Yes, that’s mine, he said. But you didn’t come here at night to give me back my pencil. What have you come for?
Oh, Bill don’t be so cross, said poor Philip. You see we know your secret. We know what you are doing here. We know why you go to the island we know everything.
Bill listened to all this as if he simply could not believe his ears. He stared at Philip in the utmost amazement. His eyes grew narrow, and his mouth hardened into a thin line. For a moment he looked very frightening.
You are going to tell me exactly what you mean by all this, said Bill, in a horrid sort of voice. What is my secret? What is the ‘everything’ that you know?
Well, said Philip desperately, we know that you and your friends are trying to work the copper-mines again and we know that you are here, with your boat and your car, to provide them with food and to take away any copper they find. We know you’ve been down the mines, visiting the men there. We know you’ve given us a false name. But, please, Bill, we wouldn’t dream of giving you away we hope you’ll get lots of copper.
Bill listened, his eyes still narrow but as Philip went on talking, the twinkle came back into them, and his mouth looked like Bill’s again.
Well, well, well so you know all that, said Bill. And what else do you know? How did you get to the island? Not in my boat, I hope.
Oh, no, said Philip, relieved to see Bill looking friendly again. We took Jo-Jo’s when he was out. We went right down into the mines, too that was where we found your pencil. But we don’t like your friends there, Bill. They took us prisoner they’re horrid and even when we mentioned your name to them and said we were friends of yours, they said they didn’t know it and wouldn’t let us go free.
You told them you knew Bill Smugs? said Bill. Philip nodded.
What men did you see? asked Bill. His voice had become sharp again, and he snapped out his questions in rather a frightening manner.
Two one called Jake and one Olly, said Philip. Bill made a note in his notebook. What were they like? he asked sharply.
Well but you must know them, said Philip in astonishment. Anyway, I couldn’t really see much either it was dark or the light dazzled me. I just saw that Jake was tall and dark, with a patch over one eye, that’s all. But you must know what they are like yourself, Bill.
See anyone or anything else? asked Bill.
Philip shook his head. No. We heard other miners at work, though a terrific clattering, banging sort of noise, you know they must have found some part of the mine that was still rich in copper. Bill, are you finding much copper there? Will it make you rich?
Look here, you didn’t come here tonight to tell me all this, said Bill suddenly. What did you come for?
I came to say that although Dinah and Lucy-Ann and I managed to fool Jake and get away we had to leave Jack behind with Kiki, said Philip. And we are worried about him. You see, he might get lost for ever in those workings under the sea or those friends of yours might find him and ill-treat him because they are angry at our tricking them as we did.
Jack’s still there on the island in the mines! said Bill, looking quite shocked. Good heavens! This is serious. Why didn’t you tell me that at first? My word, it looks as if everything’s going to be ruined by you kids.
Bill looked angry and upset. He went to his radio, fiddled about with knobs, and then, to Philip’s amazement, began to talk in short, sharp tones in a language the boy did not know.
It’s a transmitter as well as receiving set, thought Philip. This is all very mysterious. Who is Bill talking to now? Have they all got a boss who is directing this copper-mine affair? I suppose there’s very big money in it. Oh dear, I hope we haven’t really ruined things for them. What does. Bill mean? How could we have spoilt anything? He’s only got to go over to the island, see his friends, tell them to set Jack free, and that would finish it. He might know he can trust us not to split on him.
Bill turned round. We must get the boat at once, he said. Come on.
With their torches throwing beams of light before them they went down to where the boat was kept. Bill began to push it out and then he suddenly gave such a shout that Philip’s heart nearly jumped out of his body.
Who’s done that?
Bill shone his torch into the boat and Philip saw, with a shock of dismay and fear, that someone had chopped viciously at the bottom of the boat chopped so hard that there were holes there through which the water was even now pouring.
Bill pulled her back on the beach again, his face very grim. Do you know anything about that? he asked Philip.
Of course not, said the boy. Golly who did it, Bill? This is awful.
Well the boat is no use at all till she’s repaired, said Bill. But somehow we’ve got to get over to the Isle of Gloom. We’ll have to take Jo-Jo’s boat. Come on. But mind he mustn’t know a thing about it. There’s too much known about everything already and too many people nosing about for my liking.
They set off over the cliffs, poor Philip so tired that he could hardly keep up with Bill. They came to Craggy-Tops, climbed down the cliff path and made their way to where Jo-Jo’s boat was always tied.
But, to their intense surprise and despair, Jo-Jo’s boat was not there. It was gone.
Chapter 23
ANOTHER SECRET PASSAGE
After Philip had left, Lucy-Ann and Dinah tried to settle down to some sewing. But Lucy-Ann’s hands trembled so much that she kept pricking her finger.
I’d better go and tell Uncle Jocelyn that Aunt Polly has gone to bed, feeling ill, said Dinah. Come with me, Lucy-Ann.
The two girls went off to the study and knocked at the door. They went in, and Dinah told her uncle about her aunt. He nodded, hardly seeming to hear.
Uncle Jocelyn, said Dinah, have you any more maps of the Isle of Gloom? Or any books about it?
No, said her uncle. But wait there’s a book about this house, Craggy-Tops, I think. You know that it was a great place for illegal goings-on and secret doings two or three hundred years ago? I believe there was a secret passage to it from the beach.
Yes, there is, said Dinah. We know it.
Her uncle became quite excited. He made her tell him all about it. Dear me, he said, I thought it had fallen in long ago. But these secret passages hewn out of the rock last for years. Still, I should think the one that goes under the sea to the Isle of Gloom has been flooded long since.
The two girls stared at the old man in amazement. Dinah found her tongue at last.
Uncle Jocelyn, do you mean to say there was another secret passage here under the sea to the island? Why, it’s ever so far away!
Well, there was supposed to be, said her uncle. There’s something about it in that book. Now where is it?
The girls waited in the greatest impatience whilst he found the book. He put his hand on it at last and Dinah almost snatched it from him.
Thank you, Uncle, she said, and, before he could say she must not take it out of the room, she and Lucy-Ann rushed out of the door and sped to the sitting-room as fast as they could. Another passage … this time to the island itself! What a thrill! Surely Uncle Jocelyn must be mistaken.
It’s quite likely it’s true, though, said Dinah excitedly. I know this whole coast is honey-combed with caves and passages it’s noted For that. Some districts are, you know, Lucy-Ann. I expect the passage joins up with the mine-workings that extend right under the sea-bed. We know there are miles of them.
The girls opened the funny old book. They could not read the printing, partly because it was so faded and partly because the letters were shaped differently from the ones they knew. They turned over page after page, looking for maps or pictures.
The book was apparently a history of Craggy-Tops, which was hundreds of years old. In those days it must have been almost a castle, built securely on the cliff rock, protected by the sea in front, and the cliff behind. Now, of course, it was half ruined, and the family lived only in the few rooms that were still habitable.