The Legend of the Phantom Highwayman

by Tom McCaughren

‘Where’s Prince?’ asked Tapser.

  They looked around. The collie was nowhere to be seen, and Tapser called him and whistled.

  ‘There he is,’ said Cowlick. ‘Down by the water’s edge at the point.’

  Prince barked and disappeared again.

  ‘Come on boy,’ called Tapser, ‘we’ve got to go.’ When Prince didn’t come, he made his way over the rocks to see what was keeping him. Moments later he shouted to the others, ‘I think he’s discovered another cave.’

  Cautiously they slithered down the rocks and edged their way around to the point. There they found Prince exploring a large round cave. It was much nearer to the sea than any of the other caves – so much so that the water went in a short distance with each wave and then drained back out.

  ‘I think this is the one we’re looking for,’ said Róisín.

  ‘Let’s tell Peppi,’ Rachel suggested.

  ‘We’ll have to make sure first,’ said Tapser.

  ‘All right, but we must be careful,’ warned Cowlick. ‘We don’t want to be cut off.’

  ‘I don’t know,’ said Rachel as they made their way into the cave. ‘I don’t think Peppi meant us to go into it, just to find it for him.’

  ‘Shush,’ said Cowlick, ‘and keep together.’

  They could see by the light of the torch that the cave was deep.

  ‘I still think we should turn back and tell Peppi,’ whispered Rachel.

  ‘Listen,’ said Tapser. ‘I can hear something. Come on, we can’t turn back now.’

  Soon they came to a large cavern. Climbing onto a shelf of rock, they saw several tunnels branching off it. One was blocked by an iron gate, and peering through they found themselves looking into the bottling plant at the Castle Spa. White-coated workers were operating the machine, which sparkled and spun as it filled a seemingly endless row of bottles, capped them and placed them into crates.

  ‘There’s Max,’ whispered Róisín. ‘But I don’t see Whaler or Scamp.’

  ‘Let’s see where these other tunnels lead to,’ said Tapser. ‘They might bring us out on top.’

  Tapser held on to Prince, and holding on to each other they crept into one that sloped upwards. Here and there Cowlick stopped to shine his torch around the damp walls.

  ‘We still seem to be going up all right,’ whispered Róisín.

  ‘But where to?’ came Rachel’s voice from behind.

  ‘That’s a good question,’ said Cowlick, straining his eyes to peer ahead of them.

  ‘Well, we’ve come this far,’ said Tapser. ‘We might as well keep going.’

  Eventually even Tapser had to admit that they were getting nowhere. ‘Maybe Rachel’s right,’ he said. ‘We’d better go back out the way we came and tell Peppi.’

  That, however, was easier said than done. The way back wasn’t as easy to find as they thought, as the tunnel branched off in various directions and nowhere did the light seem to fall on anything familiar.

  ‘We’re lost,’ said Cowlick at last.

  ‘No we’re not,’ said Tapser. ‘Not as long as we have Prince.’

  ‘What are you going to do?’ asked Róisín.

  ‘Let him scout around. He should be able to pick up the scent we left on the way up.’

  ‘What if he barks?’ asked Rachel. ‘The men might hear him.’

  ‘That’s a chance we’ll have to take.’

  Tapser released Prince and off the collie went. After sniffing this tunnel and that, he seemed to make up his mind and disappeared down one of them.

  ‘Come on,’ whispered Tapser, taking the torch. ‘He’s found it.’

  A short time later they were back at the iron gate. They helped each other down over the shelf of rock and hurried along the cave towards the shore. Less than halfway along it, however, they were horrified to find their way blocked by the incoming tide. They were trapped!

  Running back, they crouched close together in the darkness of a tunnel near the iron gate and wondered what they were going to do.

  ‘There’s nothing for it but to sit tight,’ said Tapser.

  It wasn’t long before the waves were edging their way into the cavern, and bit by bit the water began to rise until at last it was level with the shelf of rock.

  ‘If the water rises any higher we’ll all be drowned,’ whispered Rachel.

  ‘Don’t worry,’ said Cowlick gently. ‘It won’t. We’re on the same level as the bottling plant.’

  ‘Listen,’ warned Tapser, clamping a hand over Prince’s nose to keep him quiet. ‘Someone’s coming.’

  They held their breath. They could hear the iron gate being opened, and saw the white-coated workers stacking crates of bottles on the shelf of rock near the water’s edge.

  Suddenly bright lights illuminated the cavern, the sound of a boat’s engine filled the air, and they saw Whaler and Scamp steer one of Max’s lobster boats up to the shelf of rock. Other workers tied ropes to rusty iron rings in the rock, and when the boat was moored tightly Whaler and Scamp removed a canvas cover from a pile of crates.

  One by one they lifted the crates and handed them up out of the boat to the other workers who took them into the bottling plant. When this had been done the crates that had been brought out earlier were handed down and stacked in the boat. Whaler and Scamp covered them with the sheet of canvas, climbed out and went into the plant.

  ‘I wonder what they’re up to?’ asked Cowlick.

  ‘I don’t know,’ said Tapser, ‘but there’s something funny going on.’

  ‘I agree,’ said Róisín. ‘We’ve got to get out of here somehow and tell Peppi.’

  ‘But how?’ asked Rachel.

  Tapser switched on the torch. ‘Let’s try this tunnel,’ he said, ‘and see where it leads to.’

  Quietly they stole up along the tunnel and to their surprise found it to be quite short. However, it offered no way out either, for it sloped down to the bottling plant. To make matters worse, Prince lost his footing on the slippery surface. Cowlick and Rachel stepped forward to catch him and, as Tapser and Róisín looked on horrified, the three of them skidded down the slope and tumbled out on to the floor of the bottling plant!

  Chaos followed. Startled workmen grabbed Cowlick and Rachel. Prince made a run for it and was chased by other workmen. Only Max seemed to keep calm. ‘There are probably two more of them,’ he told Whaler and Scamp. ‘The girl and the boy with the red hair. Find them.’

  Immediately Tapser and Róisín turned and made their way as quickly and as quietly as they could, back the way they had come. Behind them they could hear Whaler and Scamp scrambling up the slippery slope. Pausing at the iron gate, they wondered where to hide. Nearby was the tunnel where they had got lost. They weren’t going to go in there again.

  ‘Into the boat,’ said Tapser. ‘Quick’.

  Climbing on board, they crawled in under the canvas and lay still just as Whaler and Scamp arrived.

  ‘No one here, boss,’ they heard Whaler say.

  ‘Then take out the boat,’ ordered Max. ‘Quickly, we have no time to lose.’

  The engine started and Tapser and Róisín could feel the boat moving out of the cave. Now and then it scraped against the sides. Then they felt it smashing against the waves, and finally settling down to a steady rise and fall as it reached the open sea.

  ‘I wonder where we’re going?’ whispered Róisín.

  ‘I don’t know,’ replied Tapser from the darkness beside her. ‘If only we could see out.’

  ‘I think we’re at the bow,’ said Róisín. ‘That means Whaler and Scamp are probably back at the tiller.’

  Slowly they eased themselves up round to a sitting position. They parted the canvas cover where it was folded over in front of them. It was dark, and at first they couldn’t see a thing. Gradually, as their eyes adjusted to the night, they could make out the stars. The stars rose and fell before them and the noise of the engine was deafening as it pushed the boat further out to sea.

  After a w
hile they began to feel cramped from sitting in the same position for so long. They were also beginning to feel seasick when the tone of the engine changed and they started to slow down.

  ‘We’re coming to land,’ said Tapser. ‘I can just make out the cliffs.’

  ‘That’s not land,’ Róisín told him. ‘That’s a ship.’

  ‘You’re right. I can see it more clearly now.’

  ‘It’s got its lights switched off. But it looks like a cargo ship.’

  ‘I bet it’s the one from the harbour,’ said Tapser. ‘Remember, Peppi said it left yesterday.’

  Before they could say anything more, Whaler shouted ‘Ahoy!’ and from high in the darkness came an answering call. They were close to the ship now and soon it was looming over them like a solid black wall. There were many voices, foreign voices, and Whaler and Scamp were talking back up to them.

  A few minutes later there was the sound of wheels turning aboard the ship, and the clanking of a chain. Under the canvas, Tapser and Róisín heard Scamp scurrying around before climbing on top of the crates and tightening something up around them.

  ‘Oh, no,’ whispered Róisín. ‘We’re being winched on board!’

  Above them, unseen eyes watched as the consignment of crates was lifted from the lobster boat, swung in over the ship and lowered into a darkened hold. There was a bump, and the canvas cover went slack. With hearts thumping, Tapser and Róisín waited to be discovered. The minutes ticked by. They could hear voices far above them.

  ‘I wonder what’s happening?’ whispered Róisín.

  Cautiously they peeped out. As they did so, the covers of the hold were drawn shut and lights were switched on. They waited, but still nothing happened.

  ‘Come on,’ said Tapser.

  Pulling aside the canvas, they scrambled across the floor of the hold and hid behind some large wooden boxes. A short time later they saw some men coming down into the hold. The men removed the canvas cover from the crates and stacked them to one side.

  When the men had gone, Tapser said, ‘It says spa water on the crates, but I bet it’s poteen.’

  ‘So that’s how they do it,’ muttered Róisín. ‘The ship leaves the harbour with spa water, and then they swap cargoes!’

  ‘Shush,’ warned Tapser. ‘Somebody’s coming.’

  From their hiding place, they could see Whaler and Scamp, and another man in a peaked cap who looked like the captain, coming down into the hold. They stopped and looked at the crates of poteen, before walking across to a door and into a room that seemed to be full of gauges and clocks and things.

  ‘That must be the engine room,’ observed Tapser.

  ‘I’d love to know what they’re saying,’ said Róisín.

  ‘I think they’ve some sort of problem,’ Tapser told her. ‘Look at the way they’re pointing at the gauges. And the captain’s throwing up his hands as if to say what can he do about it.’

  ‘And look at Whaler,’ said Róisín. ‘He’s worried.’

  Whaler took off his cap and wiped the sweat from his brow with the sleeve of his coat.

  ‘I wonder if they’ve broken down?’ whispered Tapser.

  ‘I hope so,’ replied Róisín. ‘Or dear knows where we’ll end up. I mean, how are we going to get off this thing?’

  Before Tapser could answer, the engine started up and the captain, Whaler and Scamp went above deck. A shudder ran through the ship and it started to move. A few minutes later, however, the engine died again.

  ‘They’re having trouble all right,’ said Tapser. ‘With a bit of luck they’ll have to pull into the nearest port.’

  ‘I hope you’re right,’ said Róisín. ‘I don’t fancy ending up in some foreign port. How would we get back? And what about our folks? They won’t know what has happened to us.’

  ‘Not to mention Cowlick and Rachel. I wonder what’s happened to them?’

  ‘Oh, I do hope they’re okay. Rachel was right. We shouldn’t have gone into that cave in the first place.’

  ‘Well it can’t be helped now,’ said Tapser.

  ‘But what are we going to do?’ asked Róisín. ‘Cowlick and Rachel won’t know where we’ve gone. So they can’t help us, and we can’t help them.’

  The same thoughts were going through Tapser’s mind, but he didn’t want to add to Róisín’s worries. Somehow he felt responsible.

  ‘Listen,’ said Róisín. ‘They’ve got the engine going again. We’re moving!’

  8. TRAPPED IN THE MIST

  When Cowlick and Rachel slid down onto the floor of the bottling plant after Prince and were seized by some of the workers, they felt sure Whaler and Scamp would return with Tapser and Róisín. The last thing they expected to hear Whaler saying was that there was no one else there. Where could they have gone in such a short time? Unless they had nipped into the other tunnel. If so, they had fooled Whaler and Scamp. Cowlick and Rachel gave each other a knowing glance. They were both thinking the same. With Tapser and Róisín free, it would only be a matter of time before they raised the alarm. In the meantime, however, they were both prisoners, held firmly by some of Max’s men while others tried to catch Prince.

  Seeing the collie playing hide-and-seek around the crates and machinery, Max told his men, ‘Do not waste your time. He cannot leave here.’ Turning to Cowlick and Rachel, he added, ‘And neither, I’m afraid, can you, my young friends.’

  ‘What are you going to do with us?’ asked Cowlick, hoping his voice didn’t sound panicky.

  ‘Do not worry,’ said Max, ‘I am not going to hurt you. But you will have to be my guests for a while.’ Then to the men he said, ‘Tie them up.’

  ‘Where will we put them?’ asked one of the men.

  ‘My office,’ Max told them.

  Cowlick and Rachel were taken up several steps and into the office, where they were bound hand and foot to two chairs. The front and sides of the office were almost entirely made of glass and they reckoned it was from there that Max oversaw his operation.

  ‘At least they didn’t gag us the way they do in the films,’ said Cowlick.

  Rachel managed a forlorn smile, ‘Nobody would hear us anyway.’

  ‘That’s what they think,’ said Cowlick. ‘They don’t know Tapser and Róisín are somewhere around. So cheer up. We’ll be out of here in no time.’

  A short time later Max came in. ‘I am afraid I must leave you.’

  ‘Where are you going?’ asked Cowlick.

  ‘We are finished here now – thanks to you. But we were almost finished anyhow. I am sorry to have to leave you like this, but you have given me no choice.’ So saying, and with a slight bow of his head, he turned and left.

  Somewhere above them, Cowlick and Rachel heard a heavy door banging shut. After that, the only sound to be heard was the lapping of the water beyond the iron gate.

  ‘What are we going to do?’ asked Rachel.

  ‘Let’s see if we can edge the chairs over to the door.’ As they shuffled their chairs across the floor of the office, Prince pushed open the door and put his front paws up on Cowlick’s lap.

  ‘Good boy, Prince,’ said Cowlick. ‘Fetch Tapser. Go on, that’s a good boy.’

  Prince went out and they watched through the glass as he climbed up the slippery slope to the adjoining tunnel, and reappeared a few moments later at the water’s edge beyond the iron gate. He sniffed the ground, looked around uncertainly and returned to them.

  ‘Go on boy, seek’m,’ urged Cowlick, and then shouted, ‘Tapser, Róisín. We’re over here.’

  ‘In the office,’ called Rachel.

  The only answer they got, however, was the echo of their own voices.

  ‘Where can they have got to?’ asked Rachel. There was a tremble in her voice as she put into words her brother’s own unspoken question.

  ‘I don’t know,’ he said, ‘but don’t worry. No harm can come to us here. We’ll just have to try and free ourselves, that’s all.’

  That, as it turned out, was
easier said than done. For what seemed like hours, the two of them twisted and turned and wriggled and pulled, but their bonds remained secure.

  ‘They must be seamen’s knots,’ grumbled Cowlick as he twisted his fingers up around to the knots again. ‘The cord’s a bit looser but the knots are tighter than ever.’

  ‘Maybe Prince could pull them loose,’ suggested Rachel. ‘You know, the way they do in the films. Come on, Prince. Here, untie me, that’s a good boy.’

  ‘He doesn’t understand you.’

  ‘Well, it always works on the telly.’

  ‘Let’s back up to each other and see if we can get them loose that way,’ said Cowlick.

  Rachel sighed. ‘All right. I suppose it’s worth a try.’ By now, both of them were cold and tired. Their wrists stung from the constant twisting against the cord. Their fingers ached to the bone and their nails hurt to the very quick from all the pulling and pushing and poking at the knots. Beyond the iron gate the water had disappeared with the ebbing tide. Morning was approaching.

  Prince lay on the floor of the office, watching as Cowlick and Rachel, sitting back-to-back, continued to wrestle with the cords that kept them from escaping and raising the alarm.

  ‘I think you’re getting somewhere,’ said Cowlick. ‘Keep going.’

  Rachel pulled and pulled at the cord on her brother’s wrist. Her nails were in bits.

  ‘You’ve done it!’ cried Cowlick at last, pulling his hands free. Quickly he untied the cord binding his legs, and set about freeing Rachel.

  ‘Hurry,’ she urged him.

  A moment later Rachel was free too and, pausing only long enough to stretch their cramped arms and legs, they dashed across the floor of the bottling plant. Pushing open the iron gate, they jumped down off the rocky ledge and ran down the cave to the sea. Prince was ahead of them, standing on the rocks barking for all he was worth. Climbing up to where he was, they almost cried with relief at what they saw. Clambering across the rocks to meet them was a search party led by Peppi.

  * * *

  Aboard the cargo ship Tapser and Róisín sat up with a start. It seemed that the engine had been going all night. Now it had stopped, and the clanking of a heavy chain told them that the anchor had been dropped. Climbing a series of steep, metal stairways, they edged along a narrow corridor, and stepping out through an equally narrow doorway, found themselves on deck. So far, so good, they thought, and, hurrying across the deck, hid among several large coils of rope.