“It’s down in that interesting little notebook you gave me,” said Bill, “together with other places where they may also find hidden treasures. Oh, that notebook told me quite a lot I wanted to know, Philip.”
Bill got out a map and showed Philip exactly where the valley was. “It had a bad time in the war,” he said, “and the only pass into it was bombed. It hasn’t been unblocked again, as far as I know. Plans were afoot to work on it this year. A man called Julius Muller — the one you were told to get into touch with — has been trying to get permission to unblock the valley and enter it.”
“I wonder what happened to Otto,” said Philip. “The poor prisoner, you know.”
“His address is in the book,” said Bill. “I have already asked for information about him. I daresay I shall get some soon.”
He did. The telephone rang that afternoon and a voice informed Bill that Otto Engler had been found outside a big hospital, unconscious. He had almost died of heart trouble, but was making slight progress now, though he could not speak a word.
“I bet those brutes ill-treated him and made him tell them the exact whereabouts of the treasure caves,” said Philip, “and then took him back and left him somewhere in the street, ill and terrified.”
“Quite likely,” agreed Bill. “They wouldn’t stop at much.” The telephone bell rang again, and Bill took up the receiver and listened once more.
“Gale getting worse,” he told Philip. “Have to put off our trip till tomorrow. Pity your mother’s so far away or we could have dropped in to see her. I’ve been trying to get her on the phone.”
Philip did speak to his mother that afternoon, though it was only a three-minute talk. Mrs. Mannering was so relieved to hear his voice that she could hardly say a word herself. However, Philip found plenty to say, and had to stop half-way through because he was cut off.
Next day dawned fair and warm. The wind had almost gone — blown itself out in the night, which had been extremely stormy and wild. Philip had awakened once or twice and had felt glad they had not tried to fly off through it, for certainly it was a very wild storm.
He had slept in a comfortable bed put up in the cell of the police station. This seemed very exciting to him. “First time I’ve ever passed a night in prison,” he told Bill.
“Well, I hope it will be the last,” said Bill. “Prison is not a pleasant place, my boy.”
Bill’s car was brought to the door. It was large and bright and swift. He and Philip got in, Bill started up the engine and they roared away. Twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, sixty, seventy miles an hour and more! Philip was thrilled.
“She does go,” he said. “Funny that a car seems faster than an aeroplane when you’re in it. Much more of a rush, somehow.”
They reached the aerodrome at last. There was Bill’s plane, its propellers whirring fast. Beside it stood another, very like it. Eleven men stood about, waiting. They saluted Bill.
“Get into my plane,” Bill ordered Philip. “I want a word with my men.”
He had his word and got in. Five of the men got in Bill’s plane and six in the other. There was a terrific roar, and first Bill’s plane took off and then the other one. They flew into the wind, circled round, rose higher and then made off for the east.
Philip gave a sigh of relief. Now things were on the move again. He would soon see the others. How glad they would be!
After some time Bill spoke to Philip. “We’re coming to that valley of yours, Philip, now — or should be. Have a look out and see if you recognise it.”
Philip looked down. “Oh yes!” he cried. “That’s it! And look — there are four planes down there! That’s where we land! You’d better look out in case the men are about and shoot!”
Bill’s plane roared down lower. It swung into the wind and landed perfectly. The second plane followed suit.
The engines stopped. There was silence. Bill waited to see if anyone came running out. No, not a soul. He and the other men poured out. Philip followed.
There seemed to be no one about at all. Bill told his men to scatter and make a search before they went any further. Soon one of them gave a shout. “Hey! There’s one of them here! All tied up like a chicken!”
It was Pepi, half dead with cold and hunger. He was so glad to be set free that he did not show much surprise at seeing so many strangers. In charge of one of the men he tottered over to Bill.
“Put him in the hut and lock him up,” ordered Bill. “Who could have tied him up, Philip?”
“I can’t imagine,” said Philip, puzzled. “And look, Bill, here are two of our suitcases — fallen out of the tree, I suppose. Funny.”
“There are still seven men to be accounted for,” said Bill. “Right. Well, now — we’d better set off to these treasure caves. Look out, men, in case there’s any ambush. We don’t want to be shot up without warning.”
They set off, Philip telling Bill the way. Bill was filled with amazement to see the valley, the towering mountains, the burnt ruins . . . it seemed so extraordinary to think of the four children marooned here in the middle of such thrilling adventures.
“Can you hear the waterfall now?” asked Philip eagerly, after a time. “I can! We’re getting near.”
The men were amazed to hear the noise of the great waterfall, and even more astonished to see it. They did not say very much, for they were tough men, not easily surprised by anything. But they stood and stared for some time.
“Now — careful — because we’re getting near to the cave entrance,” said Philip at last. “Shall I go first? I think I’d better.”
Chapter 31
AN EXCITING FINISH
JACK, Dinah, Lucy-Ann, Kiki and the old couple were still in the cave of stairs. They had just finished their meal, and were wondering what to do. What a pity the old couple wouldn’t come outside the mountain — it was such a lovely day!
“We could easily go and sun ourselves there,” said Lucy-Ann longingly. “There’s no danger from those men. They can’t get out of that locked door.”
Just as she spoke, Jack clutched hold of her arm and made her jump. “Sh! I can hear voices.”
They all listened fearfully. Yes — there were voices — coming down the tunnel that led from the cave of stalactites to the cave they were now in.
“More men! Quick, hide!” said Dinah urgently. In a panic the children began to run to the other end of the cave, stumbling and tripping, their feet echoing round the big vault.
“Halt!” cried a stern voice, and a big figure stood just inside the cave. “Stand still! Put your hands up!”
Lucy-Ann knew that voice. Of course she did. “Bill! BILL!” she squealed. “Oh, Bill, we thought you were never coming!”
She ran across the cave and flung herself on the surprised Bill. Jack and Dinah followed, shouting in delight. Lucy-Ann caught sight of Philip and flung herself on him too.
“Philip! Dear Philip, you did escape and get to Bill!”
Philip was astonished to see the children and the old couple there. He had left them in the treasure caves. How had they got out? And where were the men?
The old couple came slowly up, half frightened to see so many people by the light of the powerful torches. Bill was gentle with them.
“Poor, frightened moles,” he said to Philip. “Well, they will be well looked after and rewarded. Now — where are these men?”
“I bolted them in,” said Jack proudly. “They are prisoners in the treasure caves.”
This was news to Philip — and, of course, to Bill too. They questioned Jack eagerly, and he told them how the old woman had shown them the hole behind the picture, and how they had managed to escape through it to the cave of echoes and from there to their own fern-cave. Then how Jack had gone to the men’s hut, and had come up against Pepi and tied him up — and finally how he had got his Great Idea, and slipped back to bolt the men in.
“Well — that seems pretty good work to me!” said Bill. “But it won’t be an easy job routing them out of those caves. I wonder if we could take them by surprise from the back — get in at that picture-hole and give them a shock.”
“Oh yes!” said Jack. “Of course you could. You could leave one or two of your men at the bolted door here, attracting the attention of the seven men — and whilst they are shouting and yelling at one another, the rest of your men could go in the other way and surprise them.”