So off they all went, Kiki chattering merrily, knowing that the children were now feeling very much more cheerful. “Mistersir,” she said to Andros. “Mistersir, mister!”
They got back to the temple courtyard, and Bill stared in surprise to see Tim. “Hallo!” he said. “Well, well, well — so it was your plane I saw coming over the island. I couldn’t see it come down from here, but I hoped it had. Bit of luck your meeting with the children. I suppose they’ve told you all the news.”
“Yes, rather,” grinned Tim. “Pretty adventurous lot, aren’t you? Any trouble with the chappies down the column?”
“Just a biff or two a little while ago,” said Bill. “Not on Mr. Eppy’s head, unfortunately — one of the other fellows, I fear. I haven’t heard so much as the flick of an eyelid since.”
The sound of a bell came echoing up the ruined street. “Dong-dong-dong!”
“Pussy’s down the well!” screeched Kiki, suddenly remembering ding-dong-bell. “Who put her in, who put her in?”
“What on earth’s that bell?” asked Tim, startled. “Are we late for school or what?”
“Don’t be silly!” said Lucy-Ann, laughing. “That’s our food. It comes every day regularly at this time. And I’m jolly glad — I’m still hungry after our poor breakfast.”
Tim was amazed to see the imp of a boy coming along with the panniered donkey. Bill didn’t leave his post by the column, but handed out money to Jack to pay for the food. The boy emptied the panniers, winked at Tim and spat rudely at Micky. The monkey immediately spat back, and his aim was a lot better than the boy’s. “Pah!” said the little imp, in disgust.
“Pah!” echoed Kiki. “Pooh! Dong-dong-dong, pop goes the pah!”
The boy gave her a look of amazement and climbed on his donkey’s back. He sent a stream of gibberish at Kiki, who copied him at once, ending with one of her pistol-shots. The donkey reared in fright, and then galloped off with the boy at top speed.
“You’ll be the death of me one day, Kiki,” said Bill, weak with laughing. “Now then — hand out the food, Jack — and I suppose we’d better throw a bit down the column, or our friends below will starve to death!”
Fortunately the boy had brought a great deal of food so there was plenty for everyone. Bill yelled down the column in a stentorian voice.
“If you want food, there’s some coming. But don’t try any funny tricks, or you won’t get any more!”
Somebody evidently came up to get the bread, cheese and meat that Bill threw down. He also threw some fruit, feeling that the men must be as thirsty as he was. There was no word of thanks from anyone in the column, and no sound after the food had been taken.
“Wonder if they found the treasure,” said Jack, munching hard. “Wish I’d seen it! I bet I shan’t now — and if I don’t, it’ll be the disappointment of my life!”
Chapter 28
ESCAPE!
PLANS were made whilst they ate. “Tim, I want you to take the two girls off in your plane,” said Bill. “I don’t want them exposed to danger here one moment longer than necessary. Andros, once we have got rid of the two men down in the boats, you are to take charge of the better boat of the two, and go off with the rest of us.”
“What, Bill! Do you mean to say we’re going to leave a boat for these scoundrels to escape in?” cried Jack indignantly.
“No. I’m going to ask Andros if he will kindly remove some small thing from the engine of the other boat — so that it won’t start up when the men want it to,” said Bill, with a laugh. “I think it would be a very good thing to leave them here, prisoners, till we report them, and find out whether Mr. Eppy has bought the island or not. If he has, he’s in a strong position, of course, and nothing we say will be listened to with much attention.”
“He’s always buying and selling islands,” put in Lucian. “I expect he has bought this all right. He’s well known for that.”
“You may be right,” said Bill. “Do you want to come with us, Lucian, or stay and welcome your uncle out of the column?”
There was no doubt about what Lucian wanted to do. He was going with Bill and the others!
They all felt a lot better after the meal. Tim set off for the plane with the two girls, who hugged Bill before they went and begged him to keep himself safe.
“I shan’t set off in the plane till I hear your motor-boat starting up and going off,” said Tim. “Good-bye for the present. Come on, girls. What people are going to say when I land with you at the airport I cannot imagine. You’re too dirty for anything — regular little grubs!”
Andros, Lucian, Jack and Philip set off for the boats. It was decided that only Lucian should go right up to the boats and give the fake message. He was to say that the men were wanted up in the temple courtyard, and give them directions as to how to get there. As soon as Bill spotted them coming he was to leave the broken column where he was on guard, and go to the boats, keeping himself out of sight of the two men.
“Then we’ll be into one of the boats in a jiffy, and off and away!” said Jack joyfully. “What a sell for Mr. Eppy.”
Andros led the way. He knew the other creek well, though he did not consider it so good as the one he had landed in. When they got near to the boats, Lucian went on alone, whilst the others hid themselves behind bushes.
Lucian was nervous but tried not to show it. He went up to the boats and shouted loudly. “Ahoy there — where are you?”
The two men appeared. Lucian began to say something loudly in Greek, and the two men nodded. They leapt from the boat to the beach, and made their way up the shore. Lucian was telling them where to go, pointing this way and that.
“Well, I hope he’s telling them correctly,” thought Jack, remembering how hopeless Lucian had been at trying to find the way to the boats that morning. “Let’s hope he has been more careful at marking the way this time.”
The men soon disappeared. Andros raced to the boats. He chose the smaller one of the two as being the better. He went to the other boat and tinkered with the engine. He withdrew something from it and threw it into the other boat, where it fell with a thud.
He grinned at the boys. “That boat no good now,” he said. “Engine dead. We get in here quick.”
They all got in. Andros tinkered about with the engine there too. It started up quickly and he stopped it at once.
The boys wondered how old Bill was getting on. Had he spotted the men? Was he even now coming down to the boat, keeping himself unseen? They hoped so.
Suddenly they heard shouts, and they all sat up straight in their boat. What was that?
Bill was tearing down to the shore at top speed. Behind him were the two men, also running at top speed. Andros acted quickly. He started up the engine at once, and called to the boys to give a hand to Bill when he came.
Red in the face and panting hard, Bill tore up to the boat. Willing hands dragged him in, and almost as he touched the deck of the boat it was off and away, its engine making a terrific noise in the calm of the little creek.
The two men leapt into the other boat at once, shouting angrily. Andros gave a malicious grin. Bill saw it and knew what it meant. The other boat was useless!
No amount of trying would make the second boat start up. Its engine was dead. The two men realized that Andros must have tampered with it, and they stood up, shaking their fists and shouting unintelligibly. Jack and Philip enjoyed it all thoroughly, but poor Lucian was as white as a sheet.
“Well — we’re off,” said Bill, getting his breath again. “Gosh, I had a narrow escape. I was watching for the men, and they came on me unawares. They must have guessed there was some trickery about because they suddenly made a bee-line for me and gave me a jolly hard run. I was glad I’d got all directions from Andros as to where the creek was. I nearly missed my way as it was.”
“Any sound from Eppy and Co.?” asked Jack. Bill shook his head.
“No, but they’ll have heard the shouts and I expect they’ll be out of the column by now and having a good snoop round. They’ll join up with the other two men and then Mr. Eppy will have a few choice things to say to the two men who left the boats, and so gave us the means of escape. I expect he is thinking of quite a lot of things to say to Lucian too, for giving them that fake message.”