Philip sat up and looked at his sister with admiration. I really do think you’ve got an idea there, he said, and Dinah glowed with pleasure. Yes, I really do. We’ll have to wake Lucy-Ann and tell her. She must play her part too.
So Lucy-Ann was awakened and told the plan. She thought it was very good. She began to gasp and hold her head and moan in a most realistic way. Philip nodded his head.
That’s fine, he said. We’ll all do that when we hear Jake or the other fellow coming. Now, whilst there’s still time, I’d better find where we are on the underground map, and see exactly what direction to take as soon as we’ve kicked the man’s light out.
He spread the map out on the table and studied it. Yes, he said at last. I see where we are. There’s the big cave that was lighted up see? And the little passage off it where we were caught and here’s the passage we were taken down and here’s the little cave we’re in now. Now, listen, girls as soon as I’ve kicked out the man’s light, take my hand and keep close by me. I’ll lead you the right way, and find the shaft-hole again. Then up we’ll go, join up with old Jack somewhere and get to the boat.
Good, said Dinah, thrilled and at that very moment they heard footsteps coming to the wooden door.
Chapter 21
ESCAPE BUT WHAT ABOUT JACK?
The bolts were shot back. The door opened and Jake appeared, carrying a tin plate of biscuits and a big open tin of sardines. He also put on the table a jug of water.
Then he stared in amazement at the three children. Philip seemed to be choking, and he rolled off his bench on the floor. Dinah was making the most extraordinary noises, and holding her head tightly in her hands. Lucy-Ann appeared to be on the point of being sick, and made the most alarming groans.
What’s up? asked Jake.
Air! We want air! gasped Philip. We’re choking! Air! Air!
Dinah rolled on to the ground as well. Jake pulled her up and hustled her to the door. He pushed the others out into the passage. He thought they must really be on the point of choking the air in the cell must be used up.
Philip watched his chance and reeled towards Jake as if he could not stand straight. As he came towards him he lifted his right foot, and aimed a mighty kick at the lantern in Jake’s hand. It fell and smashed at once, and the light went out. There was a tinkling of glass, a shout from Jake and then Philip sought for the hands of the two frightened girls. He found them and pushed the two hurriedly in front of him towards a passage on the left. Jake, left in the darkness, began to grope about, shouting for the other man.
Olly! Hi, Olly! Bring a lamp! Quick! These dratted kids have fooled me. Hi, Olly!
Philip, trying hard to keep his sense of direction correct, hurried the girls along. Their hearts were beating painfully, and Lucy-Ann really did feel as if she was going to choke now. Soon they had left Jake’s shouts behind and were in the wide main passage down which they had come not many hours before. Philip was now using his torch, and it was pleasant to see the thin, bright beam of light.
Thank goodness we’re in the right tunnel, said Philip, pausing to listen. He could hear nothing but the boom of the sea far above their heads. He swung his torch around. Yes they were on the right road. Good!
Can we have a little rest? panted Lucy-Ann.
No, said Philip. Those men will be after us almost at once as soon as they get another lamp. They will guess we are making for the shaft. Come on. There’s no time to be lost.
The children hurried on again but after a time, to their great dismay, they heard shouts behind them. That meant that the men were after them and what was more, were catching them up. Lucy-Ann felt so alarmed that she could hardly run.
They came at last to the big shaft-hole. It was so deep that the children could not see the entrance to it, far above. The daylight was not to be seen.
Up you go, said Philip anxiously. You first, Lucy-Ann. Be as quick as you can.
Lucy-Ann began to climb. Dinah followed her. Philip came last. He could hear the men’s voices even more clearly now. And then quite suddenly, they stopped, and Philip could hear them no more. What had happened?
An extraordinary thing had happened. Kiki the parrot, hearing the tumult in the distance, had become excited and was shouting. She and Jack were still wandering about, quite lost, in the maze of passages and galleries. Kiki’s sharp ears heard the men and she began to screech and yell.
Wipe your feet! Shut the door! Hi, hi, hi, Polly put the kettle on!
The men heard the shouting voice and thought it belonged to the children. They’ve lost themselves, said Jake, stopping. They don’t know the way back to the shaft. They’re lost and are shouting for help.
Let them shout, said Olly sourly. They’ll never find the way to the shaft. I told you they wouldn’t. Let them get lost and starve.
No, said Jake. We can’t do that. We don’t want to have to explain half-starving children to search-parties, do we? We’d better go and get them. They are over in that direction.
They went off the main passage, meaning to try and find the children where the shouts had come from. Kiki’s voice came again to them. Wipe your feet, idiot, wipe your feet!
This astonished the two men. They went on towards the voice, but even as they went, Jack and Kiki wandered into a passage that the two men missed. Kiki fell silent, and the men paused.
Can’t hear them any more, said Jake. Better go to the shaft. They may have found their way there after all. We can’t afford to let them escape till we’ve decided what to do about all this.
So they retraced their steps to the shaft, and looked up it. A shower of tiny stones came down and hit them.
Gosh! The children are up there! cried Jake, and started up the ladder at once.
The children were almost at the top. Lucy-Ann felt as if her arms and legs could not climb one more rung but they held out, and at last the tired girl reached the top, climbed out, and rolled over on the ground, exhausted. Dinah came next, and sat down with a long sigh. And then Philip, tired too, but determined not to rest for one moment.
I’m sure those men will come up the shaft after us, he said. We haven’t a minute to lose. Do come on, girls. We must get to the boat and be off before anyone stops us.
It was getting dark. What a long time they must have been underground! Philip dragged the girls to their feet and they set off to the shore. The boat was there, thank goodness.
I don’t want to go without Jack, said Lucy-Ann obstinately, her heart wrung with anxiety for her beloved brother.
But Philip bundled her into the boat at once.
No time to lose, he said. Come on. We’ll send help back for Jack as soon as ever we can. I can’t bear leaving him behind either but I’ve got to get you girls away safely.
Dinah took one pair of oars and Philip the other. Soon the two were rowing the boat away quickly, across the calm channel of water to where, in the distance, the waves thundered over the reef of rocks. Philip felt anxious. It was one thing to get through the gap safely when he could see where he was going, but quite another when it was almost dark.
He heard shouting, but he was too far away from the shore to see the men there. Jake and Olly had climbed up the shaft, raced over the island to the shore, and were looking for a boat. But there was none. The tide was coming in and there was not even a mark on the sand to show where the boat had rested. In fact, it had been almost afloat when the children had got in, and it was lucky that it had not floated away.
No boat here, said Olly. How did those kids come? It’s queer. They must have escaped by boat. They can’t still be underground. We’d better signal tonight and get someone over here. We must warn them that kids have found us underground.
They went back to the shaft and climbed down it, not knowing that one of the children was still wandering about in the mines. Poor Jack was still making his way down a maze of tunnels, all looking exactly alike to him.