Poor Jack was in a terrible state of excitement, expecting to see a Great Auk at any moment, and, instead, seeing all kinds of birds he had already seen at Craggy-Tops. It was disappointing. He hadn’t expected to see a procession of Great Auks but one, just one, would have been marvellous.
There were plenty of big razorbills with their curiously-shaped beaks, plenty of skuas, gulls, cormorants and other birds. It was a paradise of sea-birds, and Jack was lost in wonder at the number of them. How he would like to spend a few days on this island, watching and taking photographs!
They came to the hills, and found a pass between them. Here there was more grass and a few tiny wild flowers, sea-pinks and others. One or two stunted birches grew on the hillsides.
Between the hills lay a small valley, and in it was a stream, running off to the sea on the other side of the island. The boys went to have a look at it because it seemed rather a curious colour.
It certainly was a strange colour. Sort of coppery-red, said Jack, puzzled. I wonder why. I say, look! there are those queer buildings, up on that hill. And do you notice, Tufty, how the rocks change in colour here? They are not black any more, but reddish. And some of them look like granite. It’s queer, isn’t it?
I don’t think I like this island much, said Philip, with a shudder. It feels lonely and queer and sort of bad.
You’ve been listening to old Jo-Jo’s tales too much, said Jack, with a laugh, though he himself did not like the feel of the island either. It was so mournful and desolate, and the only sounds to be heard so far inland were the incessant cries of the sea-birds circling overhead.
They climbed half-way up a hill to see the buildings. It was difficult to make out what they were, they were so old and broken-down not much more than heaps of stones or rocks. They did not look as if they ever could have been places to live in.
And then, close to one of these buildings, Philip discovered something queer. He called to Jack in excitement.
I say! Come and look here! There’s a terrific hole going right down into the earth simply terrifically deep!
Jack ran over to the hole and peered down it. It was a large hole, about six feet round, and it went so far down into the earth that the boys could not possibly see the bottom of it.
What’s it for? said Philip. Is it a well, do you think?
The boys dropped a stone down to see if they could hear a splash. But none came. Either it was not a well, or it was so deep that the sound of the splash could not be heard.
I shouldn’t like to fall down there, said Philip. Look! there’s a ladder going down awfully old and broken but still, a ladder.
It’s a mystery, said Jack, puzzled. Let’s go and look around a bit. We might find something to help us to clear up such a queer problem. A shaft going right down into the depths of the earth, in a lonely island like this! Whatever was it made for?
Chapter 17
JO-JO IS ANGRY
To the boys’ intense surprise, they found more of the deep, narrow holes, all of them near the curious old buildings. They can’t be wells, said Jack. That’s impossible. No-one would want so many. They must be shafts, sunk down deep into the earth here, for some good reason.
Do you think there were mines? asked Philip, remembering that coal-mines always had shafts bored down through the earth, so that men might go down and get the coal. Do you think there are old mines here? Coal-mines, for instance?
No, not coal, said Jack. I can’t imagine what. We’ll have to find out. I expect your uncle knows. Wouldn’t it be exciting if it was a gold-mine! You never know.
Well, it must have been worked out hundreds of years ago, said Philip. There wouldn’t be any gold left now, or it would still be worked. I say shall we go down and see what there is to be seen?
I don’t know, said Jack doubtfully. The old ladders aren’t much good, are they? We might fall hundreds of feet down and that would be the end of us.
What a pity, what a pity! remarked Kiki.
Yes, it would be a pity, said Philip, with a grin. Well, perhaps we’d better not. Hallo! here’s another shaft, Jack a bit bigger one.
The boys peered down this big one. It had a much better ladder than the others. They went down it a little way, feeling very daring. They soon came up again, for they did not like the darkness and the shut-in feeling.
And then they made a discovery that surprised them even more than the shafts. Not far off, piled under an overhanging bit of rock, were some empty meat and fruit tins.
This was such an extraordinary find that the boys could hardly believe their eyes. They stood and stared at the tins, and Kiki flew down to inspect them to see if there was anything left to eat.
Where do you suppose those came from? said Jack at last. What a queer thing! Some are very rusty but others seem quite new. Who could come to this island and why and where do they live?
It’s a mystery, said Philip. Let’s have a jolly good look all round it whilst we’re here, and see if we can find anyone. Better go carefully, because it’s quite plain that whoever lives here doesn’t want it known.
So the boys made a careful tour of the island, but saw nothing and nobody that could explain the mystery of the pile of tins. They wondered at the red rocks on the seaward side of the island, and again puzzled over the reddish colour of the stream that ran into the sea there. There were many more birds on the seaward side, and Jack kept a sharp look-out for the Great Auk. But he did not see one, which was very disappointing.
Aren’t you going to take any photos? asked Philip. You said you were. Hurry up, because we oughtn’t to be much longer.
Yes I’ll take a few, said Jack, and hid behind a convenient rock to snap a few young birds. Then, having one more film left, a thought struck him.
I’ll take a snap of that pile of tins, he said. The girls mightn’t believe us if we bring home such a queer tale, but they’ll believe it all right if we show them the photo.
So he snapped the pile of tins too, and then, with one last look down the big, silent shaft, the boys made their way back to the boat. There it lay, just out of reach of the water.
Well, let’s hope we make as good a trip home as we did coming out, said Jack. I wonder if Jo-Jo is back yet. I hope to goodness that the girls have dealt with him somehow if he is.
They pulled the boat into the water and got in. They rowed over the smooth moat to the exit between the rocks, where spray was being sent high into the air from waves breaking on either side. They managed to avoid the rock that had scraped the bottom of the boat before, and rowed quite easily out of the passage.
They had some trouble just outside, where the sea was very choppy indeed. The wind had changed a little, and the sea was rougher. They put up the sail and ran home in great style, exulting in the feel of the wind on their cheeks and the spray on their faces.
As they got near the shore after their long run, they saw the two girls waiting for them, and they waved. Dinah and Lucy-Ann waved back. Soon the boat slid to its mooring-place and the boys got out and tied it up.
Did you find the Great Auk? cried Lucy-Ann.
Is Jo-Jo back? asked Philip.
You’ve been ages, said Dinah, impatient to hear everything.
We’ve had a fine adventure, said Philip. Is Jo-Jo back?
All these questions were asked at the same moment. The most important one was was Jo-Jo back?
Yes, said Dinah, with a giggle. He came back about an hour ago. We were watching for him. Luckily, he went straight down into the cellar with some boxes he brought back in the car, and we followed him. He opened that inner door and went into the back cellar with the boxes the cellar where the trap-door is and we remembered where you’d put the key of that door, got it, and locked him in. He’s banging away there like anything.
Good for you! said the boys, pleased. Now he won’t know we’ve been out in his boat. But how on earth are we going to let him out without his knowing we’ve locked him in?