‘It’s very queer,’ said Julian. ‘There’s something I don’t understand here. Let’s go and wake Aunt Fanny.’ So they went and woke her up, telling her all they knew. She was very worried indeed to hear that George was gone. She picked up the book of notes and knew at once that it was very important.
‘I must put this into the safe,’ she said. ‘I know this is valuable. How did Timmy get hold of it?’ Timmy was acting queerly. He kept pawing at Julian and whining. He had been very pleased to see everyone, but he seemed to have something on his mind.
‘What is it, old boy?’ asked Dick. ‘How did you get here? You didn’t swim, because you’re not wet. If you came in a boat, it must have, been with George — and yet you’ve left her behind!’ ‘I think something’s happened to George,’ said Anne, suddenly. ‘I think Timmy keeps pawing you to tell you to go with him and find her. Perhaps she brought him back in the boat, and then was terribly tired and fell asleep on the beach or something. We ought to go and see.’ ‘Yes, I think we ought,’ said Julian. ‘Aunt Fanny, would you like to wake Joanna and get something hot ready, in case we find George is tired out and cold? We’ll go down to the beach and look. It will soon be daylight now. The eastern sky is just beginning to show its first light.
‘Well, go and dress then,’ said Aunt Fanny, still looking very worried indeed. ‘Oh, what a dreadful family I’ve got – always in some scrape or other!’ The three children began to dress. Timmy watched them, waiting patiently till they were ready. Then they all went downstairs and out of doors. Julian turned towards the beach, but Timmy stood still. He pawed at Dick and then ran a few steps in the opposite direction.
‘Why – he doesn’t want us to go to the beach! He wants us to go another way!’ cried Julian, in surprise. ‘All right, Timmy – you lead the way and we’ll follow!’
Chapter Nineteen
A MEETING WITH MARTIN
TIMMY ran round the house and made for the moor behind. It was most extraordinary. Wherever was he going?
‘This is awfully queer,’ said Julian. ‘I’m sure George can’t be anywhere in this direction.’ Timmy went on swiftly, occasionally turning his head to make sure everyone was following him. He led the way to the quarry! ‘The quarry! Did George come here then?’ said Dick. ‘But why?’ The dog disappeared down into the middle of the quarry, slipping and sliding down the steep sides as he went. The others followed as best they could. Luckily it was not as slippery as before, ‘and they reached the bottom without accident.
Timmy went straight to the shelf of rock and disappeared underneath it. They heard him give a short sharp bark as if to say ‘Come on! This is the way! Hurry up!’ ‘He’s gone into the tunnel under there,’ said Dick. ‘Where we thought we might explore and didn’t. There must be a passage or something there, then. But is George there?’ ‘I’ll go first,’ said Julian, and wriggled through the hole. He was soon in the wider bit and then came out into the part where he could almost stand. He walked a little way in the dark, hearing Timmy bark impatiently now and then. But in a moment or two Julian stopped.
‘It’s no good trying to follow you in the dark, Timmy!’ he called. ‘We’ll have to go back and get torches. I can’t see a foot in front of me!’ Dick was just struggling through the first part of the hole. Julian called to him to go back.
‘It’s too dark,’ he said. ‘We must go and get torches. If George for some reason is up this passage, she must have had an accident, and we’d better get a rope, and some brandy.’ Anne began to cry. She didn’t like the idea of George lying hurt in that dark passage. Julian put his arm round her as soon as he was in the open air again. He helped her up the sides of the quarry, followed by Dick.
‘Now don’t worry. We’ll get her all right. But it beats me why she Went there and I still can’t imagine how Tim and she came from the island, if they are here, instead of on the beach!’ ‘Look there’s Martin!’ suddenly said Dick in surprise. So there was! He was standing at the top of the quarry, and seemed just as surprised to see them as they were to see him! ‘You’re up early,’ called Dick. ‘And goodness me — are you going gardening or something? Why the spades?’ Martin looked sheepish and didn’t seem to know what to say. Julian suddenly walked up to him and caught hold of his shoulder. ‘Look here, Martin! There’s some funny business going on here! What are you going to do with those spades? Have you seen George? Do you know where she is, or anything about her? Come on, tell me!’ Martin shook his shoulder away from Julian’s grip, looking extremely surprised.
‘George? No! What’s happened to him?’ ‘George isn’t a him – she’s a her,’ said Anne, still crying. ‘She’s disappeared. We thought she’d gone to the island to find her dog — and Timmy suddenly appeared at Kirrin Cottage, and brought us here!’ ‘So it looks as if George might be somewhere near here,’ said Julian. ‘And I want to know if you’ve seen her or know anything of her whereabouts?’ ‘No, Julian. I swear I don’t!’ said Martin.
‘Well, tell me what you’re doing here so early in the morning, with spades,’ said Julian, roughly. ‘Who are you waiting for? Your father?’ ‘Yes,’ said Martin.
‘And what are you going to do?.’ asked Dick. ‘Going exploring up the hole there?’ ‘Yes,’ said Martin again, sullen and worried. ‘No’ harm in that, is there?’ ‘It’s all – very – queer,’ said Julian, eyeing him and speaking slowly and loudly. ‘But – let me tell you this -we’re going exploring — not you! If there’s anything queer up that hole, we’ll ‘find it! We shall not allow, you or your father to get through the hole. So go and find him and tell him that!’ Martin didn’t move. He went very white, and stared at Julian miserably. Anne went up to him, tears still on her face and put her hand on his arm.
‘Martin, what is ‘it? Why do you look like that? What’s the mystery?’ And then, to the dismay and horror of everyone, Martin turned away with a noise that sounded very like a sob! He stood with his back to them, his shoulders shaking.
‘Good gracious! What is up?’ said Julian, in exasperation. ‘Pull yourself together, Martin! Tell us what’s worrying you.’ ‘Everything, everything!’ said Martin, in a muffled voice. Then he swung round to face them. ‘You don’t know what it is to have no mother and no father – nobody who cares about you – and then…’ ‘But you have got a father!’ said Dick at once.
‘I haven’t. He’s not my father, that man. He’s only my guardian, but he makes me call him father whenever we’re on a job together.’ ‘A job? What sort of job?’ said Julian.
‘Oh any kind — all beastly,’ said Martin. ‘Snooping round and finding things out about people, and then getting money from them if we promise to say nothing -and receiving stolen goods and selling them – and helping people like the men who are after your uncle’s secret…’ ‘Oho!’ said Dick at once. Now we’re coming to it. I thought’ you and Mr. Curton were both suspiciously interested in Kirrin Island. What’s this present job, ‘then?’ ‘My guardian will half-kill me for telling all this,’ said Martin. ‘But, you see, they’re planning ‘to blow up the island — and it’s about the worst thing I’ve ever been mixed up in – and I know your uncle is there – and perhaps George too now, you say. I can’t go on with it!’ A few more tears ran down his cheeks. It was awful to see a boy crying like that, and the three felt sorry for Martin now. They were also full of horror when they heard him say that the island was to be blown up! ‘How do you know this?’ asked Julian.
‘Well, Mr. Curton’s got a wireless receiver and transmitter as you know,’ explained Martin, ‘and so have the fellows on the island — the ones who are after your uncle’s secret — so they can easily keep in touch with one another. They mean to get the secret if they can – if not they are going to blow the whole place sky-high so that nobody can get the secret. But they can’t get away by boat, because they don’t know the way through those rocks….’ ‘Well, how will they get away then?’ demanded Julian.