‘We shall be able to explore the Secret Way safely now,’ said Julian. ‘Aunt Fanny is going to do something in the kitchen this morning with Joanna, and Uncle is going to tackle the snow. I vote we say we’ll do lessons by ourselves in the sitting-room, and then, when everything is safe, we’ll explore the Secret Way!’
‘But why must we do lessons?’ asked George in dismay.
‘Because if we don’t, silly, we’ll have to help your father dig away the snow,’ said Julian.
So, to his uncle’s surprise, Julian suggested that the four children should do lessons by themselves in the sitting-room. ‘Well, I thought you’d like to come and help dig away the snow,’ said Uncle Quentin. ‘But perhaps you had better get on with your work.’
The children sat themselves down as good as gold in the sitting-room, their books before them. They heard Mr. Roland coughing in his room. They heard their aunt go into the kitchen and talk to Joanna. They heard Timmy scratching at the kitchen door – then paws pattering down the passage – then a big, inquiring nose came round the door, and there was old Timmy, looking anxiously for his beloved mistress!
‘Timmy!’ squealed George, and ran to him. She flung her arms round his neck and hugged him.
‘You act as if you hadn’t seen Tim for a year,’ said Julian.
‘It seems like a year,’ said George. ‘I say, there’s my father digging away like mad. Can’t we go to the study now ? We ought to be safe for a good while.’
They left the sitting-room and went to the study. Julian was soon pulling the handle behind the secret panel. George had already turned back the rug and the carpet. The stone slid downward and sideways. The Secret Way was open!
‘Come on!’ said Julian. ‘Hurry!’
He jumped down itito the hole. Dick followed, then Anne, then George. Julian pushed them all into the narrow, low passage. Then he looked up. Perhaps he had better pull the carpet and rug over the hole, in case anyone came into the room and looked around. It took
him a few seconds to do it. Then he bent down and joined the others in the passage. They were going to explore the Secret Way at last!
Chapter Fifteen
AN EXCITING JOURNEY AND HUNT
TIMOTHY had leapt down into the hole when George had jumped. He now ran ahead of the children, puzzled at their wanting to explore such a cold, dark place. Both Julian and Dick had torches, which threw broad beams before them.
There was not much to be seen. The Secret Way under the old house was narrow and low, so that the children were forced to go in single file, and to stoop almost double. It was a great relief to them when the passage became a little wider, and the room a little higher. It was very tiring to stoop all the time. v
‘Have you any idea where the Secret Way is going?’ Dick asked Julian. ‘I mean – is it going towards the sea, or away from it ?’
‘Oh, not towards the sea!’ said Julian, who had a very good sense of direction. ‘As far as I can make out the passage is going towards the common. Look at the walls – they are rather sandy in places, and we know the common has sandy soil. I hope we shan’t find that the passage has fallen in anywhere.’
They went on and on. The Secret Way was very straight, though occasionally it wound round a rocky part in a curve.
‘Isn’t it dark and cold,’ said Anne, shivering. ‘I wish I had put on a coat. How many miles have we come, Julian ?’
‘Not even one, silly!’ said Julian. ‘Hallo – look here -the passage has fallen in a bit thei e!’
Two bright torches shone in front of them and the children saw that the sandy roof had fallen in. Julian kicked at the pile of sandy soil with his foot.
‘It’s all right,’ he said. ‘We can force our way through easily. It isn’t much of a fall, and it’s mostly sand. I’ll do a bit of kicking!’
After some trampling and kicking, the roof-fall no longer blocked the way. There was now enough room for the children to climb over it, bending their heads low to avoid knocking them against the top of the passage. Julian shone his torch forward, and saw that the way was clear.
‘The Secret Way is very wide just here!’ he said suddenly, and flashed his torch around to show the others.
‘It’s been widened out to make a sort of little room,’ said George. ‘Look, there’s a kind of bench at the back, made out of the rock. I believe it’s a resting-place.’
George was right. It was very tiring to creep along the narrow passage for so long. The little wide place with its rocky bench, made a very good resting-place. The four tired children, cold but excited, huddled together on the queer seat and took a welcome rest. Timmy put his head on George’s knee. He was delighted to be with her again.
‘Well, come on,’ said Julian, after a few minutes. ‘I’m getting awfully cold. I do wonder where this passage comes out!’
‘Julian – do you think it could come out at Kirrin Farmhouse?’ asked George, suddenly. ‘You know what Mrs. Sanders said – that there was a secret passage leading from the Farmhouse somewhere. Well, this may be the one – and it leads to Kirrin Cottage!’
‘George, I believe you’re right!’ said Julian. ‘Yes -the two houses belonged to your family years ago! And in the old days there were often secret passages joining houses, so it’s quite plain this secret way joins them up together! Why didn’t I think of that before ?’
1 say!’ squealed Anne, in a high, excited voice, ‘I say! I’ve thought of something too!’
‘What ?’ asked everyone.
‘Well – if those two artists have got Uncle’s papers, we may be able to get them away before the men can send them off by post, or take them away themselves!’ squeaked Anne, so thrilled with her idea that she could hardly get the words out quickly enough. ‘They’re prisoners at the Farmhouse because of the snow, just as we were at the Cottage.’
‘Anne! You’re right!’ said Julian.
‘Clever girl!’ said Dick.
‘I say – if we could get those papers again – how wonderful it would be!’ cried George. Timmy joined in the general excitement, and jumped up and down in joy. Something had pleased the children, so he was pleased too!
‘Come on!’ said Julian, taking Anne’s hand. ‘This is thrilling. If George is right, and this Secret Way comes out at Kirrin Farmhouse somewhere, we’ll somehow hunt through those men’s rooms and find the papers.’
‘You said that searching people’s rooms was a shocking thing to do,’ said George.
‘Well, I didn’t know then all I know now,’ said Julian. ‘We’re doing this for your father – and maybe for our country too, if his secret formula is valuable. We’ve got to set our wits to work now, to outwit dangerous enemies.’
‘Do you really think they are dangerous ?’ asked Anne, rather afraid.
‘Yes, I should think so,’ said Julian. ‘But you needn’t worry, Anne, You’ve got me and Dick and Tim to protect you.’
‘I can protect her too,’ said George, indignantly. Tm as good as a boy any day!’
‘Yes, you are, really,’ said Dick. ‘In fact, you’re fiercer than any boy I know!’
‘Come on,’ said Julian, impatiently. Tm longing to get to the end of this passage.’
They all went on again, Anne following behind Julian, and Dick behind George. Timmy ran up and down the line, squeezing by them whenever he wanted to. He thought it was a very peculiar way to spend a morning!
Julian stopped suddenly, after they had gone a good way. ‘What’s up?’ asked Dick, from the back. ‘Not another roof-fall, I hope!’
‘No – but I think we’ve come to the end of the passage!’ said Julian, thrilled. The others crowded as close to him as they could. The passage certainly had come to an end. There was a rocky wall in front of them, and set firmly in it were iron staples intended for footholds. These went up the wall and when Julian turned his torch
upwards, the children saw that there was a square opening in the roof of the passage.
‘We have to climb up this rocky wall now,’ said Julian, ‘go through that dark hole there, keep on climbing – and goodness knows where we come out! I’ll go first. You wait here, everyone, and I’ll come back and tell you what I’ve seen.’
The boy put his torch befween his teeth, and then pulled himself up by the iron staples set in the wall. He set his feet on them, and then climbed up through the square dark hole, feeling for the staples as he went.