‘We’d get terribly wet,’ said George, ‘but that wouldn’t matter. Let’s see if we can follow the water.’
They went to where the stream disappeared into a tunnel rather like the dry one they had come along. Julian shone his torch into it.
‘We could wade along, I think,’ he said. ‘It is very fast but not very deep. I know I’ll go along it myself and see where it goes, and come back and tell you.’
‘No,’ said George, at once. ‘If you go, we all go. You might get separated from us. That would be awful.’
‘All right,’ said Julian. ‘I thought there was no sense in us all getting wet, that’s all. Come on, we’ll try now.’
One by one they waded into the stream. The current tugged at their legs, for the water ran very fast. But it was only just above their knees there. They waded along by the light of their torches, wondering where the tunnel would lead to.
Timmy half-waded, half-swam. He didn’t like this water-business very much. It seemed silly to him. He pushed ahead of Julian and then a little further down, jumped up to a ledge that ran beside the water.
‘Good idea, Tim,’ said Julian, and he got up on to it too. He had to crouch down rather as he walked because his head touched the roof of the tunnel if he didn’t but at least his legs were out of the icy-cold water! Ail the others did the same, and as long as the ledge ran along beside the stream they all walked along it.
But at times it disappeared and then they had to wade in the water again, which now suddenly got deeper. ‘Gracious! It’s almost to my waist,’ said Anne. ‘I hope it doesn’t get any deeper. I’m holding my clothes up as high as I can, but they’ll get soaked soon.’
Fortunately the water got no deeper, but it seemed to go faster. ‘We’re going down hill a bit,’ said Julian at last. ‘Perhaps we are getting near to where it pours out of the hill.’
They were! Some distance ahead of him Julian suddenly saw a dim light, and wondered whatever it could be. He soon knew! It was daylight creeping in through the water that poured out of the hole in the hillside poured out in a torrent into the sunshine.
‘We’re almost there!’ cried Julian. ‘Come on.’
With light hearts the children waded along in the water. Now they would soon be out in the warm sunshine. They would find Pongo, and race down the hill in the warmth, catch the first bus, and go to the police station.
But nothing like that happened at all. To their enormous disappointment the water got far too deep to wade through, and Nobby stopped in fright. ‘I dursent go no further,’ he said. ‘I’m almost off my feet now with the water rushing by.’
‘I am, too,’ said Anne, frightened.
‘Perhaps I can swim out,’ said Julian, and he struck out. But he gave it up in dismay, for the torrent of water was too much for him, and he was afraid of being hurled against the rocky sides and having his head cracked.
It’s no good,’ he said, gloomily. ‘No good at all. All that wading for nothing. It’s far too dangerous to go any further and yet daylight is only a few yards ahead. It’s too sickening for words.’
‘We must go back,’ said George. ‘I’m afraid Timmy will be drowned if we don’t. Oh, dear we must go all that way back!’
CHAPTER TWENTY
MORE EXCITEMENT
It was a very sad and disappointed little company that made their way back to the cave. Along the tunnel they went, painfully and slowly, for it was not so easy against the current. Julian shivered; he was wet through with trying to swim.
At last they were back in the cave through which the stream flowed so swiftly. ‘Let’s run round and round it to get warm,’ said Julian. ‘I’m frozen. Dick, let me have one of your dry jerseys. I must take off these wet ones.’
The children ran round and round the cave, pretending to race one another, trying to get warm. They did get warm in the end, and sank down in a heap on some soft sand in a corner, panting. They sat there for a little while to get their breath.
Then they heard something. Timmy heard it first and growled. ‘Jumping Jiminy, what’s up with Timmy?’ said Nobby, in fright. He was the most easily scared of the children, probably because of the frights he had had the last few days.
They all listened, George with her hand on Timmy’s collar. He growled again, softly. The noise they all heard was a loud panting coming from the stream over at the other side of the cave!
‘Someone is wading up the stream,’ whispered Dick, in astonishment. ‘Did they get in at the place where we couldn’t get out? They must have!’
‘But who is it?’ asked Julian. ‘Can’t be Lou or Dan. They wouldn’t come that way when they could come the right way. Sh! Whoever it is, is arriving in the cave. I’ll shut off my torch.’
Darkness fell in the cave as the light from Julian’s torch was clicked off. They all sat and listened, and poor Nobby shook and shivered. Timmy didn’t growl any more, which was surprising. In fact, he even wagged his tail!
There was a sneeze from the other end of the cave and then soft footsteps padded towards them. Anne felt as if she must scream. WHO was it?
Julian switched on his torch suddenly, and its light fell on a squat, hairy figure, halting in the bright glare. It was Pongo!
‘It’s Pongo!’ everyone yelled, and leapt up at once. Timmy ran over to the surprised chimpanzee and sniffed round him in delight. Pongo put his arms round Nobby and Anne.
‘Pongo! You’ve escaped! You must have bitten through your rope!’ said Julian. ‘How clever you are to find your way through that hole where the stream pours out. How did you know you would find us here! Clever Pongo.’
Then he saw the big wound on poor Pongo’s head. ‘Oh look!’ said Julian. ‘He’s been hurt! I expect those brutes threw a stone at him. Poor old Pongo.’
‘Let’s bathe his head,’ said Anne. ‘I’ll use my hanky.’
But Pongo wouldn’t let anyone touch his wound, not even Nobby. He didn’t snap or snarl at them, but simply held their hands away from him, and refused to leave go. So nobody could bathe his head or bind it up.
‘Never mind,’ said Nobby at last, ‘animals’ wounds often heal up very quickly without any attention at all. He won’t let us touch it, that’s certain. I expect Lou and Dan hit him with a stone, and knocked him unconscious when they came. They then shut up the hole and made us prisoners. Beasts!’
‘I say,’ suddenly said Dick. ‘I say! I’ve got an idea. I don’t know if it will work but it really is an idea.’
‘What?’ asked everyone, thrilled.
‘Well what about tying a letter round Pongo’s neck and sending him out of the hole again, to take the letter to the camp?’ said Dick. ‘He won’t go to Lou or Dan because he’s scared of them but he’d go to any of the others all right, wouldn’t he? Larry would be the best one. He seems to be a good fellow.’
‘Would Pongo understand enough to do all that, though?’ asked Julian, doubtfully.
‘We could try him,’ said Nobby. ‘I do send him here and there sometimes, just for fun to take the elephant’s bat to Larry, for instance or to put my coat away in my caravan.’
‘Well, we could certainly try,’ said Dick. ‘I’ve got a notebook and a pencil. I’ll write a note and wrap it up in another sheet, pin it together and tie it round Pongo’s neck with a bit of string.’
So he wrote a note. It said:
‘To whoever gets this note please come up the hill to the hollow where there are two caravans. Under the red one is the entrance to an underground passage. We are prisoners inside the hill. Please rescue us soon.
Julian, Dick, George, Anne and Nobby.’
He read it out to the others. Then he tied the note round Pongo’s neck. Pongo was surprised, but fortunately did not try to pull it off.
‘Now, you give him his orders,’ said Dick to Nobby. So Nobby spoke slowly and importantly to the listening chimpanzee.
‘Where’s Larry? Go to Larry, Pongo. Fetch Larry. Go. GO!’
Pongo blinked at him and made a funny little noise as if he was saying: ‘Please, Nobby, I don’t want to go.’
Nobby repeated everything again. ‘Understand Pongo? I think you do. GO, then, GO. GO!’