“Come on — we must get going,” said Bill, giving each girl a quick pat. “My, what a row there is on that boat! They’ve let the guard out now. Come on, before they know where we are.”
“The engine will tell them, when we start it up,” said Jack. “We’ve got oars. Shall we row?”
“No,” said Bill. “We must get away as quickly as possible. They’ll chase us, and we must get a good start. You girls lie flat on your tummies, and you boys lie on top of them. There’ll be bullets flying after me in a tick!”
Bill started up the engine. Lucy-Ann and Dinah lay down flat. The boys lay on top of them, almost squeezing the breath out of the girls. It was most uncomfortable.
Queerly enough not one of the children felt frightened. They all felt a terrific excitement, and Lucy-Ann had a mad feeling that she would like to yell and dance about. It was hard to have to keep flat on the deck, with Jack squashing her breath out of her.
As soon as the engine of the motor-boat started up, there came an astonished silence on board the other boat. Plainly the guard had not gathered that there was a second boat not far off, and had not told his friends about it. The enemy had thought that Bill and his rescuers were swimming somewhere about, and they were still quite in the dark about what had happened.
But when the engine of Bill’s (or rather Horace’s) boat purred out in the night, the enemy knew that they must stop it somehow. That boat could not be allowed to get away!
Crack! Somebody’s revolver went off, and a bullet sped over the sea, towards the boat.
Crack! Crack! Crack! Bill crouched as low as he could by the wheel, as he heard a bullet whiz much too near the boat for his liking.
“Keep down, you kids!” he ordered anxiously. “We’ll soon be out of reach.”
Crack! Another bullet went pinging by, and struck the water beyond the boat. Bill said several things under his breath, and wished the motor-boat would go a little faster. R-r-r-r-r-r-r went the engine steadily, and the boat swung over the waves out to sea.
Crack! Crack!
There came a sudden squeal from Kiki, who was sitting on top of Jack, puzzled by all the noise and excitement. Then she screeched wildly.
“Oh! Kiki’s hit!” shouted Jack, and sat up in anxiety, feeling for his beloved parrot.
Kiki didn’t say a single word, but continued to screech as if she was in the most terrible pain. Jack was beside himself with grief.
“Keep down, you idiot!” roared Bill, sensing that Jack was not lying flat. “Do you hear what I say?”
“But Kiki,” began Jack, only to be drowned by an even more furious roar from Bill.
“Kiki’s all right! She couldn’t screech like that if she was really hurt. Lie down flat, and do as you’re told!”
Jack obeyed orders. He lay down again, and listened with anxiety to Kiki’s screeching. The others, quite certain that the bird was wounded, were very anxious too.
Lucy-Ann wondered what had happened to Huffin and Puffin. She had not heard them say arrrrr for a long time. Perhaps they were shot too! Oh dear, when would they be out of reach of the enemy, and safe?
The shooting stopped — but another noise came, sounding faintly over the chugging of their own boat. Bill’s sharp ears heard it.
“They’re after us!” he called. “They’ve started up their own boat. Thank goodness it’s a dark night. We might just go on and on till our petrol gives out, and hope for the best.”
The motor-boat chasing them switched on a powerful searchlight. It swept the sea all round.
“We’re just out of reach,” said Bill thankfully. “This little boat can certainly get a move on. Kiki, shut up screeching! You’re NOT hurt!”
“Bill, we might have enough petrol to get to the island we came from, over to the east there,” said Jack suddenly. “The men would probably think we’d try and make for safety miles away, and if we do, we shall certainly be overtaken. Their boat is more powerful than ours, and as soon as we get within the range of their searchlight, we’ll be seen. Let’s swing off to the left.”
“What island did you come from?” demanded Bill. “And what’s been happening to you all since I was fool enough to let myself get captured? I’ve been worrying my head off about you!”
“We were worried about you, too,” said Jack. “Swing her to port, Bill — we’ll make for the lagoon-island, and hope that the men won’t guess we’re there.”
The boat set course for the other island, across the dark, heaving sea. Far behind them the searchlight was still sweeping the waters, but it was plain that the enemy’s motor-boat was now going off in the other direction. Another few minutes and they would be out of sight and hearing.
“Arrrrrrr!” said a guttural voice from just beyond Bill. He jumped. Then he laughed.
“My goodness — have you still got Huffin and Puffin? Now don’t start screeching again, Kiki. I’m absolutely certain you’re not hurt.”
“Can I sit up now and just feel if Kiki is hurt?” begged Jack anxiously. “They’re not doing any more shooting.”
But before Bill could answer, the engine of the motor-boat gave a series of coughs and wheezes, and then, with a curious sound like a tired sigh, stopped altogether.
“Petrol’s run out,” said Bill bitterly. “It would, of course! Now we’ll have to row, and it won’t be long before the enemy catch us up!”
Chapter 28
A NIGHT OF TALKING
THE children all sat up at once, and the girls thankfully stretched their arms and legs. “You are heavy, Philip,” grumbled Dinah. “Oh, Bill — what awful bad luck to have no petrol just as we must be so near shore!”
Jack reached out for Kiki. His hands felt over her body anxiously, and down her legs, and over her beak. Where was she hurt?
Kiki nestled close to him, murmuring funny little words that had no sense. “You’re not hurt, silly bird,” said Jack thankfully. “You made a fuss for nothing. I’m ashamed of you.”
“Poor Kiki, poor Kiki, send for the doctor,” murmured Kiki, and put her head under her wing.
“She’s not hurt, as far as I can make out,” said Jack to the others, “but she must have had an awful scare. Perhaps a bullet zipped very near her.”
“Oh, forget Kiki for a moment and let’s talk about ourselves,” said Dinah. “Bill, what are we going to do?”
Bill had sat lost in thought. What was the best thing to do? It was no joke to be in charge of four children, with such dangerous enemies so near. Would it be best to make for this lagoon-island, whatever if was? It should at least be within rowing distance. Or would it be best to row further on?
“We’ll make for your lagoon-island,” he said at last. “It’s the best idea.”
“It can’t be far away,” said Jack, straining his eyes in the darkness. “I think I can make out a dark shape over there. Can you, Philip?”
“Yes,” said Philip. “Look, over there, Bill! Can you see?”
“Not a thing,” said Bill. “But I’ll take your word for it. You youngsters have got such sharp eyes and ears. Now, where are the oars?”
They were soon found, and the slow splish-splash of rowing came to the ears of the girls, as they sat huddled together for warmth.
“Yes — it is land of some sort,” said Bill, after a while, with satisfaction. “We’ll be ashore soon. I only hope there are no rocks to run aground on.”
“Oh no,” said Jack. “We’ll be all right. There aren’t any rocks near the lagoon-island. At least, not the part where we should be coming to now.”
But hardly were the words out of his mouth before there came a horrid grinding noise, and the boat shivered from end to end. Everyone got a terrible shock. Whatever was happening now?
“On the rocks!” said Bill grimly. “And I don’t somehow think we’ll get her off! She means to stay here all right!”
The boat could not be moved. Jack anxiously switched on a torch, and tried to see what had happened. It was only too plain!
“There are rocks all round,” he said dolefully. “We haven’t come to the right part of the island at all. Goodness knows where we are.”
“Let’s see if we’re holed,” said Bill, and took Jack’s torch. He examined the boat thoroughly, and gave a sigh of relief. “No. It looks as if we’re safe so far. She must have run right on to a shallow ledge of rock. It’s no use doing anything about it now. We’ll have to wait till it’s light and then see if we can shift her. If we mess about now and do get her off, we shall only get on to other rocks at once.”