But the boys managed to get past the piece of cliff that jutted out and sheltered the little cove they had been picnicking in. On the other side of the cliff was another cove, with no beach at all, merely flattish rocks that shelved upwards to the cliff. The boys clambered over these rocks, examining the creatures in the pools as they went. Philip added a sea-snail to the collection in his pocket.
There’s a break in the cliff just over there, said Jack. Let’s explore it.
They made their way towards the gap in the cliff. It was much wider than they expected when they got there. A stream trickled over the rocks towards the sea, running down from somewhere half-way up the cliff.
Must be spring-water, said Jack, and tasted it. Yes, it is. Hallo look, Tufty!
Philip looked to where Jack pointed, and saw floating in a pool a cigarette-end, almost falling to pieces.
Someone’s been here, and quite recently too, said Jack, else the tide would have carried that cigarette-end away. This is exciting.
With the cigarette-end as a proof of someone’s nearness, the boys went on more eagerly still. They came to the wide crack in the cliff and there, a little way up, built close against the rocky slope, was a tumbledown hut. The back of it was made of the cliff itself. The roof had been roughly mended. The walls were falling to pieces here and there, and, in winter, it would have been quite impossible to live in it. But someone was certainly living there now, for outside, spread over a stunted bush, was a shirt set out to dry.
Look, said Jack, in a whisper. That’s where our boatman lives. What a lovely hidie-hole he’s found!
The boys went quietly up to the tumbledown hut. It was very, very old, and had probably once belonged to a lonely fisherman. A whistling came from inside the hut.
Do we knock at the door? said Philip, with a nervous giggle. But at that moment someone came out of the open doorway and caught sight of the boys. He stood gaping in great surprise.
The boys stared back without a word. They rather liked the look of the stranger. He wore shorts and a rough shirt, open at the neck. He had a red, jolly face, twinkling eyes, and a head that was bald on the top, but had plenty of hair round the sides. He was tall and strong-looking, and his chin jutted out below his clean-shaven mouth.
Hallo, he said. Coming visiting? How nice!
I saw you out in your boat yesterday, said Jack. So we came to see if we could find you.
Very friendly of you, said the man. And who are you?
We’re from Craggy-Tops, the house about a mile and a half away, said Philip. I don’t expect you know it.
Yes, I do, said the man unexpectedly. But I thought only grown-ups lived there a man and a woman and a black servant.
Well, usually only grown-ups do live there, said Philip. But in the hols my sister and I come there too, to stay with our Aunt Polly and Uncle Jocelyn. And these hols two friends of ours came too. This is one of them Jack Trent. His sister Lucy-Ann is somewhere about. I’m Philip Mannering and my sister is Dinah she’s with Lucy-Ann.
I’m Bill Smugs, said the man, smiling at all this sudden information. And I live here alone.
Have you just suddenly come here? asked Jack, in curiosity.
Quite suddenly, said the man. Just an idea of mine, you know.
Not much to come for here, said Philip. Why did you come?
The man hesitated for a moment. Well, he said, I’m a bird-watcher. Interested in birds, you know. And there are a great many unusual birds here.
Oh! cried Jack, in the greatest delight. Do you like birds too? I’m mad on them. Always have been. I’ve seen crowds here that I’ve only seen in books before.
And then the boy plunged into a list of the unusual birds he had seen, making Philip yawn. Bill Smugs listened, but did not say very much. He seemed amused at Jack’s enthusiasm.
What particular bird did you hope to see here, Mr. Smugs? asked Jack, stopping at last.
Bill Smugs seemed to consider. Well, he said, I rather hoped I might see a Great Auk.
Jack looked at him in astonished silence that changed to awe. The Great Auk! he said, in a voice mixed with surprise and wonder. But but isn’t it extinct? Surely there are no Great Auks left now? Golly did you really think you might see one?
You never know, said Bill Smugs. There might be one or two left somewhere and think what a scoop it would be to discover them!
Jack went brick-red with excitement. He looked out over the sea towards the west, where the Isle of Gloom lay hidden in a haze.
I bet you thought there might be a chance of them on a desolate island like that, he said, pointing to the west. You know the Isle of Gloom. You’ve heard about it, I expect.
Yes, I have, said Bill Smugs. I certainly have. I’d like to go there. But it’s impossible, I believe.
Would you take us out in your boat sometimes? asked Philip. Jo-Jo, our black servant, has a fine boat, but he won’t let us use it, and we’d love to go fishing sometimes, and sailing too. Do you think it’s awful cheek to ask you? But I expect you find it a bit lonely here, don’t you?
Sometimes, said Bill Smugs. Yes, we’ll go fishing and sailing together you and your sisters too. It would be fun. We’ll see how near we can go to the Isle of Gloom too, shall we?
The two boys were thrilled. At last they could sail a boat. What a sell for old Jo-Jo! They went off to call the girls.
Hi, Dinah! Hi, Lucy-Ann! yelled Jack. Come and be introduced to our new friend Bill Smugs!
Chapter 12
A TREAT AND A SURPRISE FOR JO-JO
Bill Smugs proved to be a fine friend. He was a jolly fellow, always ready for a joke, patient with Kiki, and even more patient with Philip’s ever-changing collection of queer pets. He did not even say anything when Philip’s latest possession, an extra-large spider, ran up the leg of his shorts. He merely put his hand up, took hold of the wriggling spider, and deposited it on Philip’s knee.
Dinah, of course, was nearly in hysterics, but mercifully the spider decided that captivity was boring, ran into a rock crevice and disappeared.
The children visited Bill Smugs nearly every day. They went fishing in his boat and brought home marvellous catches that made Jo-Jo’s mouth fall open in amazement. Bill showed them how to sail the boat too, and soon the four children could manage it perfectly well themselves. It was great fun sailing about in a good strong breeze.
Almost as fast as a motor-boat, said Philip in glee. Bill, I am glad we found you.
To Jack’s disappointment Bill Smugs did not seem to want to talk endlessly about birds, nor did he want to go off with Jack and watch the birds on the cliffs or on the sea. He was quite willing to listen to Jack raving about birds, though, and produced many fine new bird books for him, which he said Jack could keep for himself.
But they’re new, protested Jack. Look, the pages of this one haven’t even been cut you’ve not read them yourself, sir. You read them first.
No, you can have them, said Bill Smugs, lighting his cigarette. There’s a bit about the Great Auk in one of them. I’m afraid we shall never find that bird after all. No-one has seen it for about a hundred years.
It might be on the Isle of Gloom or on some equally deserted, desolate island, said Jack hopefully. I do wish we could go there and see. I bet there would be thousands of frightfully tame birds there, sir.
This eternal talk about birds always bored Dinah. She changed the subject.
You should have seen Jo-Jo’s face when we brought in our catch of fish yesterday, she said, with a grin. He said, ‘You never caught those from the rocks. You’ve been out in a boat.’
You didn’t tell him you had? said Bill Smugs at once. Dinah shook her head.
No, she said. He’d try to spoil our pleasure if he knew we used your boat.
Do your uncle and aunt know you’ve met me? asked Bill. Dinah shook her head again.
Why? she asked. Don’t you want them to know? What does it matter whether they do or not?
Well, said Bill Smugs, scratching the bald top of his head, I came here to be alone and to watch the birds and I don’t want people coming round spoiling things for me. I don’t mind you children, of course. You’re fun.