Jet! Oh, Jet! Wheres Guy? cried Harry, as the little dog leapt into his arms and licked his face lavishly, barking joyfully in between the licks.
GUY! yelled Julian. Are you there?
A weak voice came back. Yes! Whos that? An absolute volley of voices anwered him.
Its us! And Harry! Were coming to you, we shant be long!
And it wasnt long, either, before the roof-fall was slowly and carefully climbed by each one – though Timmy, of course, scrambled up, over and down at top speed!
On the other side of the roof-fall was a passage, of course, the continuation of the one the children had come along. Guy was there, sitting down, looking very pale. Jet flung himself on him and licked him as if he hadnt seen him for a month, instead of just a minute or two before!
Hallo! said Guy, in a small voice. Im all right. Its just my ankle, thats all. Im jolly glad to…
But before he could say a word more, Harry was beside him, his arms round him, his voice choking.
Guy! Oh, Guy! Ive been a beast, I wouldnt be friends! What happened to you? Are you really all right? Oh Guy, we are friends again, arent we?
Look out Harry, old son, said Julian gently. Hes fainted. Now just lets be sensible and everything will come all right. Flap your hanky at him, Dick, and give him a little air. Its only the excitement!
In half a minute Guy opened his eyes and smiled weakly. Sorry! he said. Im all right now. I only hope this isnt a dream, and that you really are here!
You bet we are! said Dick. Have a bit of chocolate, then youll know were real!
Good idea! said Julian. Well all have some – and Ive some biscuits in my pocket too. Well eat and talk – and well make plans at the same time. Catch, Guy – heres a biscuit!
Chapter Eighteen
THE WAY OUT
Guy soon told his story. It was much as the others had imagined.
I was fast asleep this morning, with Jet curled up to me, he said. He began to bark and I wondered why, so I got up to see – and I saw four people in the camp.
The four we know! said Dick, and Julian nodded. Go on, Guy.
They were looking all over the place, said Guy, prising up rocks, messing about – so I yelled at them. But they only laughed. Then one of the men, who was trying to prise up a slab – the slab that covers that great hole underground, Harry – you remember it? – well, this man gave a yell and said Ive got it! This is the way in – down here, behind this slab!
Guy stopped, looking very angry. Jet licked him comfortably. Well, he went on, I set Jet on them, and they kicked him cruelly – so I went for them.
Youre a plucky one, arent you! said Dick, admiringly. Did you knock them all out, by any chance?
No. Of course not, said Guy. One of the men pretty well knocked me out though. He hit me on the head and I went down, dazed. I heard him say drat this kid – hell be fetching help, and we shant be able to get down and hunt for the goods. And then another man said Well take him with us then, and they got hold of me and dragged me through the opening.
But how did they get down into that great hole? said Harry in wonder. There is such a steep drop into it. You need a rope.
Oh, they had a rope all right, said Guy, munching his biscuit and chocolate and looking decidedly better. One of the men had one tied round and round his waist. They knotted it fast round a rock – that big one we cant move, Harry – and then they swung down on it. All except the woman. She said shed stay at the top and keep watch. She hid behind a bush some way off.
I never saw her when I came along! said Harry. I never thought of looking there! What about you? Did you get down too?
Yes. I screamed and shouted and kicked and howled, but it wasnt a bit of good. They made me swing down the rope – and I fell off half-way down and hurt my ankle. I howled at the top of my voice for help, and they hurried me along with them, shaking me like a rat.
The beasts! said Harry, fervently. Oh, the beasts!
I heard one of them say that there should be a tunnel out of the hole somewhere, it was marked on Pauls plan – whatever that may be – and then I think I must have fainted – the pain of my ankle, you know. And when I came to myself again, we were all here, the three men and I – beside this roof-fall – though I really dont know how we got here. They must have dragged me along with them!
And thats all, is it? asked Julian.
Not quite. They were furious when they saw the roof-fall, but as soon as they began to scrabble in it a rock rolled down and hit one of the men quite a crack – and after that they were afraid to do anything. They stood and talked for a bit – and then they decided to go and get some tools, and come down again to see if they could remove all this stuff and get through it.
Good gracious! said Julian, startled. Then they may be back at any moment?
I suppose so. They left me here because they couldnt think of anything else to do with me! They knew I couldnt walk, because of my ankle. I think its broken. So of course, I couldnt possibly find my way out myself! And here Ive been waiting for those brutes to come back, and to hack through the rubble to go after whatever it is they want!
Everyone began to feel rather uncomfortable at the thought that three violent men might be appearing at any moment. Is it very far to the opening you came down? asked Julian. But Guy didnt know. He had fainted, as he had said, and he didnt even know what way they had come.
It cant be far, said Harry. I think it would be worth while trying to find the opening, see if the men have left the ropes there, and get out that way. If Guys ankle really is broken, he couldnt possibly manage to go back the long way weve come.
No. Thats true, said Julian, thoughtfully. Well, thats what well do then. But well go jolly cautiously, without a sound, because it might be just our luck to meet those fellows on their way back here!
Shall we start? said George. What about Guy?
Julian knelt down beside the boy, and gently examined his ankle. Ive done my First Aid Training, like everybody else! he said. And I ought to know if his ankle is broken or just sprained.
He examined the swollen ankle carefully. Its not broken. I believe I could bandage it tightly with a couple of large hankies. Give me yours, Dick.
The others watched admiringly as Julian deftly and confidently bandaged Guys swollen ankle. There! he said. You can perhaps hobble on it now, Guy. It may hurt, but I dont think it will damage it. Try. Youll have to go barefoot because your ankle is too swollen for your shoe to go on.
Very gingerly Guy stood up, helped by Harry. He tried his hurt foot, and it certainly seemed all right to hobble on, though it was very painful. He grinned round at the others anxious faces.
Its fine! he said. Come on, lets go! We dont want to bump into those fellows if we can help it. Thank goodness weve got Jet and Timmy.
They set off down the passage, flashing their torches in front as usual, to show them the way. The tunnel was quite wide and high here, and in a very short time came out into an enormous pit underground.
Ah – this is the hole I saw down behind the slab where the rabbit went, said Dick. We werent very far from the camp, as we thought. Im surprised that when this pit was explored, the underground passages were not discovered, Guy!
I expect the men exploring it came to the roof-fall and thought there was nothing beyond, said Guy. Or maybe they were afraid of going further in case of further falls. They can be very dangerous, you know. Many a man has been buried under one and never heard of again.
They looked round the enormous hole – it was really a huge round pit. Daylight showed in the roof at one place.