“Come on,” said Bill. “I left Philip and Johns by a stream — where you left Dapple. We took Dapple back with us by the way, when David, Effans and I came with the rest of the donkeys to look for you. Philip said you’d know where the place was, even if we landed a little way from it in the helicopter — he thinks we’re all coming through the air of course, to land on a good flat place where we left a light burning to guide me. It was a bit tricky landing in the dark with Philip and Johns! The helicopter nearly overbalanced. Still, we managed it.”
“Philip will be looking out for us by that light then?” said Lucy-Ann. “Not by the stream.”
“No, I told him not to, in case anyone was roaming about there, saw the light and spotted him and Johns,” explained Bill. “I thought Meier and Company might possibly be on the look-out for Philip, if they thought he had jumped. I was supposed to radio back to them what had happened — but I didn’t, of course!”
It was easy to find their way to the meeting-place, now that dawn was coming. But before they got there, a bit of good luck came to Jack — in the shape of Kiki!
She suddenly sailed down on him from the air with a cackle of delight, and a screech that nearly deafened them all. She flew to his shoulder and rubbed her head into his ear, giving it little pecks and pulls of love. Jack was so overjoyed that he couldn’t say a word. He just scratched Kiki’s head and made funny, loving noises, which Kiki immediately copied.
“Oh, good!” said Lucy-Ann, in delight. “Oh, Jack! Dear old Kiki, isn’t it lovely to have her again. It’s been awful without you, Kiki.”
Even Bill joined in the demonstrations of affection. “You saved us, Kiki, old bird! You led those fellows such a song and dance that they let us escape. How did you know where we were? Did you fly out and follow us?”
Kiki didn’t tell them, so they never knew, but Jack felt sure she had flown down into the roofless cave, and come out of the crack into the open air. Then she must have heard their voices and come to join them.
“God save the King,” said Kiki, in a happy voice, and gave a loud hiccup. “Pardon! Pardon the king, pop goes Polly!”
“Oh, Kiki! We thought you were dead,” said Dinah. She looked round, missing Snowy. “And now Snowy’s gone! Where is he?”
“He hasn’t been with us for some time,” said Bill. “He’ll turn up, I expect — just like Kiki!”
“Dithery slithery,” said Kiki suddenly, cocking her head on one side and looking at Jack’s pocket. Sally the slow-worm was half in and half out, enjoying being in the fresh air again. Dinah didn’t even squeal!
They went on their way, with Kiki firmly on Jack’s shoulder — and suddenly they heard a yell.
“Hie! Here we are! Jack! Dinah! Lucy-Ann! Bill! And oh, I say, there’s Kiki too. Hurrah! You’ve escaped! But where’s the helicopter? We’ve been waiting and waiting for it.”
It was Philip, of course, leaping up and down like a mad thing, with Johns standing stolidly behind him — and Snowy frisking round about them both. He had found Philip! So all the family were together again. They were full of delight — but wait — what was that howling noise in the distance?
“The dogs!” said Jack. “They’re after us!”
Chapter 28
TRAILED BY THE DOGS
LUCY-ANN shrank back against Bill and Johns when she heard the savage howls and barks. She didn’t at all like the idea of the dogs being after them!
Bill and Johns exchanged glances, and Bill said something under his breath and looked stubborn and angry. They had all been so pleased at their escape — and now here they were, about to be caught again! Nobody could do anything against ten man-hunting dogs!
“Bill! Get into the stream and wade up through the water,” said Jack suddenly. “That’s what the Negro did when he wanted to break his scent. Dogs can’t smell a trail through water. Let’s all wade up the stream, and try and find a good hiding-place — a big tree, like Sam went up.”
“Well — it’s a poor chance,” said Bill, “but we’ll try it! Blow that helicopter — behaving like that just when I wanted to take off to safety! We’d have been quite all right by now if it hadn’t been for the damage to the steering.”
They all waded into the middle of the little stream. Up it they went, the water very cold to their feet. Lucy-Ann was between Bill and Johns. She felt very glad indeed that there were two grown-ups with them! In the distance the dogs barked again. They were certainly on the trail!
The little company went up the stream as quickly as they could, so that their scent was well broken. But they could easily be seen, and it was essential that they should get up into a tree, or find a cave as soon as they could.
And soon they found just exactly the thing! The stream disappeared into a large hole in the mountain. The clear water came bubbling out from there into the sunshine, swirling round the feet of the two men and the children — and of Snowy too!
“Look — it comes from that big hole,” said Bill, pleased. “We’ll go in there and hope it will take us all. We ought to be able to hide here till the dogs give up all hope of finding us.
They crawled in one by one. Bill switched on his torch. There was only just room for them all, because a few yards back the hole narrowed down to a tiny tunnel, out of which the stream gushed madly.
They sat down where they could, squeezed up closely against one another. Jack and Philip had their feet in the stream. They sat there, listening to the distant yelping of the Alsatians.
Bill pulled some chocolate out of his pocket. “I forgot about this,” he said, and handed it round. It was very comforting to have something to nibble. Johns had brought some too, so there was plenty.
“Do you think the dogs have lost the trail now?” asked Jack, not hearing the barking coming any closer.
“Yes. Sounds like it,” said Bill. “They’re at a loss, I should think. They must have come to the stream, jumped over it and found the trail was at an end. They probably won’t have the sense to realise we’ve gone upstream.”
“But I should think the men with them would guess,” said big stolid Johns, who was taking this extraordinary adventure with the utmost calm, as if things like that happened to him every day. “I know I would! If I were hunting a man with dogs, and we came to a stop by a stream, I’d order the dogs up or downstream at once.”
“Oh dear!” said Lucy-Ann. “Would you really? Well, I’m sure Meier will, then, when he catches up with the dogs, because he’s terribly clever. He’s got the most piercing eyes, Bill — honestly they go right through you.”
“Well, he’d better, try looking right through me,” said Bill. “He’d be sorry!”
“Pardon!” said Kiki. “Sorry!”
“You forgot your hiccup, old thing,” said Jack, and Kiki solemnly produced one. Johns laughed suddenly. He said he’d heard plenty of hiccups without birds, and seen plenty of birds without hiccups — but when you got the two together it was worth a lot!
“The dogs are coming nearer,” said Jack suddenly. They all listened, straining their ears. It was true. Their howls were distinctly louder.
“Meier’s caught up with them, then,” said Dinah. “And he’s guessed our trick, and they’re all coming upstream.”
“Yes. And they’re sure to smell us here,” said Philip. “Absolutely certain to. We can’t diddle dogs like that!”
“Hey diddle diddle,” said Kiki, and screeched.
“Shut up,” said Jack, and tapped her on her beak. “Do you want the dogs to hear you?”
“Pooh,” said Kiki, and nipped Jack’s ear.
“Listen! I can hear the dogs splashing in the stream!” cried Philip. And so he could. The sound came to everyone’s ears, and Lucy-Ann clutched Bill’s hand even more tightly. Would this horrid adventure never end?
And then they saw the first dog, his red tongue hanging out, his breath coming in excited pants. He was half leaping in the water, not wading — in and out he leapt, in and out, coming nearer and nearer.
Then came Meier’s hateful voice. “Go on! Get them! Find them!”
The leading dog came right up to the hiding-place. He could smell everyone in there, as he stood in the stream outside the hole. He did not attempt to go in. He had found what he had been told to find — he had not been told to capture and hold.