A sound made them stop suddenly. A loud and prolonged yawn came from the deck of the boat. Then the wireless was snapped off and silence came back to the night.
“He may be going to sleep,” hissed Jack. “Let’s wait.”
They waited in complete silence for about ten minutes. The man tossed a glowing cigarette-end overboard but did not light another. The boys heard him give several grunts as if he was settling down comfortably. Then he gave a loud yawn again.
Still the boys waited, shivering in the darkness of the jetty, keeping close to one another in order to get a little bit of warmth from each other’s bodies.
Then, on the night air, came very very welcome sounds. “He’s snoring,” whispered Jack, pressing Philip’s arm in joy. “He’s asleep. I’m sure there’s only one guard, because otherwise they would have been talking together. Now’s our chance. Come on — but quietly, so as not to wake him!”
The two boys, shivering now with excitement as much as with cold, crept along the jetty to the boat. They climbed cautiously on board, their bare feet making no sound at all. On the deck lay the sleeping guard — if he was a guard!
Then another sound stopped them. This time it came from beneath their feet. Philip clutched Jack’s bare arm and made him jump violently. They stood and listened.
It was somebody talking, down below in the cabin. Who was it? Could it be Bill? And who was he with? Horace perhaps. But maybe after all it wasn’t Bill down there, maybe it was the enemy, playing cards, and perhaps the sleeping man wasn’t a guard. It would be very foolish to toss him overboard and open the cabin hatch to find the enemy down in the cabin.
“We’d better listen and find out if it’s Bill,” said Jack, right in Philip’s ear. The boys could see thin streaks of light where the hatch was fitted down into the deck, covering in the little cabin; so they knew exactly where it was. They crept forward and then knelt down by the closed hatch. They put their ears to the cracks and strained to listen to the voices talking.
They could not hear what was being said — but, when one of the talkers suddenly cleared his throat and gave a little cough, the boys knew who it was all right! It was one of Bill’s little ways. Bill was down there. It was Bill who was talking. Both boys felt a surge of tremendous relief. If only they could get Bill out, and let him take charge of things!
“If we throw this fellow overboard, we may find he raises the alarm so quickly that we shan’t be able to get Bill out and explain things to him fast enough,” said Jack, in Philip’s ear. “As he’s so fast asleep, what about unbolting the hatch and letting Bill see we’re here? Then he could help us with the guard, and take charge of the boat.”
“You undo the hatch, and I’ll stand by the guard, so that if he wakes I can knock him overboard,” said Philip. “Go on. Quick!”
Jack felt for the bolt. His fingers were trembling and he could hardly pull it. He was afraid it might make a grating noise, but it didn’t. It slid back easily and smoothly. Jack felt for the iron handle that raised the hatch, and then lifted up the hatch itself, so that a bright mass of light came up from the cabin below.
The men in the cabin heard the slight noise and looked up. One was Bill — and the other was Horace. When Bill saw Jack’s face peering down out of the darkness he leapt to his feet in amazement. Jack put his finger to his lips, and Bill bit back the exclamation on his tongue.
“Come on out,” whispered Jack. “Quick! We’ve got to deal with the guard here.”
But Horace spoilt everything. As soon as he saw Jack, the hated boy who had shut him into the hole on Puffin Island, he sprang up furiously. “There’s that villainous boy! Wait till I get him!” he shouted.
Chapter 27
ESCAPE
“SH!” said Jack fiercely, and pointed over his shoulder towards the guard. But it was too late. The man awoke with a jump, as the shouting penetrated into his dreams. He sat up blinking, and then, seeing the brilliant light streaming up from the open hatch, he leapt to his feet.
Bill had the sense to switch off the light. Now all was darkness. Bill began to climb up the hatchway, and the guard began to shout.
“What’s all this? Hi, what are you doing? Who’s there?”
Philip sprang at him and tried to push him overboard, but the man was strong and began to struggle. In the end it was poor Philip who was thrown overboard, with a most terrific splash. Then Bill came up and, guided by the sounds of the panting of the guard, hit out with his right fist. The surprised guard felt the sudden blow and reeled over. Bill put out a foot, hoping to trip him, and down he went to the deck. In a trice Bill was on top of him, and Jack came to help. “Who was that going overboard?” panted Bill.
“Philip,” answered Jack, sitting firmly on the guard’s legs. “He’s all right. He can swim to the other boat.”
“Get him down into the cabin,” ordered Bill. “Where’s the other fellow — Tipperlong? The idiot spoilt the whole show.”
Horace was standing well out of the way, wondering what was happening. He could hear pants and groans and strugglings, and he was scared. Then there came another yell from the guard, and down the man went into the cabin, slithering sideways down the steps.
Bang! The hatch shut down on him and Bill slid the bolt across.
“He’s safe for the moment,” said Bill grimly. “Now let’s get the boat going, quick! We’ll be off before the enemy know what we’re up to!”
“That’s what I planned we’d do!” panted Jack, thrilled that his wildest hopes seemed to be coming true. “How do we start up the engine? Blow this darkness! I haven’t a torch on me.”
The guard below was kicking up a terrific row. He was banging for all he was worth. Bill made his way in the darkness to the wheel of the boat.
And then things began to happen. Lights sprang up on shore, and voices began to shout. There came the sound of running feet.
“We shan’t have time to get her free from her moorings and start her up before they’re on us,” groaned Bill. “Did you say you’ve got another boat here, Jack? Where is it? And what about Philip? Quick, answer me!”
“Yes — there’s a boat off the end of the jetty there — with the girls in it — and Philip will probably be there by now, too,” said Jack, his words falling over one another in his excitement. “We’d better swim for it!”
“Overboard then!” said Bill. “Tipperlong, where are you? You’d better come too.”
“I c-c-c-can’t swim,” stammered poor Horace.
“Well, jump overboard and I’ll help you,” commanded Bill. But the thought of leaping into the dark cold water in the middle of the night, with enemies all round, was too much for Horace. He crawled into a corner and refused to move.
“Well, stay where you are, then,” said Bill scornfully. “I’ll have to go with these kids — can’t let them down now!”
Overboard went Bill and Jack. Horace heard the splashes and shivered. Nothing would have induced him to do the same. He trembled in his corner, waiting for the enemy to come pounding down the jetty.
And come they did, with torches flashing, and voices that urgently demanded from the guard what all the noise was about. They swarmed on board the motor-boat, and found Horace at once shivering in his corner. They dragged him out.
The guard was still hammering down in the cabin, getting hoarse with fury. The enemy, not really certain of what had happened, flung questions at poor Horace.
Bill and Jack, swimming swiftly through the dark water, heard the excited voices, and prayed that Horace would not give them away. The guard would soon tell them all they wanted to know, but perhaps the few minutes’ start they had would be all they needed.
Philip was already on board the boat, reassuring the two frightened girls. When he heard the splash of Bill and Jack jumping overboard from the other boat, he strained his eyes to watch for them. As he caught the sound of their swift arm-strokes through the water, he cautiously held his torch down over the sea, and flicked it on once or twice, to mark their way for them.
They saw the slight flashes of light and thankfully swam towards it. Jack had been afraid of missing the boat altogether in his excitement. Soon they were clambering up, and Lucy-Ann and Dinah caught hold of Bill’s wet, hairy arms, so strong and firm and comforting.