chapter 14 where is the 'saucy jane'?

they walked beside the lake-side as best they could. it was difficult because bushes and trees grewright down to the edge. it seemed as if there was no boat-house at all.

and then george came to a little backwater, leading off the lake. 'look!' she called. 'here's a sort ofriver running from the lake.'

'it's not a river. it's only a little backwater,' said dick. 'now we may find a boat-house somewherehere.'

they followed the backwater a little way, and then julian gave an exclamation. 'there it is! but it's socovered up with ivy and brambles that you can hardly see it!'

they all looked where he pointed. they saw a long low building built right across the backwater, 56where it narrowed and came to an end. it was almost impossible to tell that it was a building, it wasso overgrown.

'that's it!' said dick, pleased. 'now for the saucy jane!'

they scrambled through bushes and brambles to get to the entrance of the building. it had to beentered by the front, which was over the water and completely open. a broad ledge ran right roundthe boat-house inside, and the steps that went up to it from the bank outside were all broken away,completely rotted.

'have to tread warily here,' said julian. 'let me go first.'

he tried the old wooden steps, but they gave way beneath him at once. 'hopeless!' he said. 'let's seeif there's any other way into the boat-house.'

there wasn't - but at one side some of the wooden boards that made the wall of the boat-house wereso rotten that they could be pulled away to make an opening. the boys pulled them down and thenjulian squeezed through the opening into the dark, musty boat-house.

he found himself on the broad ledge that went round the great shed. below him was the dark, quietwater with not even a ripple on it. he called to the others.

'come along in! there's a wooden ledge to stand on here, and it's hardly rotted at all. it must be madeof better wood.'

they all went through the opening and stood on the ledge, peering down. their eyes had to get usedto the darkness at first, because the only light came through the big entrance at the farther end - andthat was obscured by big trails of ivy and other creepers hanging down from roof to water.

'there are boats here!' said dick, excited. 'tied up to posts. look - there's one just below us.

let's hope one of them is the saucy jane!'

there were three boats. two of them were half full of water, and their bows were sunk right down.

'must have got holes in them,' said julian, peering about. he had got out his torch and was shining itall round the old boat-house.

oars were strung along the walls. dirty, pulpy masses of something lay on the shelves too -rotted cushions probably. a boat-hook stood in one corner. ropes were in coils on a shelf. it was adreary desolate sight, and anne didn't like the queer echoes of their voices in the damp-smelling,lonely boat-house.

'let's see if any of the boats are called saucy jane,' said dick. he flashed his torch on to the 57nearest one. the name was almost gone.

'what is it?' said dick, trying to decipher the faded letters. 'merry something.'

'meg!' said anne. 'merry meg. well, she may be a sister of saucy jane. what's the next boat's name?'

the torch shone steadily on to it. the name there was easier to read. they all read it at once.

'cheeky charlie!'

'brother to merry meg!' said dick. 'well, all i can say is that these poor old boats look anything butmerry or cheeky.'

'i'm sure the last one must be saucy jane!' said anne, excited. 'i do hope it is!'

they went along the broad ledge and tried to read the name on the half-sunk boat there. 'it beginswith c,' said george, disappointed. 'i'm sure it's c.'

julian took out his handkerchief and dipped it in the water. he rubbed at the name to try and clean itand make it clearer.

it could be read then - but it wasn't saucy jane! 'careful carrie!' read the four, mournfully.

'blow!'

'merry meg, cheerful charlie, careful carrie,' said julian. 'well, it's quite obvious that saucy janebelongs to the family of boats here - but where oh where is she?'

'sunk out of sight?' suggested dick.

'don't think so,' said julian. 'the water is pretty shallow in this boat-house - it's right at the very endof the little backwater, you see. i think we should be able to spot a boat sunk to the bottom.

we can see the sandy bottom of the backwater quite clearly by the light of our torches.'

just to make quite sure they walked carefully all round the broad wooden ledge and flashed theirtorches on the water that filled the boat-house. there was no completely sunken boat there at all.

'well, that's that,' said dick. 'the saucy jane is gone. where? why? and when?'

they flashed their torches round the walls of the boat-house once more. george's eye was caught by alarge flat wooden thing standing upright on the ledge at one side of the house.

'what's that?' she said. 'oh - a raft, isn't it? that's what those paddles are for, then, that i saw on theshelf above.'

they went and examined the raft. 'yes - and in quite good condition too,' said julian. 'it would berather fun to see if it would carry us on the water.'

'ooooh yes!' said anne, thrilled. 'that would be super. i always like rafts. i'd rather try that raft 58than any of those boats.'

'well, there's only one boat that is possible to use,' said julian. 'the others are obviously no good- they must have big holes in to sink down like that.'

'hadn't we better look into them carefully just to make sure there's no loot hidden there?' said dick.

'if you like,' said julian. 'but i think it's saucy jane that's got the loot - otherwise why mention it byname in that message?'

dick felt that julian was right. all the same he went to examine the three boats most methodically.

but except for rotted and burst cushions and coils of rope there was nothing to be seen in the boats atall.

'well - where's the saucy jane?' said dick, puzzled. 'all the family are here but her. can she behidden anywhere on the banks of the lake?'

'that's an idea!' said julian, who was trying to shift the big raft. 'that's a really good idea! i think weought to explore all round the lake and see if we can find the saucy jane hidden anywhere.'

'let's leave the raft for a bit then,' said george, feeling thrilled at the thought of possibly finding thesaucy jane tucked away somewhere, all the loot hidden in her. 'let's go now!'

they made their way round the wooden ledge to the opening they had made in the side of theboathouse, and jumped down. timmy leapt down gladly. he hadn't liked the dark boat-house at all.

he ran into the warm sunshine, wagging his tail.

'now which side of the lake shall we go first?' said anne. 'the left or the right?'

they went down to the edge of the silent water and looked to left and right. they both seemed to beequally thick with bushes!

'it's going to be difficult to keep close to the edge of the water,' said julian. 'anyway, we'll try.

the left side looks a bit easier. come on!'

it was fairly easy at first to keep close to the water, and examine any tiny creek or look under over-hanging bushes. but after about a quarter of a mile the undergrowth became so very thick and grewso close to the water's edge that it was quite impossible to force their way through it withoutcompletely ruining their clothes.

'i give up!' said julian at last. 'i shall have no jersey left in a minute! these spiteful brambles! myhands are ripped to bits.'

'yes - they are spiteful!' said anne. 'i felt that too!'

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timmy was the only one really enjoying himself. he couldn't imagine why the four were scramblingthrough such thick undergrowth, but as it was just what he liked he was very pleased.

he was disappointed when they decided to give up and go back.

'shall we try the right hand side of the lake, do you think?' said julian, as they went back, ratherdisheartened.

'no. don't let's,' said anne. 'it looks even worse than this side. it's only waste of time. i'd rather goout on the raft!'

'well - that would surely be a better way of exploring the banks of the lake than scrambling throughprickly bushes, wouldn't it?' said george. 'we'd only need to paddle along slowly and squint into allthe little creeks and under over-hanging trees - it would be easy!'

'of course,' said dick. 'we were silly not to think of it before. it would be a lovely way of spendingthe afternoon, anyway.'

they came through the trees and saw the ruined house in the distance. timmy suddenly stopped.

he gave a low growl, and all the others stopped too.

'what's up, timmy?' said george in a low voice. 'what is it?'

timmy growled again. the others cautiously retreated behind bushes and looked intently towards thehouse. they could see nothing out of the way. nobody seemed to be about. then what was timmygrowling at?

and then a woman came in sight, and with her was a man. they were talking earnestly together.

'maggie! i bet it's maggie!' said julian.

'and the other is dirty dick,' said dick. 'i recognize him - yes - it's dirty dick.'