by Enid Blyton
‘It doesn’t look as if it will rain,’ said Dinah. But Tassie disagreed.
‘It feels stormy,’ she said. ‘I think there will be a thunderstorm, and maybe torrents of rain. I hope we shan’t be here, on the top of the hill, if there is a storm, because it would be a frightening sight. The thunder rolls round and round the top, and the lightning seems to run down the hillside!’
‘I expect we’ll all be rescued before the storm comes,’ said Dinah. ‘I’m expecting to see Jack any time now – bringing us help of some sort!’
25
At midnight
Jack slept peacefully again for some hours. He did not wake till Bill returned in the car. With him were four ‘friends’. Jack thought they looked pretty tough. It was plain that Bill was in authority over them.
Bill came into the kitchen, leaving the men outside. ‘Hallo!’ he said. ‘Awake at last? Do you want a meal? It’s gone one o’clock.’
‘Gracious, is it!’ said Jack. ‘Yes, I feel jolly hungry.’
‘You get up now and put some clothes on,’ said Bill, ‘and I’ll call one of my men in to fix us up a meal. I don’t expect Mrs Mannering will mind if we make free with her kitchen today.’
‘Are we going up to the castle soon?’ said Jack, gathering the dressing-gown round him, and preparing to go upstairs to his bedroom.
‘Not till tonight,’ said Bill. ‘The moon won’t be up till late, and we plan to go just before midnight, whilst it is still dark. I’ve no doubt one or other of those men keeps a lookout during the daytime.’
‘Oh – the girls will be awfully tired of waiting for us, all day long,’ said Jack.
‘Can’t very well help it,’ said Bill. ‘It is most important that we get in without being seen.’
Jack went up and dressed. It was terribly hot, though the sun was behind sulky-looking clouds. He felt out of breath, though he had done nothing at all.
‘Feels like a storm,’ he thought. ‘I hope it won’t come today. It might frighten the girls up there all alone.’
There was a scampering of clawed feet on the stairs, and into his bedroom came Button, his brush waving behind him, his sharp eyes fixed on Jack as if to say ‘Well, well, how you do get about, to be sure! I never know whether to find you up at the castle or down here – but I wish I could find old Philip!’
‘Looking for Tufty, are you?’ said Jack, patting the fox cub, who immediately rolled over like a dog. ‘Hey, Bill – did you see our fox cub?’
‘Well, a small tornado swept into the kitchen and up the stairs,’ called back Bill, ‘but I didn’t see what it was! Come on down with him.’
Jack went down, carrying Button, who licked his nose rapturously all the time. Bill thought he was fine.
They had a meal together, and Bill asked a good many questions about the castle and the men, and the hidden room, which Jack answered as clearly as he could. He was certain that Bill meant to enter the castle somehow, and capture the men – but he couldn’t see how it was to be done.
‘They looked pretty dangerous fellows,’ he said to Bill. ‘I mean – they’re probably well armed.’
‘Don’t worry – they won’t be the only ones,’ said Bill grimly. ‘I know Scar-Neck of old – he doesn’t usually leave anything to chance. He must have been pretty fed up when he found the girls in his precious hidden room! I guess their being there has made him hurry up his plans a bit, whatever they are.’
Jack began to feel excited. ‘This adventure is boiling up,’ he said, in a pleased tone.
‘Yes. And somebody is going to get badly scalded,’ said Bill.
Jack developed his other films. The snaps came out marvellously! The eagles stood out well, almost every feather showing clearly. The baby eagle was the star turn. Its poses were perfect.
‘Look at these, Bill,’ said Jack, thrilled.
‘My word – they’re really striking!’ said Bill admiringly. ‘You ought to get those taken by any first-class magazine, Jack. They would pay well for them too! You’ll soon make a name for yourself, at this rate.’
Jack felt proud. If he could make a name for himself through the birds he loved, he would be happy. He wondered how Kiki was getting on without him. How disgusted she would be when she found that he was gone! Never mind – Tassie was there, and she was very fond of her.
The day dragged a little. After tea Jack felt sleepy, and Bill told him to have a nap.
‘You had an awful night – and as we shall want your help tonight, you’d better sleep for a few hours. Then you will be wide awake.’
So Jack curled up on a rug in the garden outside and slept. It was hot and sultry there. Bill’s men, who had sat playing cards with one another all day long, and had hardly spoken a word, removed their coats, and then their shirts. It was almost too hot to breathe.
Jack awoke again before it was dark. He went to find Bill. ‘Oughtn’t we to start now?’ he said. ‘It takes a bit of time to get up the hill.’
‘We’re going as far as we can by car,’ said Bill. ‘These fellows are tough, but they don’t like mountain climbing! We’ll follow the road till we get to the landslide, and then climb the rest of the way.’
Just as it got dark they all piled into Bill’s big car and set off up the hill. The car seemed to make rather a noise, Jack thought, but Bill assured him it wouldn’t be heard at the castle.
‘The only thing that worries me a bit is having Philip down in that hidden room,’ said Bill. ‘If there’s a rough house down there – and I rather think there may be – I don’t want kids mixed up in it.’
‘Well, really – Bill – it was us kids who got you mixed up in this adventure!’ said Jack, most indignantly.
‘Yes, I know,’ said Bill, with a laugh. ‘But it rather cramps our style to have you around just now!’
‘Bill, what are you going to do?’ asked Jack, with curiosity. ‘Do tell me. You might as well!’
‘I’m not quite sure,’ said Bill. ‘It depends on how things turn out. But roughly the plan is this – to get down into that hidden room tonight, when the girls are there, we hope, and the men are not . . .’
‘Set the girls free!’ said Jack. ‘And Philip too, can’t you?’
‘Yes – if Philip will condescend to scoot off with the girls!’ said Bill. ‘But we want him to show us the secret way under the tapestry first, and I have an idea that he will want to come with us then!’
‘I bet he will,’ said Jack. ‘So shall I, I don’t mind telling you! I’m not going to be left out of this now, if I can help it.’
‘I want to find out where that secret door leads to,’ said Bill. ‘I think I know, but I want to make sure. And I want to learn a few things without those men at the castle knowing it. It was a pity they spoke in a language Philip couldn’t understand or he might have learnt what we want to know!’
‘Well, how are you going to learn it, then?’ asked Jack.
‘Same way as Philip might have!’ said Bill, with a laugh. ‘Put myself and the men into those suits of armour, and listen in to the conversation!’
‘Gosh!’ said Jack, thrilled. ‘I never thought of that. Oh, Bill – do you really think you can do that? Can Philip and I hide too?’
‘We’ll see,’ said Bill. ‘I thought it was a mighty good idea of Philip’s to hide in that armour, I must say, even though it was only for a joke at first. Now – here we are at the landslide, surely?’
They were. They all had to get out, and Jack now had to lead the way. He found the narrow rabbit-path they had so often used, and led the men along it, using his torch as he did so, because it was not easy in the darkness to pick out the right path.
They all walked in dead silence, in obedience to an order from Bill. Button the fox cub ran at Jack’s heels, suddenly hopeful of seeing Philip. An owl called near by and made them all jump.
It was so hot that everyone panted, and rubbed wet foreheads. Jack’s shirt stuck to him. There was a rumble of thunder far away in the distance.
‘I thought there was a storm coming,’ said Jack to himself, wiping his forehead for the twentieth time, to stop the perspiration dripping into his eyes. ‘I hope the girls are safely down in that underground room. Then they won’t hear the storm. But I suppose they’ll have to leave poor little Tassie up in the courtyard, because they won’t dare to let the men see her. Or Kiki. I hope they’re both all right.’
They went on upwards, and at last came to the great castle wall. Jack stopped.
‘Here’s the castle wall,’ he whispered. ‘How are you going to get into the castle, Bill?’
‘Where’s that other door you told me of- not the big front door that overlooks the landslide, and which the men came in by – the other, smaller door, somewhere in the wall of the castle?’ asked Bill.
‘I’ll take you to it – but I told you it was locked,’ said Jack. He led Bill and the others round the wall, turned a corner, and came to the door.
It was very stout and strong, made of solid oak, set flush with the wall. The wall arched above it, and the door arched too. Bill took out his torch and flashed it quickly up and down the door, coming to a stop at the lock.
He beckoned to one of the men. The fellow came up, and brought out an amazing collection of keys from his pocket. Deftly and silently he fitted first one and then another into the keyhole. Not one of them turned the lock.
‘No good, sir,’ he whispered to Bill. ‘This isn’t an old lock – it’s a special one, fitted quite recently. I shan’t be able to open it with any of my keys.’
Jack listened in disappointment. Surely this did not mean that they would have to batter the door in? That would certainly give warning to the men.
Bill sent for one of the other men. He came up with a curious thing in his hand, rather like a small can with a thick spout. Jack stared at it, wondering what it was.
‘You’ll have to get to work on it, Jim,’ said Bill. ‘Go ahead. Make as little noise as possible. Stop if I nudge you.’
A sizzling noise came from the can, and a jet of strong blue flame shot out from the spout, making Jack jump. The man pointed the spout of flame at the door, just above the lock.
Jack watched, fascinated. The curious blue flame ate away the wood completely! What kind of fire they were using Jack didn’t know, but it was very powerful. Quietly the man worked with his can of flame, holding it steadily over the wood that surrounded the lock. The flame ate away a gap at the top of the lock. It ate away the side of it. And then it ate away the wood below the lock.
Now Jack saw what was happening to the door! The man had managed to isolate the lock completely, so that the door would swing open easily, leaving the lock behind! The boy thought it was a very clever idea.
‘Now to go in,’ said Bill, as he swung the door slowly open. ‘Everyone ready?’
26
Going into hiding
They filed in silently. The last man shut the door, and wedged in a bit of wood by the lock to keep it from swinging. The courtyard was beginning to get light, because the moon was rising, though it was behind the clouds most of the time.
‘I’ll just go and see if Tassie is under my gorse bush,’ whispered Jack. ‘We’ll have to find out the latest news from her, and she’ll have to escape with the girls too, as soon as possible. She can guide them back to Spring Cottage.’
The men waited in the shadows with Bill whilst Jack went over to the crag. He climbed up to the gorse bush. A loud voice hailed him.
‘Put the kettle on! How many times have I . . .’
‘Shut up, Kiki,’ whispered Jack, in a panic. He heard someone stirring in the bush and called in a low voice.
‘Is that you, Tassie? It’s Jack, back again!’
Tassie crawled out of the bush, full of joy, for she had been feeling frightened and lonely.
‘Oh, Jack! Did you come up that awful watery tunnel like I did? Did you get help?’
‘Yes – Bill Smugs is here – with some of his men,’ whispered Jack. ‘You and the other two girls must go down to Spring Cottage. Philip and I are going to wait and see what happens – if Bill will let us!’
‘But how can you get the girls?’ asked Tassie. ‘You know they are down in the hidden room, with Philip.’
‘Easy,’ said Jack. ‘We’ll just pull the spike in the wall at the back of the hall, and get them out! Then, Tassie, you and they must hurry off as quickly as you can.’
‘I’d like to stay with Philip,’ said Tassie obstinately. ‘And anyway, there’s going to be a dreadful storm. I don’t want to go down the hillside with thunder and lightning all round me.’
‘Well – you’ll have to do as Bill tells you,’ said Jack. ‘Maybe you’ll get down before the storm comes. Are the girls all right, Tassie?’
‘Yes, but rather tired of it,’ said Tassie. ‘Oh, Jack, Kiki made a simply awful noise last night after you had gone, and the men heard her – and they shot at her! I was really frightened!’
‘Golly!’ said Jack. ‘I’m glad you weren’t hit, Tassie! You might easily have been wounded.’
‘The girls went down into the secret room when the men called out to them this evening,’ said Tassie. ‘But they asked them all kinds of questions, in horrid, rough voices. They couldn’t understand Kiki talking last night, you see, and thought there must be someone else here that we hadn’t told them about. So, in the end, Dinah had to tell them it was Kiki the parrot – and after that they didn’t worry any more.’
‘Come on – we must go over to Bill, and tell him all this,’ said Jack. ‘The men are waiting over there, look – Bill’s men, I mean, of course!’
The moon struggled out as the two went over to the little group of silent men, so they kept in the shadows, fearful of being seen. It wouldn’t do to give the game away to any watcher just at this critical moment.
‘Where are the other men?’ whispered Jack to Tassie. ‘Do you know? Are they down in the hidden room – or wandering about the castle anywhere?’
‘As far as I know they’re not about the castle anywhere – or in the courtyard,’ said Tassie. ‘They may be down in the hidden room though. Won’t you have to look out, if you press that spike and open the entrance?’
‘Yes, we shall,’ said Jack. ‘Now here’s Bill Smugs, our friend, Tassie. This is Tassie, Bill, the girl I was telling you about.’
Bill put a few questions to Tassie, and she answered them shyly. It rather looked as if the men were down in the secret room. Well – they would get a shock when the stone swung back, and they saw who were at the top of the steps!
‘Now listen,’ said Bill. ‘You are to work the lever that opens the entrance to the secret room, Jack. One of my men will watch you, to see how you do it, in case we want to use it again. As soon as the entrance is open, I and the others will stand at the top and shout down to the men below to come up. We shall, I hope, have them covered with our revolvers!’
‘Golly!’ said Jack, a prickle of excitement running up and down his back. ‘Look out for the girls, Bill. They may be scared stiff!’
‘I can yell to them to keep out of the way,’ said Bill. ‘You leave things to me. I promise you the girls won’t get hurt. We’ll have them up the steps in no time – and you, Tassie, must take them straight away down the hill to Spring Cottage. Understand?’
‘I’d like to stay with Philip,’ Tassie still insisted.
‘Well, you can’t,’ said Bill. ‘You’ll have Philip back with you tomorrow. Now – you all understand what’s to be done?’
Everyone did. Quietly they all moved forward towards the great black hulk of the castle, lost in black shadows. The moon had gone behind thick clouds. A rumble of thunder came on the air again, still far away.
They stepped silently into the hall. Everyone but Tassie was wearing rubber shoes – Tassie, as usual, was barefoot. She hadn’t even got her shoes tied round her neck or waist this time. She had hidden them, for her mother had threatened to take them away from her.
Jack s
lipped quietly to the back of the hall with one of the men. Tassie showed Bill the entrance to the underground room. He and the others waited there whilst Jack pulled back the spike in the wall. A grating noise was heard – and once again the stone swung back, and then sideways. A yawning hole appeared, with stone steps leading downwards.
The light from the lamp shone upwards. Bill stood at the top of the hole, listening intently. There was no sound at all from below.
Jack tiptoed up to him. ‘Maybe there are only the girls and Philip there,’ he whispered. ‘Perhaps the men have gone off somewhere, down the secret way behind that tapestry.’
Bill nodded. He sent his voice rumbling down the hole. ‘Who’s down here? Answer!’
A small voice came back. It was Dinah’s.
‘Only us. Who’s that?’
‘Dinah! It’s me and Bill Smugs!’ called Jack, before Bill could stop him. Are you alone?’
‘Yes,’ came back Dinah’s voice, lifted in excitement. ‘Is Bill there? Oh, good!’
Jack ran down the steps, and Bill and the others followed, one man being left at the top on guard. The first thing Bill did was to find the spike in the wall down below, and close up the hole. He waited a moment, and then the man at the top, as arranged, opened it again. Bill wanted to make sure he could get in and out as he pleased!
Lucy-Ann flew to Jack and hugged him tightly, tears pouring down her face. Dinah grinned at Bill, and tried hard to stop herself hugging him. But she couldn’t. She too was so relieved at seeing them both.
‘No time to waste,’ said Bill. ‘Where’s Philip?’
‘Oh, Bill, he’s gone!’ said Lucy-Ann, turning to him and clinging to his arm. ‘When we got down here tonight he was gone! And we don’t know where or how. We don’t know if the men caught him, or if Philip went off by himself, or what. He didn’t leave a note or anything. But we think maybe he explored that secret way under the tapestry.’
‘Bill, the men are coming back soon,’ said Dinah, suddenly remembering. ‘I heard one of them say to another, in English, that they were to have their last meeting here tonight. So they may be back here any time, because this is where they meet, and where they keep their maps, or whatever it is they look at so carefully.’
