“Anyway, Bill — what could we do, even if we wanted to do anything tonight?” asked Philip, beginning to yawn too. “We can’t escape! Andros won’t come back, that’s obvious, if Mr. Eppy has threatened him with prison. After all, he’s only a simple boatman! I expect Mr. Eppy gave him plenty of money too, to make up for us not having paid him.”
“Yes — money and threats combined would soon send Andros away,” said Bill. “In any case Andros would know, of course, that Mr. Eppy had his own boat here — possibly two boats as he sent for more men and goods. So we shouldn’t be absolutely stranded, as Mr. Eppy could always bring us back.”
“Gosh, yes — his boats must be somewhere, mustn’t they?” said Philip, waking up considerably. “We’ve only got to find them, Bill — and we’re all right! Hadn’t we better snoop round now, before the others come back from underground?”
“No. Nothing more tonight,” said Bill firmly. “I’ve already planned to do that tomorrow. When we find Mr. Eppy’s boat or boats, we’ll be all right, I hope. Now listen — I’m going to be on guard for the first four hours, and, after that, you, Jack, and then you, Philip, will have a two-hour watch, and by that time it will be morning.”
“What are we going to watch for? Are we to wait for dear old Eppy to pop his head out and say, ‘Hallo, there’?” asked Jack, with a grin.
“Exactly,” said Bill. He had now lighted one of the lanterns, and it gave a weird light to the scene. “You two boys are tired — you won’t be any good at watching till you’ve had a sleep. You can have your turn when I wake you.”
“Right,” said Jack, settling himself against Philip. “We’ll let the big tough guy watch first. As a matter of fact, I believe I’m asleep already.”
“What will you do if the others appear?” asked Philip, with interest. “Knock them on the head as they come out of the hole?”
“Probably,” said Bill, and he lighted his pipe. “You don’t need to worry about that. Good night! I’ll wake you in four hours’ time.”
The two boys were asleep almost before he had finished his sentence. The smell of Bill’s tobacco wandered round the courtyard. Micky smelt it in his sleep and cuddled closer to Philip. He didn’t like the smell of tobacco. Kiki was standing on Jack, her head under her wing. The girls were absolutely still, sleeping soundly, although they had such an uncomfortable resting-place.
Bill put out the lantern. Only the glow of his pipe shone in the courtyard now and again. He was thinking hard. He went over all the happenings of the last two days. He considered Mr. Eppy’s assertion that the island was his. He puzzled over the whereabouts of the other creek, where probably Mr. Eppy’s boat or boats were. He wondered how the little party underground was getting on. He hoped fervently they were well and truly lost in the labyrinth.
He made his plans for the next day. They would find the boats. That would be the first thing. Where on earth would the creek be — the second creek that Andros had spoken about? Perhaps it would . . .
A noise stopped his thoughts at once. He put down his pipe and stood up, a silent figure close beside the broken column. He listened. The noise had come from underground, he was sure of that.
Well — if it was the company coming back, he was in for a wakeful night! Bill picked up a large piece of wood that he had had his eye on all the evening. It had probably been part of a door or window-frame — now it would make a very good weapon!
He stood by the column, listening intently. A scraping noise came up to him — someone was climbing up the last part of the stone spiral. The noise stopped. The Someone was evidently in the column now. What was he doing? He appeared to be feeling about for something. “The food!” thought Bill, with a grin. “Well — it’s gone!”
A little whimper came up to him, and then a shaking voice said, in a low tone, “Jack! Philip! Are you there?”
“Why — it’s Lucian!” thought Bill, in astonishment. “Well — he can’t be alone!”
He listened again. The whimpering began once more, rather like a miserable dog’s. There was no sound of any other voice, or of anyone else coming up the stairway. Bill made up his mind. He leapt up to the broken edge of the hole in the column, switched on his torch and looked down.
Lucian was standing below him, his terrified face looking up, tears streaming down his cheeks. He put up his hand as if he expected Bill to aim a blow down at him.
“Lucian!” said Bill. “What are you doing here? Where are the others?”
“I don’t know,” wept poor Lucian. “They only took me down as far as that vault place at the bottom of these steps. They wouldn’t let me go any further with them. They told me to stay there till they came back, and not stir. My uncle said he’d half kill me if he didn’t find me waiting for them when they came back.”
“Didn’t they come back, then?” said Bill, keeping his torch flashed onto Lucian’s face.
“No. And it’s hours ago,” wept Lucian. “I don’t know what’s happened to them. And I’m so hungry and cold and tired — and I’m frightened down there, too. I didn’t dare to have my torch on all the time in case the battery gave out.”
Bill believed the frightened boy. “Come on up,” he said. “Here — take my hand and jump. Go on, Lucian, jump! Surely you can leap up here.”
Poor Lucian couldn’t. In the end Bill had to get into the column and shove him up to the hole. Even then Lucian looked about to fall off. He was in a terrible state of nerves.
At last he was safely down in the courtyard, and Bill gave him some bread and cheese. He fell on it as if he hadn’t eaten for a month.
A thought suddenly struck him. “I say — how did you get free? I mean — weren’t you all tied up?”
“Yes,” said Bill grimly. “We were. But fortunately for you, we got free — yes, all of us — the boys are asleep over there — and the girls near by. No, don’t wake them — they’re tired out. If we’d all been tied up still, you would have stayed in that column all night. Not a nice thought, Lucian!”
“No,” said Lucian, and shivered. “I wish I hadn’t come to this horrible island. What’s going to happen? Are you going down to look for my uncle? He must be completely lost, you know.”
“He can stay lost, as far as I’m concerned,” said Bill. “In fact, it will do him good. Your uncle is not a man I’ve any kindly feelings for at present.”
“No. He’s horrible,” agreed Lucian. “Once he’d found the treasure he’d planned to leave you stranded here, all of you, and go off by himself to get more men to come and remove it.”
“Nice, thoughtful fellow,” said Bill. “Well, young man, you’d better get some sleep. And tomorrow, you’re going to help us, to make up for the misdeeds of your nasty-minded uncle.”
“Oh — I’d be very very glad to help you,” said Lucian, at once. “I would really. I’m on your side, you know that.”
“Yes, I expect you are,” said Bill. “You’ll have to be from now on, anyway!”
“How can I help you tomorrow?” asked Lucian.
“By taking us to the creek where your uncle’s boats are,” said Bill, at once.
“Oh, of course — if only I remember where it is,” said Lucian anxiously. “I’m not awfully good at remembering routes, you know. But I daresay I’ll remember that.”
“You’ll have to,” said Bill grimly. “And now, go to sleep. No — don’t go over to the boys. Just stay where you are. And mind — if your precious uncle arrives during the night, there’s to be no warning to him from you. Otherwise some unpleasant things will happen to you.”
“Oh, I tell you I’m on your side now,” protested Lucian, and settled himself as comfortably as he could. “Good night, sir. See you in the morning!”
Chapter 26
NEXT MORNING
IN four hours’ time Bill awoke Jack. In a few sentences he told the surprised boy about the arrival of Lucian. “He keeps saying he’s on our side now, but you never know with a nit-wit like that,” he warned Jack. “So keep your eye on him. And, if you hear the slightest sound from underground, prod me awake at once, Jack!”