This was really exciting news. Philip felt overjoyed. It looked as if they would be able to escape from the valley at last — and get help — and perhaps be in at the discovery of the treasure.
“Look out! — I believe I saw something moving over there,” whispered Jack suddenly, and the two boys crouched behind a bush. It was a good thing they did, for Pepi emerged from a thicket of trees and walked rapidly towards them. But it was obvious that he hadn’t seen them.
Without a glance at their bush he strode on. “I bet he’s hungry and wants a meal,” grinned Jack. “Good thing I spotted him. We’d have bumped right into him in two seconds. Well, that’s good — we can hurry on now without being afraid of being seen. Gosh, I’m hungry!”
They both were. It was ages since they had had anything to eat. Thoughts of tinned salmon, sardines, tongue, apricots, peaches and pears floated before the mind’s eye of both boys. They hurried as much as they could.
They were thankful when they pushed aside the fern-fronds and saw the girls sitting in the cave behind. Dinah had got a fine meal ready and waiting.
“Good old Dinah!” cried Jack. “I could almost give you a hug!”
Dinah grinned. “Pepi’s gone,” she said. “Did you meet him?”
“Almost collided with him,” said Philip. “Gosh I could eat a whole tin of salmon by myself. How have things been with you and Lucy-Ann, Dinah? All right?”
“Very dull,” said Dinah. “Nothing doing at all, except a few capers now and again behind the waterfall to keep Pepi interested. You should have seen his efforts to find the way up. Once Lucy-Ann and I really thought he had been swept away by the water. He slipped and fell, and disappeared for about twenty minutes. We were quite relieved when we saw him again.”
“What about you boys?” said Lucy-Ann. “You look cheerful. Got good news? What about that poor prisoner?”
With their mouths full the boys told of all they done that day. The girls listened eagerly. When Jack fished the maps out of his pocket they fell on them in delight.
“A treasure map!” cried Lucy-Ann. “I always wanted to see a real one. Oh, here’s our waterfall, look! Surely the treasure isn’t anywhere near it?”
“When are we going to find the treasure?” asked Dinah, her eyes shining.
“We’re not going to,” said Jack, and her face fell at once. He explained why. “We’ve got to get out of this valley, and find this fellow Julius. Apparently he will see to the unearthing of the treasure, whatever it is. Sorry to disappoint you, girls — but honestly, I do really think we ought to get out as quickly as we can, and let Aunt Allie and Bill know where we are. We should waste a lot of time looking for the treasure, and I think that now we’ve been told where to look for the pass out of the valley we ought to take it, and get help for ourselves and for poor old Otto too. He’s a very ill man.”
It was clear that Jack was right. Dinah heaved a sigh of regret. “I would so very much have liked to go and find that treasure,” she said. “But never mind — perhaps this Julius man, whoever he is, will let us join the treasure-hunt with him. We might stay for that!”
It was now almost dark. The boys were tired out. They lay down on the “bed” which Dinah had already made, feeling very sleepy. But the girls wanted to talk, and so did Kiki. They had had a very dull day. They chattered away, Kiki joining in, but the boys could hardly find the energy to answer.
“Kiki’s been in and out of the cave of echoes today, yelling and squawking for all she was worth,” said Lucy-Ann. “She’s not afraid of the echoes any more. You should have heard the echoes when she did her express-train screech!”
“Jolly glad I didn’t,” said Jack sleepily. “Shut up, now, girls. Get to sleep, because we’ve got an exciting day before us tomorrow, fetching Otto — and going to find the pass — and looking for Julius.”
“It looks as if this adventure is about to come to an end,” said Lucy-Ann.
But she was quite wrong. It wasn’t anywhere near its end.
Chapter 18
NOW FOR WINDY PASS!
NEXT morning the children peeped cautiously through the fern-fronds to see if by any chance Pepi was on guard again. But there was no sign of him.
“I do wonder what Juan and Luis thought when they got back to their hut, unlocked it — and found the prisoner flown,” said Jack with a grin. “They’ll be astonished to find he went through a locked door.”
“Oh, they’ll guess one of us rescued him,” said Dinah. “Won’t they be wild? I do hope they don’t find him in that cowshed. He might tell tales of us.”
“He wouldn’t,” said Jack at once. “He’s got a nice trustable sort of face — rather like Bill’s but not so strong.”
“I wish Bill would suddenly arrive here,” said Lucy-Ann with a sigh. “I do really. I know you boys have managed things awfully well, but somehow when Bill comes along I feel really safe.”
“Well, you’re safe enough now, aren’t you?” demanded Jack. “Didn’t I find you a jolly good hiding-place?”
“Yes, fine,” said Lucy-Ann. “Oh, look, Philip — Kiki’s after Lizzie!”
Lizzie had appeared down Philip’s leg, and Kiki, who happened to be sitting near, had given a delighted squawk and pecked at her — but the lizard was a little too quick. She ran into Philip’s shoe.
“Stop it, Kiki!” said Philip. “Well — now we’d better get busy.”
“Busy, dizzy Lizzy,” said Kiki at once, and the children laughed.
“Really, Kiki’s awfully clever at putting the same-sounding words together,” said Lucy-Ann. “Busy, dizzy Lizzy — I’d never have thought of that. Clever Kiki!”
Kiki squawked and raised her crest high. She rocked herself from side to side, as she often did when she felt very pleased with herself.
“Vain bird! Conceited bird!” said Jack, and scratched her poll. “You leave Lizzy alone. She’s about the most harmless pet Philip’s ever had.”
“Well, she’s better than those awful rats and mice and spiders and beetles and hedgehogs he’s had running about him,” said Dinah with a shudder. “I really quite like Lizzie, compared with them.”
“Gracious!” said Lucy-Ann, astonished. “You are improving, Dinah!”
Lizzie and Kiki both joined in the breakfast the children had, though Kiki kept a sharp eye to see that Lizzie didn’t take anything she wanted. When they had all finished they made their plans for the day.
“We’ll fetch Otto first,” said Jack. “Philip and I, I mean. No need for you girls to come. Perhaps you could pack up a few tins for us all to take with us when we go to look for the pass through the mountains. We shall want a meal on the way.”
“Right,” said Dinah. “I hope you’ll find Otto better. Then when you bring him here, we’ll have a snack before we set out. Then over the pass we’ll go, and find Julius — and somehow manage to send off a message to Mother and Bill. Maybe Bill will fly over in his plane. . . .”
“And join the treasure-hunt and let us help,” said Lucy-Ann. “What a nice plan!”
It did seem a very nice one indeed. The boys set off, leaving Kiki behind with the girls. They went quickly over the mountain slope, keeping a good look-out, however, for Pepi and the others.
But they saw nobody. They made their way carefully to the cowshed. Jack left Philip on guard near by to give warning if anyone came near. Then he tiptoed to the shed and peeped in. There was no sound in there at all.
He could not see the last cow-stall from where he stood. He walked softly in, stepping over the fallen rubble. He spoke softly.
“Otto! I’m back! Are you better?”
There was no reply. Jack wondered if the man was asleep. He made his way to the last stall.
It was empty. Otto was not there. Jack glanced round quickly. What could have happened?
The boy saw that the opened tins of meat and fruit that he had left for Otto were untouched. Otto had not eaten anything left for him. Why?
“Blow! Those men must have come looking for him when they found that he was gone from the hut,” thought Jack. “And they found him here. Gosh! — what have they done with him? We’d better look out for ourselves, in case the men are on the watch for us. They’ll know someone must have set Otto free, even if he has held his tongue about me.”
He went back to Philip. “Otto’s gone,” he said. “Dare? we have a squint at the hut? We might find out something then — what they’ve done with Otto, for instance.”