The Valley of Adventure

by Enid Blyton

  After about an hour he gave a low exclamation. ‘Hallo! Here they come – all four – prisoner still with his hands tied, stumbling along, poor thing.’

  The four men passed some distance away. The children saw them well. They recognised the two men they knew, and Jack told them the fourth man was called Luis. The prisoner’s name he didn’t know. It was plain that the poor man was giddy for lack of food and drink.

  ‘Now, you girls stay here, see?’ said Jack. ‘At any rate, till we are well out of sight. Then go back to the waterfall, and keep somewhere about there. Don’t get lost! Take Kiki, Lucy-Ann. We don’t want her with us.’

  Lucy-Ann took Kiki and held her ankles. Kiki gave such an angry squawk that the children looked uneasily after the four men to see if by any chance they had heard. But they hadn’t.

  Jack and Philip made ready to set off. ‘I’ve got my field glasses,’ said Jack. ‘I can keep the men well in sight, while following quite a long way behind, so that they won’t spot us. Cheerio!’

  The boys went off cautiously, keeping to every bit of cover they could. They could still see the men far away in the distance. ‘Do we need to mark the way we’re going?’ asked Philip. ‘Or shall we be able to find the way back, do you think?’

  Better mark things where we can,’ said Jack. ‘You never know. Mark rocks with white chalk. Here’s a bit. And trees we will notch.’

  They went on, climbing upwards a good way behind the four men. Soon they came to a very steep place, difficult to keep their footing on, because the surface was so loose that they slid down continually.

  ‘I hope they’ve undone that poor prisoner’s hands, panted Jack. ‘I’d hate to do climbing like this and have my hands bound so that I couldn’t save myself when I slipped.’

  When they came to the end of the rough piece, the men were nowhere to be seen. ‘Blow!’ said Jack. ‘That bit held us up too long. Now we’ve lost them!’

  He put his field glasses to his eyes and swept the mountainside. Some way to the east and above them he suddenly saw four small figures. ‘There they are!’ he said. ‘It’s all right. I can see them. That way, Tufty.’

  On they went again, going more quickly now because the way was easier. They picked wild raspberries as they went, and once stopped for a drink at a little clear spring of water that gushed from under a rock.

  They did not lose sight of the men again except for a moment or two. The men did not turn round, or use field glasses at all. Plainly they did not expect anyone to follow them.

  Now the boys came to a very desolate part of the mountainside. Big boulders had rolled down. Trees had been torn in half. Great ruts had been torn out of the earth and rock, and although the grass was growing everywhere to hide the scars, it was clear that some catastrophe had happened here.

  ‘An avalanche, I should think,’ said Jack. ‘I guess a terrific fall of snow happened here – bringing down with it boulders and rocks of all sizes – knocking down trees and scoring those ruts. Last winter, I should think.’

  ‘Where are the men?’ said Philip. ‘I can’t see them now. They went round the ledge.’

  ‘Yes. We’ll have to be careful how we go round,’ said Jack. ‘We might easily be seen coming round there. There’s not much cover in this devastated bit.’

  So they went very cautiously round the ledge – and it was a good thing they did, for almost at once they heard voices and saw the four men.

  Jack pressed Philip back. Just above the ledge was a bush. The boys climbed up to it, pressed against it, and parted the leaves so that they might see through. They found that they were looking down into a rocky gully.

  Here, too, there had evidently been a great fall of rocks. In front of one heap stood the prisoner. His hands were now untied. He was pointing to the heap of rocks, and saying something in his rather dull, low voice. The guard translated, and Jack strained his ears to hear what he had to say.

  ‘He says the entrance was here,’ the guard said. The four men stared at the fall of rock.

  ‘Exactly where?’ said Juan impatiently, and glared at the prisoner. He pointed again, mumbling something.

  ‘He says he didn’t know there had been a fall of rock here,’ said the guard. ‘He says the entrance seems to be blocked up. But if you try to lift away some of these rocks, maybe you could find enough room to go in.’

  Juan flew into a temper, but whether with the prisoner or the annoying fall of rocks it was difficult to say. He fell upon the boulders and began to drag at them feverishly, shouting to Luis and Pepi to help. The prisoner at first did nothing but sat down miserably on a rock. Juan shouted at him too, and he dragged himself up to help, though he was too weak to do anything in the way of lifting.

  He pulled at a rock, staggered and fell. The others let him lie where he fell, and went on dragging at the great stones, panting and wiping the sweat from their foreheads.

  The two boys watched them. It looked impossible, from where they were, to unblock any cave entrance there. ‘Why,’ whispered Jack to Philip, ‘hundreds of stones must have fallen there! They’ll never, never be able to shift them like that!’

  Evidently the men thought so too, after a while, for they gave up pulling the boulders about and sat down to rest. The guard pointed to the fallen prisoner and spoke.

  ‘What about him? How are we going to take him back?’

  ‘Oh, give him some food and a drink,’ growled Juan. ‘He’ll be all right then.’

  ‘We’d better go now,’ whispered Philip. ‘They’ll be starting back soon. Come on. How disappointing that we haven’t discovered anything, though! I did hope we might see something of the treasure.’

  ‘If it’s hidden behind that wall of fallen stone it’ll need powerful machinery to get it out,’ said Jack.

  ‘Nobody could move those bigger stones by hand. Come on, quickly.’

  They set out on their way back, going as quickly as they could, glad that they had marked rocks and trees or they might have missed their way here and there.

  The girls welcomed them, and poured questions on them. But the boys shook their heads most disappointingly.

  ‘The treasure cave is blocked up,’ said Jack. ‘I only hope the men don’t give up and leave this valley altogether. We’ll be properly stranded then.’

  16

  Rescue of the prisoner

  Some while after Jack and Philip had got back to the cave, Lucy-Ann, who was looking out between the fern fronds, gave a cry. ‘I say, there’s a man down there! – look, by the waterfall! Two men – no, three!’

  Jack pulled the string which tied back the fronds and let them swing together to hide the cave. Then, parting the fronds carefully, he looked through.

  ‘I might have guessed they would come back this way, to have another hunt for us here,’ he said. ‘Blow them! One – two – three of them. Where’s the prisoner?’

  ‘Fallen by the way, I should think, poor fellow,’ said Philip, peering out too. ‘He looked terribly feeble.’

  The children watched the three men eagerly to see what they meant to do. It was soon clear. Luis and Juan were to go back to their hut, but Pepi was to be left to keep watch on the waterfall, to see who went in and out, and to try and discover the way that was used. The children could not hear what was said, but it was all plain enough.

  Luis and Juan departed. Where the prisoner was nobody could guess. Pepi sat down on a rock that overlooked the waterfall, just about the level of the ledge where the girls had stood the day before.

  ‘Blow!’ said Jack. ‘How can we get in and out without being seen? It’s true he’s got his back to us, but he might turn round at any time.’

  Lucy-Ann began to worry about the prisoner. ‘Suppose he has fallen down on the way, and the men have left him there,’ she said. ‘He’d die, wouldn’t he?’

  ‘I suppose so,’ said Jack, feeling anxious too.

  ‘But Jack, we can’t leave him to die,’ said Lucy-Ann, her eyes big with horror. ‘You know we
can’t. I shan’t rest till I know what’s happened to him.’

  ‘I feel rather like that too,’ said Jack, and the others nodded. ‘There was something awful about the hopeless way he sat. I’m sure he was ill.’

  ‘But how can we find out what’s happened to him, whilst that fellow down there is guarding this place?’ said Philip gloomily.

  Everyone fell silent. It was a puzzler. Then Lucy-Ann brightened up. ‘I know,’ she said. ‘There’s one certain way of making sure Pepi doesn’t see anyone creeping out of this cave.’

  ‘What?’ said Jack.

  ‘Well, if one or two of us got behind the waterfall and capered about a bit to attract the man’s attention, he would be all eyes for them, and wouldn’t notice anyone creeping out of this cave,’ said Lucy-Ann.

  ‘There’s something in that,’ said Jack, and Philip nodded. ‘Yes, quite a good idea. Well, there’s no time like the present. Shall we give a performance for dear Pepi now? You two girls could go and caper about, if you like – you are quite safe when you’re behind the waterfall, because nobody can possibly get at you there, unless they go that same way as you do. And Pepi certainly doesn’t know that way. Whilst you are attracting his attention, Philip and I will go off and see if we can see any sign of the prisoner.’

  ‘Well, wait here till you see us behind the water,’ said Dinah, and she got up. She and Lucy-Ann disappeared up the hole at the back of the cave. The boys waited patiently for them to appear behind the waterfall.

  After some while Philip clutched Jack’s arm. ‘There they are! Good old Lucy-Ann, good old Dinah! They’re having a fine old game down there. What are they waving? Oh, they’ve taken off their red pullovers and they’re waving them like mad – doing a kind of dance.’

  Pepi caught sight of them at once. He stared in surprise, and then stood up. He yelled and shouted and waved. The girls took no notice at all, but went on capering. Pepi began to try all kinds of ways to get to the waterfall.

  ‘Now’s our chance,’ said Jack. ‘Come on. His eyes will be glued on Lucy-Ann and Dinah for ages.’

  They crept quickly out of the cave, swinging the fronds closely together behind them. They climbed up the rocks there and soon took cover so that they could not be seen. When the girls saw that they were safely out of the cave and could no longer be seen, they left the waterfall ledge and went back into the passage that led to the cave of echoes. They had done their bit.

  The boys made their way cautiously over the rocks, keeping a good lookout for the others. When they were quite a long way from Pepi, they stopped to take counsel.

  ‘Now – should we go back to that blocked up cave where apparently the treasure is, and see if we can find the prisoner fallen by the way – or shall we scout a bit in the other direction – back to the men’s hut, to see if by any chance they’ve taken him there?’

  ‘Better go to the men’s hut,’ said Philip, thinking. ‘I don’t think it’s very likely they’ve left him to die by the wayside. They might still want to get something out of him.’

  So they made their way back to the men’s hut. How well they knew the way now! They saw the smoke of the fire long before they came near, and by that they knew the men were back.

  There was no sign to be seen of the two men or of the prisoner. Cautiously the boys peered through the trees near the hut. The door of the hut was shut and presumably locked. Were the men inside?

  ‘Hark, isn’t that the sound of the plane’s engine running?’ asked Philip suddenly. ‘Yes, it is. Are those fellows going off again?’

  They went to a place from which they could see the plane well by means of Jack’s field glasses. The men were not going off – merely doing something to their plane. There was no sign of the prisoner being with them.

  ‘Stay here, Philip, with my field glasses and keep an eye on the plane and the men,’ said Jack, pushing his glasses into Philip’s hand. ‘Come and tell me at once if they stop their work there and go towards the hut. I’m going to peep in at the hut window and see if the prisoner is there. I’m worried about him.’

  ‘Right,’ said Philip, and put the field glasses to his eyes. Jack sped off. He soon came to the hut. He tried the door. Yes, it was locked all right. He crept round to the window and peeped in.

  The prisoner was there. He was sitting in the chair, the picture of misery, his face in his hands. As Jack looked, he heard him groan deeply, and it was such a dreadful noise that the boy’s heart was wrung.

  ‘If only I could get him out!’ he thought. ‘No use breaking the window. It’s too small even for me to get in, and certainly that fellow couldn’t squeeze out. What can I do? I can’t break down the door. It’s jolly strong!’

  He went all round the hut two or three times, but there was absolutely no way of getting in. He stood and stared at the door, hating it. Horrid strong thing!

  And then he saw an unbelievable sight. There was a nail at one side of the door, and on it hung – a key! A large key! A key that surely must fit the door. Otherwise why should it be there? It must have been put there so that any of the men could go in and out at any time without waiting for the one who had the key.

  With trembling fingers Jack took the key from the nail. He put it into the lock of the door. He turned it. It was stiff – but it turned all right.

  The door swung open and Jack went in. The prisoner, hearing the door open, looked up. He stared in surprise at Jack. The boy grinned at him.

  ‘I’ve come to set you free,’ he said. ‘Like to come with me?’

  The man did not seem to understand. He frowned a little and stared even harder at Jack.

  ‘Spik slow,’ he said. Jack repeated what he had said. Then the boy tapped himself on the chest and said, ‘I am your friend. Friend! Understand?’

  The man evidently did understand that. A slow smile broke over his face. It was a nice face – a kindly, sad, trustable face, Jack thought. The boy held out his hand.

  ‘Come with me,’ he said.

  The man shook his head. He pointed to his feet. They were bound tightly with rope, which the man obviously had not had the strength to untie. Jack whipped out his pocket-knife in a trice. He sawed through the thick strands and they fell apart. The man stood up unsteadily, looking as if he was about to fall. Jack steadied him, thinking that he would never be able to walk all the way to their cave. He seemed even weaker than before.

  ‘Come on,’ said the boy ugently. ‘We haven’t much time to lose.’

  Jack put the cut pieces of rope into his pocket. He led the man to the door, put him outside and then carefully locked the door again, hanging the key on its nail. He grinned at the prisoner.

  ‘Bit of a surprise for Juan and Luis to find you’ve apparently walked through a locked door,’ said the boy. ‘I’d like to be here when they unlock the door and find you gone.’

  Jack took the man’s arm and piloted him away into the cover of the nearby trees. The man walked very unsteadily. He gave a groan every now and again as if it hurt him to walk. Jack felt more and more certain that he would never be able to get to the cave.

  He wondered what to do. Perhaps he could park the man in the old cowshed he and the others had found the first day they had arrived? He could put him in the last cowstall, and then fetch him the next day, when he was a little more recovered. That would be the best thing.

  ‘You stay here a minute,’ said the boy, thinking he had better run to Philip, tell him what had happened and get him to keep guard till he got the man safely installed in the shed.

  Philip was intensely surprised to hear what Jack had to tell him. He nodded and agreed to stay on guard till Jack came for him.

  ‘The men seem to be overhauling the plane,’ he said. ‘Looks as if they’ll be busy for some time.’

  Jack helped the stumbling prisoner over to the cowshed. It took a long time to get there, because the man went so slowly.

  Once there, he sank down in the stall and panted painfully. He was certainly an ill man. But t
here was no doctor for him – only Jack’s gentleness, for which he seemed to be very grateful.

  ‘You stay here till tomorrow, when I will fetch you to a safer hiding place,’ said Jack, speaking very slowly indeed. ‘I will leave you water to drink and food to eat.’

  The boy meant to open a tin or two from the store still hidden in the bush. He could easily get them and leave them beside the man.

  ‘The man tapped his chest. ‘Otto Engler,’ he said, and repeated it two or three times. Jack nodded, and pointed to his own chest.

  ‘Jack Trent,’ he said. ‘Me Jack – you Otto.’

  ‘Friend,’ said the man. ‘You – English?’

  ‘Me English,’ said Jack gravely. You?’

  ‘Austrian,’ said the man, pronouncing it in a curious way. ‘Friend. Good friend. Why you here?’

  Jack tried to explain how it was he and the others had come, but it was too complicated for the man to understand and he shook his head.

  ‘Not understand,’ he said. Then he leaned forward to Jack and spoke in a low voice.

  ‘You know of treesure?’

  ‘Treesure? Oh, you mean treasure,’ said Jack, ‘Not much. You know – of treasure?’

  ‘I know all,’ said the man. ‘All! I draw you map – where treesure is. You good boy. I trust you.’

  17

  A treasure map

  Jack’s first feeling on hearing this was one of tremendous excitement. Then his face fell. He knew where the treasure was. Behind that fall of rock. What use was that? Nobody could get at it there.

  ‘I know where treasure is,’ said Jack, trying to speak slowly and simply. ‘I saw you show the men this morning – but the rocks had fallen together, and they could not get into the treasure-cave behind.’

  The man gave a short laugh. He seemed to understand. ‘They are fools,’ he said. ‘Big fools. There is no treesure there.’

  Jack stared at him. ‘Do you mean to say – you fooled them?’ he said. ‘You knew that fall of rocks was there – and you took them to it, and pretended that the entrance to the treasure was all blocked up? Isn’t the treasure behind those rocks after all?’