“Andy,” he said. “We’ve got to get home and tell what we’ve seen.”
“I know,” said Andy. “I’m thinking that too, Tom. And we’ve got to get the girls off these islands. We are all in danger. If the enemy knew we were spying on them like this I don’t know what would happen to us.”
“I don’t care how much danger we’re in,” said Tom, and he didn’t. “All I know is that we’ve got to go and tell our people at home about this submarine base. It’s got to be cleared away. Andy, it’s serious.”
Andy nodded. Both boys seemed to become men at that moment. They looked gravely into each other’s eyes and what they saw there pleased them both. Each boy knew that the other would do his best and even more than his best.
“Do you think we shall be believed if we go home with a story like this?” said Tom. “Grown-ups have some funny ideas sometimes. They might think we had made it all up—or been mistaken.”
“We’ll get your camera and take a few photographs,” said Andy. “Nobody can disbelieve photographs. And another thing we must do is to try to do something with our boat. We must get it off the rocks somehow and try to patch it up. It’s our only way of getting back home.”
They watched the harbour for a little while longer, and then wriggled along the top of the cliff till they came to some bushes. They went down by these and ran along till they came to the end of the harbour. Beyond lay a cove, and in it, drawn up to the sand, were a number of small boats. No one seemed to be about.
The sight of the little boats excited Andy. If only he could get hold of one! Then he and Tom could row round the third island, and get back to the second one safely. Andy knew perfectly well that Tom could not swim back—and he did not mean to leave the boy alone on this submarine island.
“Tom,” he said, “see those boats? Well, what about waiting tffl night-time—and then stealing down to the cove and taking a boat? We could easily row it back to the second island. It would save us having to swim—and we might even fill it with food and water and try our luck at going home. I could fix up the sail somehow.”
“Good idea, Andy,” said Tom, his face glowing with excitement. “But I say! Won’t the girls be awfully worried if we don’t swim back before low tide tonight?”
“We’ll go to the cliff on the other side of this island and wave to them,” said Andy. “They’ve got the field-glasses and will see us quite clearly. We’ll point and wave and nod and try to show them that our plans are altered, but that we’re all light”
“Good,” said Tom, “Let’s go now. I feel so awfully excited that I really must do something!”
The boys went to the other side of the island. After a while the girls appeared and waved to them. Jill put the glasses to her eyes.
The boys seem frightfully pleased and excited about something!” she said. “They are waving and pointing and nodding like anything. They seem to want us to understand something.”
“Well, it-can only be that they have found something exciting and are going to do something about it,” said Mary, taking the glasses from Jill and looking through them. “Yes—Tom’s like a mad thing. Well, we shall know when they come back tonight. I only hope Tom will be able to swim back all right. I was really afraid he’d drown this morning.”
The boys disappeared after a time. They sat down in a little sunny hollow and finished the rest of the food. Andy found a stream of water and the boys drank from it. Then they sat talking quietly, waiting for the night to come.
At last it came. The moon was behind the clouds, and gave only a pate light now and again. The boys, slipped quietly to the top of the cliff that overlooked the small cove next to the harbour. They had already planned the easiest way down. Andy went first. He climbed like a cat. Tom followed him, trying not to send any stones clattering down the cliff.
They came to the shore. It was sandy and their feet made no noise. The boys stayed in the shadow of the cliffs for a few minutes, listening. They could hear no noise at all, except the small sound of little waves’ breaking on the sand. The boats were not far off, upturned in a row. No one was guarding them. Indeed, why should anyone? No one had ever set foot on the islands since the farm-folk had gone—save for the crews of enemy seaplanes and submarines.
The boys crept over the silvery sand. ‘Take the boat on the left,” whispered Andy. “It’s just our size.”
They came to the boat—and then they heard voices. They seemed to come from the far side of the cliff, and sounded clearly in the night. The boys could not hear any words—but the sound’was enough to make them lie down Sat beside the boat they had chosen.
Tom was trembling. Suppose they were found out just as they were taking the boat! It would be too bad. The boys listened until the sound of voices died away and then they cautiously lifted their heads.
“When the moon gets into that very thick cloud we’llturn the boat over and run her into the water,” whispered Andy. “You take this side and I’ll take the other. Be ready.”
“Right,” whispered back Tom. So when the moon slipped behind the dark clouds the boys rose silently to their feet. They turned over the boat with hardly a sound, though it was awkward and heavy. Then they pulled it over the sand to the water. Tom got in and took the oars. Andy pushed the boat right out and leapt in himself. The moon was still hidden.
Silently the boys rowed away from the shore, hoping that the moon would remain behind the cloud until they had pulled out of sight. No shout was heard. No running feet. They were undiscovered, so far!
They rowed fast. When the moon came out again they were far from the little cove. “Look I Pull round a bit more,” said Andy. “We’re passing round the end of the island. We’ve done well to get here so quickly!”
Soon they were right round the narrow end of the third island. They rowed into the broad stretch of water between the second and third islands. Then across to the shore below the cliff where they had left the girls.
Jill and Mary were watching there. They had been very worried when night had come and brought with it no boys. They couldn’t imagine what had happened. They were in a great state of alarm and fright.
And tben Jill, looking through the glasses when the moon had swum out into a clear piece of sky, had seen a little boat coming into the stretch of water between the two islands. She clutched Mary’s arm.
“Look! A boat! Is it the enemy?”
The girls looked and looked, their hearts w beating loudly. They could not see who was in the boat. It landed on the beach—and then the call of a sea gull floated up the cliff.
“Andy!” cried Jill, nearly falling down the cliff. “It’s Andy! I’d know his sea gull call anywhere!”
The boys climbed up the cliff and came to the rocky ledge. The girls fell on them and hugged them like bears, they were so relieved to see them.
“The boat! Where did you get the boat?” cried Jill.
“What did you see? What did you find?” cried Mary.
“We’ll tell you all about it,” said Andy, and the four of them sat close together on the cold, windy ledge, quite forgetful of the chilly breeze, talking and listening eagerly. The girls could hardly believe the boys’ story. It seemed quite impossible.
“And now that we’ve got a boat, we’ll fill. It full of food and water, and see if we can get home,” said Andy. “It’s the only thing we can do—and we must do it.”
“But, Andy.” said Jill, “just suppose the enemy see their boat is missing—won’t they take alarm and search the islands?”
“Yes—they certainly will,” said Andy. “And so we must start tomorrow. We will have a good sleep tonight—take plenty of food from the cave—and see if we can make for home.”
“If only we can get away before the enemy finds that boat is missing!” said Tom. “Oh, do you suppose we shall?”
CHAPTER 12
A Daring Adventure
THE children did not have a very good night after all, for they were far too excited to sleep. They had all rowed Jn the stolen boat to their own island, and had landed there, tied up the boat and gone to their shack.