Freckles! came Philip’s voice too, and he ran to Jack and gave him an affectionate slap on the back. Freckles! What luck to come across you like this!
Tufty! And Bill! said Jack, his voice breaking in a queer way, with joy and relief. Oh, the delight of hearing a familiar voice after so many hours of lonely darkness! The joy of seeing Philip, his tuft of hair sticking up from his forehead as usual! And Bill, with his familiar grin, his twinkling eyes, and his good dependable feeling of grown-upness Jack was glad to have a grown-up to help him. Children could meddle in things to a certain extent but there often came a time when you had to lean on the grown-ups.
He gave a gulp, and Bill patted him on the back. Fine to see you, Jack. I bet you’ve got plenty to tell us.
I have, said Jack. He took out his handkerchief and blew his nose hard. Then he felt better. Where are the girls?
Safe at home, said Philip. We missed you somehow down in the mines yesterday, Jack, and we got taken prisoner, but we escaped, got up the shaft-hole, found our boat and sailed away in the half-dark. I went to find old Bill, and here he is. We couldn’t come in his boat because it was smashed by someone and Jo-Jo’s boat was gone too.
Well how did you come then? asked Jack in astonishment.
There’s a way under the sea from Craggy-Tops to here, said Philip. What do you think of that? We found it in an old book about Craggy-Tops. It took us ages to come. It was very weird. I didn’t like it much. But here we are.
Jack was really amazed to hear how they had come. He questioned them eagerly. But Bill had a few questions to ask Jack. This is all much more important than you think, Jack, he said. Let’s sit down. I’ve got an idea you can solve a big mystery for me.
Chapter 27
A LOT OF THINGS ARE MADE CLEAR
I’ve got some queer things to tell you, said Jack eagerly. First of all, what do you think I found? A cave absolutely chock full of money paper money notes, you know. Well, I should think there must have been thousands and thousands of pounds’ worth there you’ve simply no idea.
Ah, said Bill Smugs, in a voice full of satisfaction. Ah! Now that really is news. Fine, Jack!
Then I saw a lot of machines at work, went on Jack, pleased to find that his news was so intensely interesting to Bill. And an engine. I thought it was to smelt or roast the copper, or whatever they have to do with it, but one of the machines looked like a printing press.
Ah-ha! said Bill, with even greater satisfaction in his voice. This is wonderful news. Amazing! Jack, you’ve solved a five-year-old mystery a mystery that has been puzzling the Government and the whole of the police for a long time.
What mystery? asked Jack.
I bet I know, put in Philip excitedly. Bill, that machinery is for printing false paper money, isn’t it? counterfeit notes dud money. And the money, in notes, that Jack found, is some stored there after being printed. It will be taken from this island and used by the thieves or their masters.
You’ve just about hit it, said Bill. We’ve been after this gang for years couldn’t find where they had their printing-outfit installed couldn’t make out where the money appeared from. It’s excellently done only an expert can tell the difference between a real banknote and these dud ones.
Bill! So the men aren’t working the copper-mines then! cried Jack, in astonishment. We were wrong about that. They chose these old mines, not to work any copper in them, but to hide their printing machines, and to do all their work in safety. How clever! How awfully clever!
Very smart indeed, said Bill grimly. All they needed was a go-between someone who could sail out to the island with food for them, and other necessities and take away back to the Boss, whoever he is, stacks of the dud notes. Well it was the go-between that gave the show away, really.
Who’s the go-between? asked Jack interestedly. Anyone we know?
Of course, said Bill. I should have thought you would have guessed at once Jo-Jo.
Jo-Jo! cried the two boys, and in a flash they saw how everything fitted in, where Jo-Jo was concerned.
Yes he had a boat, and he had only to say he was going fishing in it, in order to get over to the island and back, said Philip. He could go at night too, if he wanted to. Those signals Jack saw were from the men on the island and it was Jo-Jo up on the cliff, signalling back, that night Jack met him there.
Yes, it was, said Jack, remembering. And when he went off shopping in the car he’d take some of that counterfeit money with him, I guess, and deliver it to his bosses, whoever they were. No wonder he would never take us out in the car with him, or in the boat. He was afraid we might suspect something.
Do you remember those boxes and crates down in the second cellar, behind that door he kept hidden by piled-up boxes? said Philip. Well, I bet those didn’t belong to Aunt Polly. I bet they were Jo-Jo’s stores, waiting to be taken across to the island next time he went in his boat.
His tales about ‘things’ wandering on the cliffs at night were only stories to frighten us and keep us from going out at night, and finding out anything he was doing, went on Philip. Gracious, how everything fits in now, doesn’t it?
It certainly seems to, said Bill, in an amused voice. He had been listening to this conversation with great interest.
Why did you come to this coast, to live in that tumbledown shack? asked Jack suddenly. Were you really a bird-watcher?
Of course not, said Bill, laughing. I didn’t bargain on meeting a real bird-lover when I told you I was a bird-watcher. You nearly tripped me up lots of times. I had to read up a whole lot about birds I wasn’t in the least interested in, so that you wouldn’t suspect I didn’t know much about them, Jack. It was really very awkward for me. I couldn’t tell you what I really was, of course a member of the police force, detailed to keep an eye on Jo-Jo and see what he was up to.
How did you know Jo-Jo was up to anything? asked Philip.
Well, he’s pretty well known to the police, said Bill. He has been mixed up in the counterfeiting of banknotes before, and we wondered if he had anything to do with this big-scale printing that was going on somewhere, we didn’t know where. We thought it just as well to watch him, once we knew where he was. He has a mighty fine way of disappearing. He’s been with your aunt for five years now, as odd-job man, and nobody ever suspected he was a fellow with a very bad record. But one of our men spotted him in town one day and found out where he worked. Then down I came, this summer, to keep a quiet eye on him.
What a hornets’ nest you’ve stirred up! said Jack. Bill did we help at all?
A lot, said Bill, though you didn’t know it. You made me certain that Jo-Jo was the go-between. You made me sure that it was the Isle of Gloom he kept going to. So I went there myself one day, and explored the mines a little way. That was when I dropped my pencil, I expect. But I must say I didn’t find anything that made me suspect there were men in the mines, doing their illegal banknote printing on hidden machines.
But we found out about it, said Jack proudly. What are you going to do about it, Bill?
Well, said Bill, last night I spoke over the radio to my chiefs. I told them I was pretty certain what was going on here, and that I was going over to the island to rescue someone from the mines, and would they get busy, please, and begin to clear the matter up?
What will they do? asked Jack, thrilled.
I shan’t know till I get back and report, said Bill. We’d better go now, I think. We’ll go back through the sea-passage, the way Philip and I came.
I suppose it was Jo-Jo who smashed your boat up, said Philip. He must have suspected something. I think he knew you were our friend. .
Jo-Jo is a remarkably clever rascal, said Bill, getting up and stretching himself. All the cleverer because he pretends to be stupid. Come along.