chapter 12 very suspicious

the children, with the two dogs barking excitedly, ran to the other, seaward side of the island.

great rocks lay out there, and the sea splashed over them.

'there it is - a motor-boat!' cried dick. they all stood and watched the boat riding over the sea at avery fast speed.

'where are the glasses - did we bring them with us?' said julian. 'i'd like to focus them on the boatand see if i can read the name - or even see the men in it!'

but the glasses had been left behind at kirrin cottage - what a pity!

'they must have anchored their motor-boat out there, and somehow clambered inshore over therocks,' said george. 'it's a dangerous thing to do if you don't know the best way.'

52

'yes - and if they came last night, as i think they must have done, because i'm sure now it was theengine of the motor-boat that i heard,' said anne, 'if they came last night, they must have clamberedto the shore in the dark. i wonder they managed it!'

'it must have been the light of a lantern or a torch you saw on the island in the night,' said julian.

'they probably didn't want to be seen arriving on the island, and that's why they went to the otherside, the seaward side. i wonder if they were men spying to find out if berta is with us or not.'

'let's snoop around a bit more and see if we can find anything else,' said anne. 'the motor-boat isalmost out of sight now.'

they went back to the other side of the island. berta looked with awe at the old ruined castle in themiddle. jackdaws circled round a tower, calling loudly. 'chack-chack-chack!'

'once upon a time my castle had strong walls all round it,' said george. 'and there were two greattowers. one's almost in ruins, as you can see, but the other is fairly good. come right into the castle.'

berta followed the others in, struck dumb with awe. to think that this island, and this wonderful oldruined castle, belonged to george! how very, very lucky she was!

she went through a great doorway, and found herself in a dark room, with stone walls enclosing it.

two narrow, slit-like windows brought in all the light there was.

'it's strange and old and mysterious,' said berta, half to herself. 'it's asleep and dreaming of the olddays when people lived here. it doesn't like us being here!'

'wake up!' said dick. 'you look quite dopey!' berta shook herself and looked round again. then shewent on through the castle and looked at other rooms, some without roofs, some without one or twoof their walls.

'it's a honey of a castle!' she said to george. 'a real honey. wunnerful. wonderful.'

they wandered all round, showing the awe-struck berta everything. 'we'll show you the dungeonstoo,' said george, very pleased to be impressing berta so much.

'dungeons! you've got dungeons too - oh, of course, you told me about them,' said berta.

'dungeons! you don't say! my my, i'll never forget this afternoon.'

as they walked over the old courtyard timmy suddenly growled and stood still, his tail down, thehackles on his neck rising. everyone automatically stood still too.

'what is it, tim? asked george, in a whisper. timmy's nose was pointing towards the little harbourwhere they had left their boat.

53

'there must be someone there,' said dick. 'don't say they're going off with our boat!'

george gave a scream. her boat! her precious boat! she set off at top speed with timmy bounding infront.

'come back, george - there may be danger!' shouted julian, but george didn't listen. she ran over therocks that led down to the little harbour-beach, and then stopped still in surprise.

two policemen were walking up the sandy beach! their boat was drawn up beside george's.

they saluted her and grinned.

'afternoon, miss george!'

'what are you doing on my island?' demanded george, recognising them. 'why have you come here?'

'someone reported suspicious people on the island,' said the first policeman.

'who did?' said george. 'nobody knew about it but us!'

'i bet i know who reported it,' said dick suddenly. 'joan did! she didn't like us going off by ourselves;she said we ought to telephone the police.'

'that's right,' said the policeman. 'so we came to see for ourselves. found anyone?'

julian took command then, and related how they had first seen the cigarette ends, and then heard themotor-boat starting up, and had gone to see it roaring away from the island.

'ah,' said both policemen, profoundly. 'ah!'

'what do you mean - 'ah'?' asked dick.

'fred here heard a motor-boat somewhere in the bay in the night,' said the first man. 'what was itdoing there, i'd like to know?'

'so would we,' said julian. 'we saw someone on the island looking through binoculars at the beachthis morning.'

this brought forth two more 'ahs', and the policemen exchanged glances.

'good thing you've got a couple of dogs with you,' said the one called fred. 'well - we'll just have abit of a look round, and then we'll go back on our beats again. and mind you ring us up next timeanything turns up, miss george, see?'

off they went together, looking closely at the ground. they found the cigarette ends and picked themup. then on they went again.

54

'let's go back,' said george, in a low voice. 'it spoils things if other people are on the island. i don'twant to have a picnic here now. we'll go off in the boat somewhere and have a picnic tea in a cove.'

so they dragged the boat down to the water and jumped in. sally was very pleased to be back in theboat and ran from end to end wagging her stiff little tail in delight. timmy followed her up and downand got in everyone's way.

'how can i row if you keep on jumping over me, timmy?' complained dick. 'sally, you're just asbad. berta, are you all right? you look a bit green?'

'it's only excitement and the bumpy bit past the rocks,' said berta, anxious not to appear seasick infront of the others. 'i'll be all right as soon as we get on to calm waters.'

but she wasn't, so it was regretfully decided that they must row to the shore. they had a lazy tea onthe beach, and berta recovered enough to join in heartily.

'anyone got room for an ice-cream?' asked anne. 'because if so i'll stroll down to the shops and getsome. i want to buy a new pair of shoe-laces too. one of mine broke this morning.'

everyone appeared to have room for an ice-cream, so anne set off with sally, who wanted to comewith her. she went to the draper's and got the laces, and then went to the tea-shop that sold ices.

'seven, please,' she said. the girl in the shop smiled.

'seven! you used to ask for five.'

'yes, i know. but we've got someone staying with us - and another dog,' explained anne. 'and bothdogs like ice-creams.'

'that reminds me - someone was in my shop yesterday asking about your uncle,' said the girl.

'he said he knew him. he wanted to know how many children were staying at kirrin cottage, and ithought only the four of you were there - and timmy, of course. he seemed surprised, and said,surely there was another girl?'

'good gracious!' said anne, startled. 'did he really? how inquisitive! what did you say then?'

'i just said there were two boys and a girl, and a girl who liked to dress as a boy,' said the girl.

anne was glad to think the shop-girl hadn't known about berta. 'what was the man like?' she asked.

55

'quite ordinary,' said the girl, trying to remember. 'he wore dark glasses like so many visitors do inthe bright sun. i noticed he had a large gold ring on his finger when he paid my bill. that's all i canremember.'

'well, if anyone else asks you about us, just say we've got a friend staying with us called lesley,'

said anne. 'good-bye.'

she went off at top speed, anxious to tell the others. the man in the tea-shop must have been one ofthose who had gone to the island to watch the beach - he might have been staring at the five of themas they had played together. he must be one of the men now in the motor-boat. anne didn't like it,and it made her feel very uneasy.

she told the others what the shop girl had said as they sat in the sand and ate their ice-creams.

timmy gobbled his almost at once, and sat patiently watching for sally to deal with hers, hoping thatshe would leave some.

all the four listened intently to anne's little story.

'that settles it,' said dick. 'those men are certainly snooping round trying to find out if lesley ishere.'

'they are getting uncomfortably close,' said julian.

'still, your uncle and aunt come back tomorrow,' said berta. 'we'll tell them, and maybe they'll havesome good plan.'

'i hope those men don't know that they are away,' said dick, uneasily. 'i think we'll have to keep apretty close watch from now on. i wonder if berta ought to stay on here with us.'

'see what father says tomorrow,' said george. so it was decided that nothing should be done exceptto keep a sharp look-out until george's parents came back. they all went back rather soberly tokirrin cottage and told joan what had happened on the island.

'you telephoned to the police, joan!' said dick, shaking his finger at her.

'i did. and i was right to,' said joan. 'and what's more master lesley's bed is going to be movedaway from the window tonight and the window's going to be fastened even if we melt, and the doorwill be locked.'

'i'll lend you timmy, too, if you like,' said george. 'he can sleep in the room with sally. you oughtto be safe then!'

56

she really only meant it as a joke, but to her surprise joan accepted at once. 'thank you, miss,'

she said. 'i'd be glad of timmy. i feel all of a dither, left on my own like this, and kidnappers closingin on us!'

julian laughed. 'oh, it's not so bad as that, joan! only one more night and uncle quentin and auntfanny will be back.'

'oh - i quite forgot to tell you,' said joan. 'look, there's a telegram come. they're staying away awhole week! that's why i feel so scared. a week - well a lot can happen in a week!'