss at all %hen their aunt said that they must &o to bed
early# *hey undressed and then the boys %ent to eat their
su,,er in the &irls) bedroom# *im %as there, ready to li-
u, any !allen -rumbs#
"7ell, ( must say %e)ve had a %onder!ul adventure,"
said Julian, slee,ily# "(n a %ay ()m sorry it)s ended "thou&h
at times ( didn)t en/oy it very mu-h5 es,e-ially %hen you
and (, >eor&e, %ere ,risoners in that dun&eon# *hat %as
a%!ul#"
>eor&e %as looin& very ha,,y as she nibbled her
&in&erbread bis-uits# 8he &rinned at Julian#
"0nd to thin ( hated the idea o! you all -omin& here
to stay3" she said# "( %as &oin& to be su-h a beast to you3 (
%as &oin& to mae you %ish you %ere all home a&ain3 0nd
no% the only thin& that maes me sad is the idea o! you
&oin& a%ay5 %hi-h you %ill do, o! -ourse, %hen the
holidays end# 0nd then, a!ter havin& three !riends %ith me,
en/oyin& adventures lie this, ()ll be all on my o%n a&ain#
()ve never been lonely be!ore5 but ( no% ( shall be no%#"
"2o, you %on)t," said 0nne, suddenly# "6ou -an do
somethin& that %ill sto, you bein& lonely ever a&ain#"
"7hat?" said >eor&e in sur,rise#
"6ou -an as to &o to the same boardin&"s-hool as (
&o to," said 0nne# "(t)s su-h a lovely one5
191
and %e are allo%ed to ee, our ,ets, so *im -ould
-ome too3"
">ra-ious3 $ould he really?" said >eor&e, her eyes
shinin&# "7ell, ()ll &o then# ( al%ays said ( %ouldn)t5but (
%ill be-ause ( see no% ho% mu-h better and ha,,ier it is to
be %ith others than all by mysel!# 0nd i! ( -an have *im,
%ell that)s sim,ly %onder!ul3"
"6ou)d better &o ba- to your o%n bedroom no%,
boys," said 0unt <anny, a,,earin& at the door%ay# "=oo
at .i-, almost dro,,in& %ith slee,3 7ell, you should all
have ,leasant dreams toni&ht, !or you)ve had an adventure
to be ,roud o!# >eor&e5 is that *im under your bed?"
"7ell, yes it is, Mother," said >eor&e, ,retendin& to
be sur,rised# ".ear me3 *im, %hat are you doin& here?"
*im -ra%led out and %ent over to >eor&e)s mother#
1e lay !lat on his tummy and looed u, at her most
a,,ealin&ly out o! his so!t bro%n eyes#
".o you %ant to slee, in the &irls) room toni&ht?" said
>eor&e)s mother, %ith a lau&h# "0ll ri&ht5/ust !or on-e3"
"Mother3" yelled >eor&e, over/oyed# "4h, than you,
than you, than you3 1o% did you &uess that ( /ust didn)t
%ant to be ,arted !rom *im toni&ht? 4h, Mother3 *im, you
-an slee, on the ru& over there#"
<our ha,,y -hildren snu&&led do%n into their beds#
*heir %onder!ul adventure had -ome to a ha,,y end# *hey
had ,lenty o! holidays still in !ront o! them5 and no% that
An-le :uentin %as no lon&er ,oor, he %ould &ive them the
little ,resents he %anted to# >eor&e %as &oin& to s-hool
192
%ith 0nne5 and she had *im !or her o%n a&ain3 *he
island and -astle still belon&ed to >eor&e5 everythin& %as
marvellous3
"()m so &lad @irrin (sland %asn)t sold, >eor&e," said
0nne, slee,ily# "()m so &lad it still belon&s to you#"
"(t belon&s to three other ,eo,le too," said >eor&e# "(t
belon&s to me5 and to you and Julian and .i-# ()ve
dis-overed that it)s !un to share thin&s# 8o tomorro% ( am
&oin& to dra% u, a deed, or %hatever it)s -alled, and ,ut in
it that ( &ive you and the others a +uarter"share ea-h# @irrin
(sland and $astle shall belon& to us all3"
"4h, >eor&e5 ho% lovely3" said 0nne, deli&hted#
"7on)t the boys be ,leased? ( do !eel so ha ###"
9ut be!ore she -ould !inish, the little &irl %as aslee,#
8o %as >eor&e# (n the other room the t%o boys sle,t, too,
dreamin& o! in&ots and dun&eons and all inds o! e?-itin&
thin&s#
4nly one ,erson %as a%ae5 and that %as *im# 1e
had one ear u, and %as listenin& to the -hildren)s
breathin&# 0s soon as he ne% they %ere aslee, he &ot u,
+uietly !rom his ru&# 1e -re,t so!tly over to >eor&e)s bed#
1e ,ut his !ront ,a%s u, and sni!!ed at the slee,in& &irl#
*hen, %ith a bound he %as on the bed, and snu&&led
himsel! do%n into the -roo o! her le&s# 1e &ave a si&h,
and shut his eyes# *he !our -hildren mi&ht be ha,,y5 but
*im %as ha,,iest o! all#
"4h, *im," murmured >eor&e, hal! %ain& u, as she
!elt him a&ainst her# "4h, *im, you
193
mustn)t5 but you do !eel so ni-e# *im5 %e)ll have
other adventures to&ether, the !ive o! us5 %on)t %e?"
*hey %ill5 but that)s another story3

THE END

194
195
E%) B*+t#%

196