chapter 20 in the moonlight

they paddled rapidly away. dick took a last glance back to make sure that the cork and the box werestill bobbing on the water to mark the place where the sunken boat lay. yes - they were still 81there.

'it'll be maddening if it's cloudy tonight and the moon doesn't come out,' said george, as theypaddled. 'we shouldn't be able to see tock hill, tall stone and the rest - and we might paddle forages in the dark without spotting our cork-and-box mark.'

'don't cross your bridges before you come to them,' said dick.

'i'm not,' said george. 'i was only just hoping that wouldn't happen.'

'it won't,' said julian, looking at the sky. 'the weather's set fine again.'

as soon as maggie saw the children coming back again, she and dirty dick disappeared into theirtents. julian grinned. 'they've heaved a sigh of relief and gone to have a snack,' he said. 'i could dowith one myself.'

everyone felt the same. paddling was hard work, and the air on the lake was keen - quite enough togive anyone a large appetite!

they pushed the raft into its hiding-place again. then they made their way to the old house.

they went down into the cellar room. timmy growled and sniffed about again.

'i bet maggie and dirty dick have been here, snooping round again,' said george. 'looking for theirpork-pie and ham! good thing you locked it up, ju!'

julian unlocked the door into the cellars beyond, and brought out the food. 'a large toad was lookingat it with great interest,' he said, as he brought it back. 'timmy also looked at the toad with interest -but he's wary of toads by now. they taste much too nasty when pounced on!'

they took the meal up into the sunshine and enjoyed it. the orangeade was finished so they drank thecold clear water, pumping some vigorously.

'do you know it's a quarter to three?' said julian amazed. 'where has the time gone? in a couple ofhours or so it will be dark. let me see - the moon will be well up about eleven o'clock. that's the timeto go, i think.'

'please don't let's,' said anne. julian put his arm round her.

'now you know you don't mean that, anne,' he said. 'you know you'll enjoy it all when the timecomes. you couldn't bear to be left out of it! could you?'

'no, i suppose i couldn't,' said anne. 'but i don't like maggie and dirty dick!'

'nor do we,' said julian, cheerfully. 'that's why we're going to beat them at their own game.

we're on the side of the right, and it's worth while running into a bit of danger for that. now let's see -perhaps we'd better just keep an eye on that couple till it's dark - just in case they try any 82funny tricks - and then we'll have a snooze, if we can, so as to be sure to be lively tonight.'

'there they are!' said anne. as she spoke maggie and her companion came out of their tents.

they had a few words together and then walked off to the moorland.

'taking their usual stroll, i suppose,' said dick. 'let's have a game of cricket. there's a bit of woodover there for a bat, and i've got a ball in my rucksack.'

'good idea,' said julian. 'i still feel a bit chilled from my bathe. brrrrrr! that water was cold. i don'tfeel very thrilled at the thought of diving in tonight!'

'i'll do that,' said dick, at once. 'my turn this time!'

'no. i know exactly where to spot the loot,' said julian. 'i'll have to go down. but you can come downtoo, if you like, and help to tie the rope on to it.'

'right,' said dick. 'now look out - i'm going to bowl!'

they enjoyed their game. the sun sank lower and lower, then it disappeared. a cloud came over thesky and darkness came quickly. george looked up at the sky anxiously.

'it's all right,' said julian. 'it'll clear. don't you worry!'

before they went back into the house julian and dick slipped down to the boat-house for the coil ofrope they would want that night. they found it easily enough and came back, pleased. it was quitegood strong rope, frayed only in one place.

julian was right about the weather. the sky cleared again in about an hour, and the stars shonecrisply. good!

julian put timmy on guard at the doorway. then he and the others went into the dark cellar-roomand lighted a couple of candles. they all snuggled down into their beds of heather.

'i shan't be able to snooze,' complained anne. 'i feel much too excited.'

'don't snooze then,' said dick. 'just have a rest and wake us up at the right time!'

anne was the only one who didn't fall into a comfortable doze. she lay awake, thinking of this newadventure of theirs. some children always had adventures and some didn't. anne thought it would bemuch nicer to read about adventures than to have them. but then probably the ones who only readabout them simply longed to have the adventures themselves! it was all very difficult.

anne woke the others at ten to eleven. she shook george first, and then the boys. they were all insuch a comfortable sleep that it was hard to wake them.

but soon they were up and about, whispering. 'where's the rope? good, here it is. better put on 83blazers and macs. it'll be freezing on the lake. everyone ready? now - not a sound!'

timmy had come to the cellar room as soon as he had heard them stirring. he knew he had to bequiet so he didn't give even one small bark. he was thrilled to find they were going out into the night.

the moon was well up now, and although it was not full, it was very bright. small clouds swamacross the sky, and every now and again the moon went behind one of them and the world becamedark. but that was only for a minute or two, then out it came again, as brilliant as ever.

'any sign of the others?' whispered dick. julian stood at the doorway and looked towards the tents.

no - all was quiet there. still, it would be better if he and the others crept round the side of the houseand kept in the shadows.

'we don't want to run any risk of them spotting us now,' whispered julian, giving his orders.

'keep out of the moonlight, whatever you do. and see that tim walks to heel, george.'

keeping well in the shadows the five crept down to the lake- side. the water gleamed in themoonlight, and a bright moon-path ran all down it, lovely to see. the lake looked very dark andbrooding. anne wished it had a voice of some kind - even the little lap-lap-lap of waves at the edge.

but there was none.

they pulled out the raft and threw the coil of rope on to it. then they clambered on, enjoying itssmooth bob-bob-bobbing as they paddled out on the water. they were off!

timmy was thrilled. he kept licking first one of the four, then another. he loved going out in thenight. the moon shone down on the little company and turned every little ripple to silver as the raftbobbed over the water.

'it's a heavenly night,' said anne, looking round at the silent trees that lined the banks. 'the wholeplace is so quiet and peaceful.'

an owl immediately hooted very loudly indeed from the trees and anne jumped violently.

'now don't start all the owls hooting by talking about how quiet everything is,' teased julian. 'i agreethough that it really is a heavenly evening. how calm and mirror-like this lake is. i wonder if it everproduces a wave of any sort! do you suppose it stays like this even in a storm?'

'it's a queer sort of lake,' said dick. 'look out, timmy - that's my ear. don't lick it all away. i say- anyone looking out for our four bearings?'

'well, we know more or less where we've got to paddle the raft to,' said julian. 'we'll go in thatdirection and then see if we're spotting the bearings. i'm sure we're going right at the moment.'

84

they were. george soon saw tall stone, and then tock hill came into sight. it wasn't long beforesteeple was seen too, shining in the moonlight.

'i bet the nailer came and hid his loot out here on a moonlit night,' said julian. 'all the bearings canbe seen so very clearly - even tall stone. we really must find out sometime what it is. it looks like agreat stone pointer of some sort, put up in memory of something or somebody.'

'there's one chimney now,' said anne. 'we have got them all in view - we should be near our mark.'

'we are!' said dick, pointing to a little dark bobbing thing nearby. 'the cork and the box. howextremely clever we are! i really have a great admiration for the five!'

'idiot!' said julian. 'go on, strip now, dick - we'll do our job straight away. brrrrrrr! it's cold!'

both boys stripped quickly, putting their clothes into a neat pile in the middle of the raft. 'look afterthem, anne,' said julian. 'got the rope, dick? come on, then, in we go. we can't see the boat now,the waters are so dark - but we know it's just below the cork and the box!'

the boys dived in one after the other. splash! splash! they were both beautiful divers. the raftrocked as they plunged in and timmy nearly went in too.

julian had dived in first. he opened his eyes under the water and found that he could see the sunkenboat just below him. with two strong strokes he reached it, and tugged at the waterproof bag there.

dick was beside him almost at once, the rope in his hands. the boys twisted it tightly round the toppart of the bag.

before they could finish the job they had to rise up to the surface to breathe. dick couldn't hold hisbreath under water as long as julian and he was up first, gasping painfully. then julian shot up andthe night was full of great, painful breaths, as the boys gasped in the air they longed for.

the girls knew better than to ask anything just then. they waited anxiously till the boys'

breathing grew easier. julian turned and grinned at them.

'everything's all right!' he said. 'now - down we go again!'