chapter 24 prisoners!

everyone waited till the last man had disappeared down the column. then bill spoke.

"well, i'm blessed if i'll ever look at a treasure map again, or listen to anything you kids have to tellme! it's fatal. we plunge into trouble immediately. jack — philip — can you possibly loosen yourropes?"

"i've been trying," said philip, and jack said the same. "those beasts know how to tie knots all right.

the rope is biting into my ankles like anything, and i can hardly move my hands."all of them had their hands tied behind their backs, and it was really impossible to get free. billrolled himself over and over to the girls. he was very sorry for poor lucy-ann. dinah was tougher,more like a boy — but lucy-ann couldn't help being scared.

"lucy-ann, don't be upset," said bill, ending up just by her. "we'll think of some wonderful way toget even with these rogues."

"i hope they'll get lost in the labyrinth," said jack fiercely, still struggling with the rope that tied hiswrists.

"they probably will," said bill. "in any case they'll be a long time gone. we must somehow get freebefore they come back."

"the first thing i do when i get free is to hop inside the column and get some of the food we putdown there," said jack. "that's if the brutes have left us any! i bet they've taken most of it withthem."

bill privately thought they probably would have taken it, but he didn't say so. he gave up trying toloosen the rope round his wrists. it only made it cut into his flesh unbearably.

he looked round to see if there was a sharp stone he could perhaps rub his ropes on. he saw one androlled over to it. but as his hands were behind his back he couldn't see what he was doing, and cut hisfingers on the stone till they bled. he gave it up.

kiki was up in the tree, muttering to herself. all the shouting and struggling had frightened her. shecocked her head down at jack and decided it was safe to go to him. she flew down and landed on hismiddle.

"send for the doctor," she said, her head on one side. "send for the doctor, mistersir.""good idea, kiki," said jack, with an attempt at a grin. "tell him to come quickly! telephone him atonce!"

kiki at once gave an imitation of a telephone bell ringing. it sounded queer in that old ruinedcourtyard! even lucy-ann gave a little laugh.

"hallo, hallo!" said kiki, pleased at the attention she was getting. "hallo!""she's telephoning now!" grinned jack. "good old kiki. got the doctor yet? tell him we're allsuffering from a nasty attack of eppy-itis!"micky leapt down from the tree to join in the fun. he too had been badly scared, but now thateveryone was talking and laughing, and the noisy men had gone, he felt safer. he landed on philip,and tried to cuddle on to his shoulder. philip was sitting up, his hands tied behind him.

"sorry, i can't stroke you, old thing, and make a bit of fuss over you after your scare," said the boy.

"but my hands are tied! yes, that's right — go and look for them. i've still got them — but they'rebehind me!"

micky badly wanted to be nursed, but he couldn't find any arms to cuddle into! he went behind philipto investigate. what had the boy done with his hands and arms? ah — there they were behind him!

micky pulled at philip's hands with his tiny paws. he wanted to be stroked and patted.

"sorry, micky — nothing doing," said philip. he grinned round at the others. "micky can'tunderstand why i don't use my hands to pet him! he's pulling at them!"micky had discovered the rope that bound philip's wrists together. he was puzzled. what had philipdone with this rope? why was it so tightly round the boy's hands? micky tugged at the rope, andpulled at the knot.

philip sat very still. "that's right, micky," he said, in a caressing voice. "that's right! you tacklethose knots. then i can pet you all you like!"everyone pricked up their ears at once. they looked eagerly at philip. "i say, philip — is micky —can micky — do anything?"

"don't know," said philip. "he's fiddling about like anything. go it, micky. pull those knots undone!"but micky couldn't. his tiny paws were not strong enough to undo the tightly-tied knots of the rope.

he gave it up. but he thought of something else!

he put his mouth down to the rope, and tried to gnaw it with his teeth!

"what are you doing, micky!" cried philip, feeling the wet little mouth against his wrist. "gosh, bill,the clever little thing is trying to gnaw through the rope now!"everyone watched philip intently. his face showed clearly all he was thinking. "that's it, micky —bite away!" he said. "good little monkey! no, go away, kiki — don't interfere with micky!"kiki had gone to philip and was now getting behind him to see what micky was up to. she watchedhim.

"one, two, three, go!" she said, for all the world as if she was encouraging him.

"come here, kiki. leave micky alone in his good work, ordered jack, and kiki came obediently.

"how's micky getting on?" asked bill.

"fine, i think," answered philip, trying his hands to see if they felt any looser. "i think the rope doesfeel not quite so tight. go it, micky."

it was a long job, but micky was patient and persevering. once he knew that he was doing whatphilip wanted, he went on and on. bill marvelled at the way philip understood animals and animalsunderstood him. any creature would do anything in the world for philip!

"they're getting loose!" exclaimed philip. "go on, micky — just a bite or two more!"and, sure enough, after another bout of patient gnawing, the rope snapped when philip pulled on it.

he brought his freed hands round to the front of him, groaning.

"my word — they're painful! thanks, micky, old thing — you did a very good job of work. wait tillmy hands feel a bit better and i'll pat you from head to tail!"the rope was still dangling from one of his wrists, the knots in it tied as tightly as ever. philip pickedit off with the other hand. he opened and shut his numb fingers, and then proceeded to pet the littlemonkey, who, delighted to be fussed, snuggled into philip's arms with contented little grunts.

nobody hurried philip. nobody begged him to be quick and undo their bonds. everyone knew that itwas right for micky to have his reward.

"now, that's enough, old fellow," said philip, at last. "i must see to the others. you come and help!"philip put micky on to his usual place on his shoulder. he felt in his pocket for a knife. his handsstill felt queer and stiff, but they were rapidly getting more life into them. he brought out his knifeand clicked it open.

he cut the rope round his ankles, and then he tried to stand up. his feet felt queer, for his ankles hadbeen tied very tightly. but he was soon able to walk steadily. he went straight over to the girls.

he cut their bonds with his knife and lucy-ann gave a groan of thankfulness. "oh, philip — thankyou! that's better. dinah, are your hands all right?""bit stiff and numb," said dinah, rubbing them together. "wouldn't i like to tie up mr. eppy! andwouldn't i make the ropes tight! the brute! he must be mad."soon everyone was free. bill found it hardest to stand because his ankles had been tied veryviciously, and so had his hands. it took him some time to get the blood flowing freely in them, and itwas a very painful process at first.

everyone made a fuss over micky, and the little monkey enjoyed it all thoroughly, chattering softly.

jack kept an eye on kiki. she was jealous, and was looking out for a chance to nip micky's long tail.

"i'll tie you up if you try any tricks, kiki," warned jack, and tapped her smartly on the beak. she puther head under her wing, muttering to herself. "poor polly, poor polly, don't sniff, use your hanky!""she's irrepressible!" said bill, still massaging his wrists. "well, i feel better now. what about somefood, lads? if it's still there, of course!"jack was half-way to the column already. he had to get philip to give him a good leg-up, because hisankles still felt weak. up he went, and dropped down inside. he looked about for the food. it wasdark inside the column now, for the sun had gone. he felt about and to his delight found some breadand what felt like cheese. he called to philip.

"look out, philip. i'm throwing the food out."philip waited. out came bread, cheese and a packet of some kind of meat. "wait a bit — here's somemore bread," shouted jack, and out it came.

jack climbed out again, grinning. "they must have been in such a hurry to get to the treasure thatthey didn't even stop for a snack!" he said. "they must have seen the food there.""bill, is it safe to sit and have a meal?" asked lucy-ann anxiously.

"quite safe," said bill. "i'm going to sit here by the column — and i shall be very sorry for anyonewho tries to get out, whilst i'm here!"