“But. AndyAndywe can’t go home without Tom!” said Mary, beginning to cry again. “We can’t leave him here all alone.”
“I’d better take you safely home, and get Dad back here to find Tom, and discover what’s going on,” said Andy, who looked rather white. He didn’t like seeing that smashed camera. What a temper the hairy-legged man must have to fling a beautiful camera down the cliff and smash it like that! Andy remembered how the man had smashed the birds’ eggs too, and he didn’t at all like the thought of coming into contact with him, when he had two small girls to look after!
He stood up. “Collect the things and come back to the boat,” he ordered. “We must go.”
“No,” said Mary. “I’m not going. I’m not going to desert Tom, if you are!”
“Don’t be silly,” said Andy. “We’re not deserting him. We’re going to get Dad and come back and find Tom. Come along. Don’t argue. I’m the skipper here.”
Jill began to gather up the things, but Mary was still obstinate. Andy hauled her to her feet and gave her a tough shake. “Do as you’re told! Can’t you see I’m worried stiff? It’s Tom’s disobedience that has led to thisI’m not going to have any more trouble! You’ll come along with Jill and me straight away!”
Mary, with tears streaming down her cheeks, began to help Jill to collect the things left over from their tea. Jill, almost in tears herself, gave a last glance down at the underground river, which flowed so swiftly from the foot of the cliff. Then she stood still, her eyes wide and her mouth opened to give a cry. But none came.
She reached out her arm and pointed downwards. The others looked. Rolling over and over on the river, swept from side to side like a log, came a strange dark object
“Andy! It’s Tompoor, poor Tom!” said Jill, in a choking voice. “It’s too late to save him. The river’s got him.”
Very white under his brown, Andy looked down at the tumbling body. He saw it swept to one side, on to the locks, where sea and river met. It tumbled out and lay there. Then he saw how the tired arms heaved up the exhausted body to a place of safety.
“He’s all right!” yelled Andy, almost startling the girls out of their skins. “He’s all right. Hi, Tom, Tom, you scamp, where have you been? How did you get here?”
All three rushed down the rocks to the one where Tom lay, slipping and sliding as they went. He looked up at them and grinned feebly.
“Hello!” he said. “Nice to see you all again! I’m sorry to say that we’ve plunged into the middle of a most exciting adventure! You wait till I’ve told you everything. Anybody got anything to eat? I’m most frightfully hungry!”
CHAPTER 10.
What Happened on the Way Back.
ANDY, Jill and Mary were so relieved to see Tom alive and hungry that for a moment they could only stare at bun in joy, and say nothing at all. Then Jill rushed to get something for him to eat. Andy called after her. “Bring a couple of rugs. Tom’s wet through and shivering.”
Soon Tom was sitting in a sheltered corner, munching bread and potted meat, his wet clothes drying in the wind, and a couple of warm rugs tucked round nun.
Andy wouldn’t let the girls ask him any questions till he had got some food inside him and had stopped shivering. They could hardly wait to know what had happened to him. How extraordinary it had been to see Tom come rolling over and over in the restless waters of the underground river!
“Nowtell us everything!” said Jill, when Tom had finished his meal. Tom glanced at Andy, and looked rather embarrassed. He didn’t like to own up to his disobedience, which had nearly brought disaster on him.
Andy saw the look. “I suppose you played the fool, and got in through the waterfall opening?” he said, not unkindly, but sternly. Tom went red and nodded.
“YesI did,” he said. “I’m sorry, Andy. I know you’re the skipper here. I just felt I had to. But I wished and wished I hadn’t been such an idiot, once I’d got through.”
“I’m very glad you’re safe,” said Andy. “But you listen to me, young Tomany more disobedience from you and you don’t come out in my boat any more. See? I’m in charge, and if you can’t be loyal to your skipper, you’re no use.”
“I know. Andy. I know,” said Tom humbly. “I won’t play the fool again. I’ve had my lesson. You wait till you hear!”
“Do tell us!” begged Jill. “Don’t scold him any more, Andy. Let him tell us his story.”
So Tom told them how he had wriggled through the waterfall opening, found himself in the cave, which became flooded, so that he had to make his way farther in. He told them about the rough steps leading out from the inner cave, and the long, winding, downhill passages through the heart of the cliff.
When he described finding the cave down below, used apparently as some kind of store-house, and the two men sitting there, talking, the others sat listening intently, holding their breath so as not to miss a word!
“Golly!” said Andy. “This is amazing. There’s something queer going on. But what can it be? You were lucky to escape, Tom. But you must have had a shock when you fell into that swirling, underground river.”
“I did,” said Tom. “And wasn’t it a bit of luck that it took me right out here, almost to your feet? I shouldn’t have liked it much if the current had thrown me into that foaming surging bit over there, dashing over the rocks. I’d have been knocked to bits!”
“It’s a pity those men know somebody is here,” said Andy. “I simply can’t imagine what they’re up to. Can they be smugglers? But what are they doing inside this cliff? There’s no road overland to take smuggled goods. It’s a real puzzle.”
“Do you think the men will come after us?” said Jill, looking rather scared.
“Wellthey only know about Tomand maybe they think he’s fallen over the cliff now,” said Andy. “It’s plain they thought he had gone back up the winding passage to the waterfall opening. They must have gone up there themselves, thinking they were chasing himand all they found was his camera on the cliff-ledge. They must have thrown it down in rage. What a shame! It’s smashed to bits.”
Tom was feeling much better now. In fact, he was feeling quite a hero! True, he had disobeyed Andybut things had come out all right, and he had made some queer discoveries. He began to look a little cocky. But Andy soon put a stop to that
“I think we ought to get back home as soon as we can,” he said. “Tom’s sure to get a chill after this. That river water is icy-cold. It’s a pity to bring our trip to such a sudden end, but I don’t want Tom down with pneumonia or something!”
Tom’s face fell. “Oh, Andydon’t be such an idiot! I’m perfectly all right, you know I am.”
“Anyway, Andyisn’t it too late to start back?” asked Jill, looking at the sun, which was now well down in the west.
Andy looked at it too and made some calculations. “The wind’s in our favourand we can get past the worst rocks whilst it’s still daylight. I think we ought to go. Also, those two men will be on the look-out for our boat, I expect, and may try to surprise us in the night.”
“Blow!” said Tom. “Why did I go and upset things like this? Spoiling our lovely trip. And we haven’t been to Smuggler’s Rock either!”
Once Andy had made up his mind to do something, he didn’t take long to set about it. “Come on,” he said, getting up. “Those men are sure to start prying around soon. We’d better go now.”
They all went back to the Andy with sad faces. What a sudden end to what had promised to be a really exciting trip! They clambered on board and put up the red sail. The evening sun shone softly down, and the sail glowed as they pulled it up. throwing a brilliant shadow on the pale blue water.
The wind was very strong now. Andy deftly steered his boat out of the bay, her sail filling with the wind. Soon she was scudding along fast.
Nobody said anything. They were all disappointed. It was horrid to leave an unsolved mystery behind too. How they would have loved to find out why those men were in the cave, what they were doing there, and who they were! Probably they never would find out, because neither Andy’s father nor the children’s mother might take much notice of their excited tale.