Five Have a Mystery to Solve (13 page)

„A collector of old things, do you think?" asked George. „What about those two men on the island - the ones we saw in the courtyard - do you suppose they know of this entrance?"

„Yes, probably," said Julian. „And it"s likely they were put on guard, in case anyone else found it, and came to rob the secret chamber. The things here are priceless! Those men are not there to guard the animals on the island, as they were in the old lady"s day. She had genuine keepers, like that nice old man Lucas, who told us about this island the other day."

„You think these men are in somebody"s pay then - somebody who knows about this great chamber under the castle, and wants to get the centuries-old treasures?" said Dick.

„Yes," said Julian. „And what"s more I don"t believe that the real owner of the island - the great-nephew of the old lady who owned it, even knows they"re here, or that anyone is taking things from his island. For al we know he may live in America or Australia, and not care tuppence about his island!"

„How extraordinary!" said Anne. „If I owned an island like this, I"d live here and never leave it. And all the animals and birds would be protected as they once were, and..."

„Dear Anne - what a pity it isn"t yours!" said Julian, ruffling her hair. „But now, the thing is -

what are we going to do about all this? We"ll talk about it when we"re back at the cottage. My word, it"s getting late! It wil be pitch dark outside, unless the moon is up and the sky is clear of clouds!"

„Well, come on then, let"s go," said Dick, making for the great nail-studded door. Then, as Timmy suddenly gave a blood-curdling growl, he stopped in fright. They had shut the door

- but now it was opening. Somebody was coming into the great underground chamber!

Who could it be?

„Quick - hide!" said Julian, and he pushed the two girls behind a great chest. The others were near the golden bed and they crouched behind it at once, Dick"s hand on Timmy"s collar. He had managed to stop the dog from growling, but was afraid that Timmy would begin again at any moment!

A man came into the room - one of the two big fellows that the children had seen in the courtyard. He didn"t seem to have heard Timmy growling, for he sauntered in, whistling lightly. He shone his torch all round, and then cal ed loudly.

„Emilio! Emilio!"

There was no answer at all. The man yel ed again, and then an answer came from beyond the door, and hurrying footsteps could be heard. Then in came the other big rough fel ow, and looked round, shining his torch. He lighted an oil lamp on a box, and switched off his torch.

„Always you sleep, Emilio!" growled the first man. „Always you are late! You know the boat comes tonight to take the next batch of' goods - have you the list? We must wrap them up quickly and take them to the shore. That little statue has to go, I know!"

He went over to the statue of a boy, whose eyes gleamed with emeralds. „Well, boy?"

said the man, „you"re going out into the world! How"l you like that after being in the dark so long? Don"t glare at me like that, or I"l box your ears!"

Apparently the golden boy went on glaring, for the man gave his head a sharp smack.

The other fel ow came over and shifted a long, deep box over from the wall to the little golden statue. Then he began to wrap it up carefully, rolling material round and round it from head to foot while the golden boy stood patiently.

„What time is Lanyon coming for it?" asked Emilio. „Have I time to wrap another?"

„Yes - that one over there," said the first fellow, pointing. Emilio went whistling over to it, passing the chest behind which the girls were hiding. They crouched right to the floor, afraid of being seen. But Emilio was sharp-eyed, and thought he saw something move as he passed by the chest. He stopped. What was that poking out by the side of the chest -

a foot? A FOOT!

Emilio rushed round the chest, his torch switched on again. He gave a loud shout. „Carlo!

There"s someone here! Come quickly!"

Carlo, the second man, dropped what he was holding and raced round to Emilio, who had now pul ed the girls roughly to their feet.

„What are you doing here? How did you get in?" shouted Emilio.

Julian shot out from his hiding-place at once, followed by Dick and Wilfrid. George was doing al she could to hold back Timmy, who was now deafening everyone with his angry barks. He did his best to get away from George, but she was afraid he might fly at Emilio"s throat. The two men were ful of amazement to see the five children and Timmy!

„Keep that dog back or I"l shoot him," said Carlo, producing a gun. „Who are you? What do you mean by coming into this place?"

„We came by boat - but the boat got washed out to sea," said Julian. „We"ve been camping on the island. We just - er - wandered into this place by mistake."

„By mistake! Well, I can tell you that you"ve certainly made the biggest mistake in your life!" said Carlo. „You"l have to stay here for quite a long time - til our job"s done, at any rate!"

„What"s your job?" asked Julian, bluntly.

„Wouldn"t you like to know?" said Carlo. „Well - one part of it is to guard the island, and keep off strangers! Now, we"ve jobs to do tonight and tomorrow, and I"m afraid you"re going to have a miserable time! You"l stay down here in this old cel ar til we come back again - and what wil happen to you after that, I don"t know, because I"l have to tell my employer you"ve been spying down here. I wouldn"t be surprised if he doesn"t hand you over to the police - or lock you up down here for a month, on bread and water!"

Timmy growled very fiercely indeed, and tugged hard to get away from George and fly at this hateful man. She hung on to him for all she was worth, though how she longed to let him leap at the man and get him on the ground!

„Better go, Carlo, or we"ll miss that boat out there," said Emilio, grumpily. „We"ll deal with these kids when we get back!" He shouldered the box into which he had put the wrapped statue, and started for the door. Carlo fol owed him, backing all the time to make sure that George did not set Timmy on to him. He shut the great door with a loud bang, and shot the bolt.

„Don"t say anything for a minute in case they are listening outside the door," said Julian.

So they all stood in silence, Anne"s knees trembling a little. Oh dear - how unlucky to be caught like this!

„Relax!" said Julian, at last. „You all look so stiff and tense!"

„Well, I should think so!" said Dick. „I don"t particularly want to stay shut up here til those men deign to come back and do a bit more stealing. Suppose they never came back!

We"d be here for keeps!"

„No, Dick!" said Anne, and to everyone"s surprise, she began to laugh. „We can easily escape!"

„What - through that locked and bolted door?" said Dick. „Not a hope!"

„But we can easily escape!" said Anne, and George suddenly brightened up and nodded her head, smiling. „Oh yes - of course! Don"t look so solemn, Dick! Look up there!"

Dick looked up to where Anne was pointing. „What am I supposed to look at?" he said.

„The old stone wal ?"

„No - just there - over the top of that tall chest," said Anne.

Dick looked - and then a large smile came over his face. „WHAT an idiot I am! That"s the old iron door in the side of the old well-wall, isn"t it - the opening I looked through! It looks just like an ordinary ventilation hole from down here - and I don"t really believe anyone would ever notice it except us, who know what it is. I see what you"re getting at, Anne!"

„Good old Anne!" said George, realizing what Anne had in mind. „Of course - we"ve only got to climb up to that hole in the wal , open the door there, and then go up the well -

and we"re safe!"

„Yes. But it"s easier said than done," said Julian, soberly. „We"ve got to get hold of the rope, and climb right up it to the top - not very easy!"

„Suppose the rope"s at the top, with the bucket hanging on the hook?" said Anne. „We"d never reach it then!"

„We"ll think of something!" said Julian. „Anyway, it"s our only hope of escape. Now - we"ll push that huge, high chest or wardrobe or whatever it is, right over against the wal , under thit opening into the well - and then we"l haul a table on top of that - there"s a sturdy little one over there. Come on! We"ll be through that opening in no time, and up the wel .

What a shock for dear Emilio and Carlo when they come back, and find that the birds have flown!"

It was quite a job pushing the heavy chest over towards the stone wall of the castle. It took all of them, shoving with all their might, to do it.

„We seem to be making an awful noise with the chest scraping over the floor," panted Dick. „I hope we"re not heard!"

Timmy wished he could help. He kept jumping up and pressing his paws on the side of the chest, but Dick stopped him. „You"re getting in the way," he said. „You go and sit near the door and warn us if you hear those men coming."

So Timmy ran to the door and sat there, his head cocked to one side, listening, while the others went on shoving the heavy chest along. At last it was in position. Then came the job of hoisting a stout little wooden table on top. Julian climbed up to the top of the chest to take the table from Dick, but just couldn"t manage it, it was so heavy and solid. So Wilfrid climbed up beside him, and between the two of them they pul ed up the little oblong table, and set it firmly on top of the chest. Julian stood on it - and found he could easily reach the little iron door, that led into the old well.

„Good," he said, and he gave the door a hard shove. It shook a little, but didn"t budge.

He gave it another hard push. „What"s up?" said Dick, climbing up beside Julian. „It must open - the bolt"s not there any more - it fel off into the well. I expect it"s rusted a little again. We"ll both shove it together."

The girls watched the boys anxiously, dreading every moment to hear the two men returning. Together the boys pushed at the iron door - and it groaned and then gave way, swinging open inside the well-wal ! To the boys" delight, there was the rope, hanging near them!

„We"ve done it!" Dick called down softly to the girls. „We"ll come down and help you up to the table here - then we"ll try our luck up the well."

The girls were soon on the chest top. There wasn"t room for everyone on the table, and the boys were debating what to do next.

„You go up the rope, Julian," said Dick. „You can climb up to the top and get out and look around and make sure there"s no one about. Then Wilfrid can climb up - do you think you can, Wilfrid?"

„Of course," said the boy. „Then I can help Julian to wind up the girls!"

„Right!" said Dick. „I"l stay here with the girls, and help each of them on to the rope, first Anne - and you two can wind the rope up, with her on it. Then George can go - and I"l follow last of al and shut the well-door."

„And when the men come they won"t know how in the world we got out of the treasure chamber!" said Anne, grinning. „What a shock for them!"

„When you"ve all gone up safely, I"l climb in myself and shut the door," said Dick. „Ready, Ju? I"l shine my torch for you!"

Julian nodded. He squeezed through the old iron door, reached out for the rope, and swung on it for a moment. Then up he went, hand-over-hand, til he reached the top, a little out of breath, but delighted to be out in the open air and the bright moonlight. It seemed almost as light as day!

He cal ed down the well. „I"m at the top, Dick, and all"s wel . Moon"s out, and all is quiet."

„You next, Wilfrid," said Dick. „Can you get hold of the rope al right, do you think? For pity"s sake don"t fall into the water. My torch wil give you plenty of light."

„Don"t worry about me! It"s just like being on the ropes at gym in school," said Wilfrid, scornful y. He swung his legs into the opening, leapt at the rope, hung on, and began to climb up just like a monkey.

Julian"s voice came down the well again, echoing hol owly, sounding rather queer.

„Wilfrid"s safely up. Now send Anne - we"ll wind up the rope for her, so that she doesn"t need to climb, only to hang on."

Through the opening went Anne, and sat on its ledge. „Can you swing the rope a bit, Julian?" she called. „It"s rather far for me to jump."

„Good gracious! For goodness sake be careful!" cal ed Julian, in alarm. „Tell Dick to help you."

But the well-wall opening was so smal that Dick couldn"t even look through it while Anne was sitting there. „Don"t jump til you"ve got firm hold of the rope, Anne," he told his sister, anxiously. „Is Ju swinging it to and fro? Can you see it clearly? It"s so dark in the wel , and my torch isn"t too good now!"

„Yes. I can see it," said Anne. „It bumped against my legs then, and I just missed getting it.

Here it comes again - I"ve got it! I"m going to hold on to it tightly and drop off the ledge.

Here I go!"

She sounded very much braver than she felt. She let herself drop off the ledge, and there she swung on the thick rope, with the black water far below! „Wind me up, Ju!" she cal ed, and held on as the two boys at the top exerted all their strength. Dick saw her disappear up the well, and heaved a sigh of relief. Now for George.

He climbed down from the table and chest and looked for George and Timmy, shining his torch everywhere. To his utmost surprise he couldn"t see them! He cal ed softly. „Timmy!"

A small, stifled whine came from somewhere. Dick frowned. „George - where are you? For goodness sake buck up and come out from where you"re hiding. Those men might come back at any time! Don"t play the fool."

A dark curly head poked out from behind a large box near the door, and George spoke in a very fierce voice. „You know Timmy can"t hang on to a rope! He"d fall and be drowned. I think you are all horrid to forget that he can"t climb. I"m staying here with him.

You go on up the well."

„Certainly not!" said Dick at once. „I shal stay here with you. I suppose it"s no use asking you to let me stay with Tim, while you climb up?"

„Not the slightest use. He"s my dog, and I"m jolly wel sticking by him," said George. „He"d never desert me, I"m sure of that."