26

off to the enemy’s island

the little boat sped along in the darkness. philip was at the wheel. he took a large star as guide,and kept the boat well on its course.

after a while jack touched his arm. ‘see that light? it must come from the enemy’s island. it’snot the bright signalling light we saw before, but it certainly comes from the island.’

‘i’ll set course for it,’ said philip. ‘you’ll make certain kiki doesn’t go off into one of hercackles or screeches, won’t you, jack? any noise out here on the water would be easily heard onland. sound over water carries such a distance. i’ll have to shut off the engine soon, or that will beheard.’

‘kiki won’t make a sound,’ said jack.

‘shhhhhhh!’ said kiki at once.

‘yes. good bird! shhhhhhh!’ said jack. philip shut off the engine and the boat gradually lostway until it was just drifting on. then it came to a gentle stop on the restless sea.

jack looked through his glasses at the light he could see on the island. ‘i think it must be somesort of harbour light,’ he said. ‘perhaps they have a small harbour there – they may have quite afleet of motor-boats, you know, continually patrolling to make sure no one visits islands near here.

it’s quite a steady light.’

philip fumbled for the oars. ‘now for a spot of hard rowing!’ he said. ‘what’s the time, jack?

can you see by your wrist-watch? it’s got a luminous face, hasn’t it?’

‘it’s almost eleven o’clock,’ said jack. ‘just about right. we shall be nearing land aboutmidnight, when we can hope that the enemy won’t be wide awake.’

the boys took an oar each. splish-splash! the oars went in and out of the water as the boyspulled with a will, and the boat glided smoothly along.

‘we’ll take turns when you’re tired,’ said dinah. ‘philip, where are your rats? somethingbrushed against my leg just now. i shan’t be able to help squealing if you let them run about.’

‘they’re in my pocket,’ said philip. ‘you’re imagining things as usual. and if you dare tosqueal, i’ll jolly well tip you overboard!’

‘she won’t, she won’t,’ said lucy-ann. ‘it’s only huffin and puffin walking about the deck,dinah. one of them perched on my leg just now.’

‘arrr!’ said a guttural voice from the deck-rail.

‘shhhhhhh!’ said kiki at once.

‘she doesn’t understand that it doesn’t in the least matter huffin and puffin arrring all theylike,’ said jack. ‘they make a natural bird-noise that wouldn’t put anyone on guard.’

‘shhhhhh!’ said kiki reprovingly.

the light from the shore gleamed steadily. ‘must be from a lantern,’ said jack, in a low voice,pulling hard at his oar. ‘probably a guide to any motor-boat going in or out. philip, let’s have arest. i’m getting puffed.’

‘right,’ said philip. the girls wanted to take a turn, but jack wouldn’t let them. ‘no, we’re justhaving a rest. there’s no hurry. the later we are the better, in a way.’

they soon took the oars again, and their boat moved steadily over the water towards the light.

‘no more talking now,’ whispered jack. ‘only tiny whispers.’

lucy-ann’s knees went queer again. her tummy felt peculiar too. dinah was strung up and herbreath came fast, although she was not rowing. the two boys were tense with excitement. wouldthey find the enemy’s motor-boat there, with bill already in it, ready to be ‘dumped’, as the manhad said that day? and would there be many men on guard?

‘whatever’s that noise?’ whispered dinah at last, as their boat drew nearer to land. ‘it doessound queer.’

the boys paused in their rowing, and leaned on their oars to listen.

‘sounds like a band playing,’ said jack. ‘of course – it’s a radio!’

‘good!’ said philip. ‘then the enemy won’t be so likely to hear us creeping in. jack, look! – ithink that’s a little jetty there – you can just make it out by the light of that lantern. can wepossibly creep in without being seen or heard? and look! – is that a boat lying under the lantern?’

‘i’ll get the glasses,’ said philip, and felt about for them. he put them to his eyes. ‘yes – it is aboat – quite a big one. i should think it’s the one the enemy came to our island in. i bet bill is onit, battened down in the cabin!’

the band continued playing on the radio. ‘somebody on board has got it on,’ said jack. ‘theguard, i should think. will he be on deck, then – the guard, i mean? there’s no light there.’

‘if you ask me, he’s having a nice lazy time, snoozing on deck with his radio playing him nicetunes,’ whispered back philip. ‘look! – can you see that little glow, jack? i bet that’s the end of acigarette the guard is smoking.’

‘yes, it probably is,’ said jack.

‘i don’t think we dare go in any closer,’ said philip. ‘we don’t want to be seen. if the guardgives the alarm, we’re done for. i wonder how many there are on the deck. i can only see oneglowing cigarette-end.’

‘what are you going to do?’ whispered lucy-ann. ‘do do something. i feel awful! i shall burstin a minute.’

philip put out his hand and took hers. ‘don’t worry.’ he whispered. ‘we shall have to dosomething soon! it looks to be rather a good time. if only that guard would fall asleep!’

‘i say, tufty – do you know what i think would be much the best thing to do?’ said jacksuddenly. ‘if you and i swam to the harbour, climbed up, got on the boat and surprised the guard,we could probably tip him into the water, and before he could raise the alarm, we’d open up thehatch and get bill out. why, we could probably drive the motor-boat off too – then we’d havetwo!’

‘sound a good plan,’ said philip. ‘but we don’t know yet if bill is there – and it’s quite likelywe couldn’t tip the guard overboard – especially if there are more than one. we’d better do a littleexploring first. your idea of slipping overboard and swimming to the harbour is jolly good though.

we’ll certainly do that. we can clamber up a part where there are shadows, away from that light.’

‘oh dear – must you go swimming in the dark?’ said lucy-ann, looking at the black water witha shiver. ‘i should hate it. do, do be careful, jack!’

‘i’ll be all right,’ said jack. ‘come on, philip. strip off your clothes. we’ll swim in our pants.’

it wasn’t long before the boys silently slid overboard and entered the water. it was cold and theydrew their breaths in sharply. but they soon felt warm as they swam rapidly towards the harbour.

they could hear the radio more plainly as they came near. ‘good thing,’ thought jack. ‘theywon’t be able to hear us coming at all.’

they avoided the light, and clambered up the part of the jetty where there were black shadows.

it was not easy. ‘the boat’s just there,’ whispered jack in philip’s ear. ‘not right under the light,thank goodness!’

a sound made them stop suddenly. a loud and prolonged yawn came from the deck of the boat.

then the radio was snapped off and silence came back to the night.

‘he may be going to sleep,’ hissed jack. ‘let’s wait.’

they waited in complete silence for about ten minutes. the man tossed a glowing cigarette-endoverboard but did not light another. the boys heard him give several grunts as if he was settlingdown comfortably. then he gave a loud yawn again.

still the boys waited, shivering in the darkness of the jetty, keeping close to one another in orderto get a little bit of warmth from each other’s bodies.

then, on the night air, came very very welcome sounds. ‘he’s snoring,’ whispered jack,pressing philip’s arm in joy. ‘he’s asleep. i’m sure there’s only one guard, because otherwise theywould have been talking together. now’s our chance. come on – but quietly, so as not to wakehim!’

the two boys, shivering now with excitement as much as with cold, crept along the jetty to theboat. they climbed cautiously on board, their bare feet making no sound at all. on the deck lay thesleeping guard – if he was a guard!

then another sound stopped them. this time it came from beneath their feet. philip clutchedjack’s bare arm and made him jump violently. they stood and listened.

it was somebody talking, down below in the cabin. who was it? could it be bill? and who washe with? horace perhaps. but maybe after all it wasn’t bill down there, maybe it was the enemy,playing cards, and perhaps the sleeping man wasn’t a guard. it would be very foolish to toss himoverboard and open the cabin hatch to find the enemy down in the cabin.

‘we’d better listen and find out if it’s bill,’ said jack, right in philip’s ear. the boys could seethin streaks of light where the hatch was fitted down into the deck, covering in the little cabin; sothey knew exactly where it was. they crept forward and then knelt down by the closed hatch.

they put their ears to the cracks and strained to listen to the voices talking.

they could not hear what was being said – but, when one of the talkers suddenly cleared histhroat and gave a little cough, the boys knew who it was all right! it was one of bill’s little ways.

bill was down there. it was bill who was talking. both boys felt a surge of tremendous relief. ifonly they could get bill out, and let him take charge of things!

‘if we throw this fellow overboard, we may find he raises the alarm so quickly that we shan’t beable to get bill out and explain things to him fast enough,’ said jack, in philip’s ear. ‘as he’s sofast asleep, what about unbolting the hatch and letting bill see we’re here? then he could help uswith the guard, and take charge of the boat.’

‘you undo the hatch, and i’ll stand by the guard, so that if he wakes i can knock himoverboard,’ said philip. ‘go on. quick!’

jack felt for the bolt. his fingers were trembling and he could hardly pull it. he was afraid itmight make a grating noise, but it didn’t. it slid back easily and smoothly. jack felt for the ironhandle that raised the hatch, and then lifted up the hatch itself, so that a bright mass of light cameup from the cabin below.

the men in the cabin heard the slight noise and looked up. one was bill – and the other washorace. when bill saw jack’s face peering down out of the darkness he leapt to his feet inamazement. jack put his finger to his lips, and bill bit back the exclamation on his tongue.

‘come on out,’ whispered jack. ‘quick! we’ve got to deal with the guard here.’

but horace spoilt everything. as soon as he saw jack, the hated boy who had shut him into thehole on puffin island, he sprang up furiously. ‘there’s that villainous boy! wait till i get him!’ heshouted.