THE STICKS GET A FRIGHT.

BUT the Sticks didn't go! The children peeped out of the spy-hole at the top of the cave-roof every now and again, and saw one or other of the Sticks. The evening went on and it began to be dark. Still the Sticks didn't go. Julian ran down to the nearby sh.o.r.e and discovered a small boat there. So the Sticks had managed to find their way round the island, rowed near the wreck, maybe landed on it too, and then come to the sh.o.r.e, cleverly avoiding the rocks they might strike against.

"It looks as if the Sticks have come to stay for the night," said Julian, gloomily. "This is going to spoil our stay here, isn't it? We rush away here to escape from the Sticks-and lo and behold! the Sticks are on top of us again. It's too bad."

"Let's frighten them," said .George, her eyes shining by the light of the one candle in the cave.

"What do you mean?" said d.i.c.k, cheering up. He always liked George's ideas, mad as they sometimes were.

"Well, I suppose they must be living down in one of the dungeon rooms, mustn't they?" said George. "There is no place in the ruins to live in proper shelter, or we'd be there ourselves-and the only other place is down in the dungeons. I wouldn't care to sleep there myself, but I don't suppose the Sticks would mind."

"Well, what about it?" said d.i.c.k. "What's your idea?"

"Couldn't we creep down, and do a bit of shouting, so that the echoes start up all round?" said George. "You know how frightening we found the echoes when we first went down into the dungeons. We only had to say one or two words, and the echoes began saying them over and over again shouting them back at us."

"Oh yes, I remember," said Anne. "And wasn't Timmy frightened when he barked! The echoes barked back at him, and he thought there were thousands of dogs hiding down there! He was awfully frightened."

"It's a good idea," said Julian. "Serve the Sticks right for coming to our island like this! If we can frighten them away, that would be one up to us! Let's do it."

"What about Timothy?" said Anne. "Hadn't we better leave him behind?"

"No. He can come and stand at the dungeon entrance to guard it for us," said George. "Then if any of the real smugglers happened to come, Timmy could give us warning. I'm not going to leave him behind."

"Come on, then, let's go now!" said Julian. "It would be a fine trick to play. It's quite dark, but I've got my torch, and as soon as we are certain that the Sticks are down in the dungeons, we can start to play our joke."

There was no sign or sound of the Sticks anywhere about. No light of fire or candle was to be seen, no sound of voices to be heard. Either they had gone, or they were below in the dungeons. The stones had been taken from the entrance, so the children felt sure they were down there.

"Now Timmy, you stay quite still and quiet here," whispered George to Timmy. "Bark if anyone comes, but not unless. We're going down into the dungeons."

"I think perhaps I'll stay up here with Timothy," said Anne, suddenly. She didn't like the dark look of the dungeon entrance. "You see, George-Timmy might be frightened or lonely up here by himself."

The others chuckled. They knew Anne was frightened. Julian squeezed her arm. "You stay here, then," he said, kindly. "You keep old Timmy company."

Then Julian, George and d.i.c.k went down the long flight of steps that led into the deep old dungeons of Kirrin Castle. They had been there the summer before, when they had been seeking for lost treasure; now here they were again!

They crept down the steps and came to the many cellars or dungeons cut out of the rock below the castle. There were scores of those, some big and some small, queer, damp underground rooms in which, maybe, unhappy prisoners had been kept in the olden days.

The children crept down the dark pa.s.sages. Julian had a piece of white chalk with him, and drew a chalk-line here and there on the rocky walls as he went, so that he might easily find the way back.

Suddenly they heard voices and saw a light. They stopped and whispered softly together in each other's ears.

"They're in that room where we found the treasure last year! That's where they're camping out! What noises shall we make?"

"I'll be a cow," said d.i.c.k. "I can moo awfully like a cow. I'll be a cow."

"I'll be a sheep," said Julian. "George, you be a horse. You can whinny and hrrrumph just like a horse. d.i.c.k, you begin!"

So d.i.c.k began. Hidden behind a rocky pillar, he opened his mouth and mooed dolefully, like a cow in pain. At once the echoes took up the mooing, magnified it, sent it along all the underground pa.s.sages, till it seemed as if a thousand cows had wandered there and were mooing together.

"Moo-oo-oo-OOOOOOOO, ooo-oo-MOOOOOOO!"

The Sticks listened in amazement and fright at the sudden awful noise.

"What is it, Ma?" said Edgar, almost in tears. Stinker crouched at the back of the cave, terrified.

"It's cows," said Mr. Stick, amazed. "Them there's cows. Can't you hear the moos? But how did cows get to be here?"

"Nonsense!" said Mrs. Stick, recovering herself a little. "Cows down these caves! You're mad! You'll be telling me there's sheep next!"

It was funny that she should have said that, for Julian chose that moment to begin baa-ing like a flock of sheep. His one long, bleating "baa-baa-aa-aa" was taken up by the echoes at once, and it seemed suddenly as if hundreds of poor lost sheep were baa-ing their way down the dungeons!

Mr. Stick jumped to his feet, as white as a sheet.

"Well, if it isn't sheep now!" he said. "What's up? What's in these "ere dungeons? I never did like them."

"Baa-aa-AAAAAAAAAAP went the mournful bleats all round and about. And then George started her whinnying and neighing, just like an impatient horse. The little girl tossed her head in the darkness and hrrrumphed exactly like a horse and then she stamped with her foot, and at once the echoes stamped too, sending the whinnying and neighing and stamping into Sticks" cave twenty times louder than George had made them.

Poor Stinker began to whine pitifully. He was frightened almost out of his life. He pressed himself against the floor as if he would like to disappear into it. Edgar clutched his mother's arm. "Let's go up," he said. "I can't stay here. There's hundreds of sheep and horses . and cows roaming these dungeons, you can hear them. They're not real, but they've got voices and hoofs, and I'm scared of them."

Mr. Stick went to the door of the room they were in, and shouted loudly.

"Get out, you! Clear out! Whoever you are!"

George giggled. Then she shouted out in a very deep, hoa.r.s.e voice.

"BE-WARE!" And the echoes thundered out all round.

"WARE! 'WARE! "WARE-ARE-ARE!"

Mr. Stick went back quickly into the cave-room, and lighted another candle. He shut the big wooden door that led into the room. His hands were shaking.

"Queer goings-on," he said. "Shan't stay here much longer if we get this kind of thing happening every night."

Julian, d.i.c.k and George were now in such a state of giggle that they could not imitate any more-cows, horses or sheep. George did begin to be a pig, and gave such a realistic snort and grunt that d.i.c.k nearly died of laughing. The snorts and grunts were echoed everywhere.

"Come out" gasped Julian, at last. "I shall burst with trying not to laugh. Come out!"

"Come out!" whispered the echoes. "Come out, out, out!"

They stumbled out, stuffing hankies into their mouths as they went, following Julian's chalk-marks easily by the light of his torch. It was impossible to take the wrong pa.s.sage if they followed his guiding-lines.

They sat on the dungeon steps with Anne and Timmy, and choked with laughter as they related all they had done. "We heard old Stick yelling to us to clear out," said George, "and he sounded scared stiff. As for Stinker, we never heard even the smallest growl from him. I bet the Sticks will clear off tomorrow after this! It must have given them a most terrible fright."

"Oh, that was grand!" said Julian. "It was a pity I began to laugh. I was just feeling I might trumpet like an elephant next. The echoes would like that!"

"Funny the Sticks all staying on the island like this," said d.i.c.k, thoughtfully. "They've left Kirrin Cottage-but they're not looking for us. They must be in league with the smugglers all right. Perhaps that's why Mrs. Stick took the job with your mother, George - to be near the island when the time came-when the smugglers wanted their help."

"We could really go back to Kirrin Cottage, couldn't we?" said Anne, who, much as she loved the island, .was not nearly so keen on it now that the Sticks were there.

"Go back! Leave an adventure just when it's beginning!" said George, scornfully. "How silly you are, Anne. Go back if you want to - but I'm sure n.o.body will go with you."

"Oh, Anne will stay with us all right," said Julian,, knowing that Anne would feel hurt at the suggestion she should leave them. "It will be the Sticks who have to go, don't worry!"

"Let's go back to the cave," said Anne, thinking longingly of its safety and bright little candle. They got up and made their way across the courtyard to the little wall that ran round the castle. They climbed over it and turned their steps to the cliff. Julian switched on his torch when he thought it was, safe, for it was impossible to see clearly in the dark, and he did not want any of them to fall down the hole, instead of climbing down properly by the rope.

Julian stood by the hole at last, shining his torch so that the others might climb down the rope in safety, one by one. He glanced up, looking over the dark sea, as he" stood there, and then stared intently.

There was a light out to sea, and it was signalling. It must have seen his torchlight! Julian watched, wondering if it was a ship that was signalling, and how far out it was, and why it was signalling.

"Perhaps they're going to put more stuff into the old wreck for the Sticks to find," he thought. "I wonder if they are. How I'd like to find out-but it would be dangerous to go there in daylight in case the Sticks see us."

The signalling went on for a long time, as if a message was being flashed. Julian could not for the life of him make out what it .was. It simply looked like the flash-flash-flash of a lantern to him. But it must mean a signal or message of some sort to the Sticks.

"Well, they won't get it tonight!" thought Julian, with a chuckle, when at last the signalling stopped. "I rather think the Stick family will stay where they are tonight, too scared of sheep and cows and horses rushing about in those dungeons!"

Julian was quite right-the Sticks did stay where they were! Nothing would get them out of their underground room till morning.

Chapter Seventeen.

A SHOCK FOR EDGAR.

THE children slept well that night, and as Timothy did not growl at all, they were sure that nothing important could have happened. They had a fine breakfast of tongue, tinned peaches, bread and b.u.t.ter, golden syrup and ginger-beer.

"That's the end of the ginger-beer, I'm afraid," said Julian, regretfully. "I must say ginger-beer is a gorgeous drink-seems to go with simply everything."

"That was the nicest meal I've ever had," said Anne. "It really was. We do have lovely meals on Kirrin Island. I wonder if the Sticks are having nice meals too."

"You bet they are!" said d.i.c.k. "I expect they have ransacked Aunt f.a.n.n.y's cupboards and taken the best they can find."

"Oh, the beasts!" said George, her eyes flashing. "I never thought of that-they may have robbed the house and taken all kinds of things."

"They probably have," said Julian, and he frowned. "I say, I never thought of that, somehow. How awful, George, if your mother came back, feeling ill and weak, and found half her belongings gone!"

"Oh dear!" said Anne, dismayed. "George, wouldn't that be dreadful?"

"Yes," said George, looking very angry. "I would believe anything of those Sticks! If they have the cheek to come to our island and live here, they've the cheek to steal from my mother's house. I wish we could find out."

They could have brought quite a lot of things away in their boat," said Julian. "They must have come here by boat. If they did bring stolen goods, they must have put them somewhere-down in the dungeons, I suppose."

"We might have a look round and see if we can spy anything, without the Sticks seeing us," suggested d.i.c.k.

"Let's have a look round now," said George, who always liked doing things at once. "Anne, you do the washing up and tidy our cave-house for us, will you?"

Anne was torn between wanting to go with the others, and longing to play "house" again. She did so love arranging everything and making the beds and tidying up the cave. In the end she said she would stay and the others could go.

So up the rope they went. Timothy stayed with Anne, because they were afraid he might bark. Anne tied him up, and he whined a little, but did not make a terrible noise.

The other three lay flat on the cliff-top, looking down on the ruined castle. There seemed to be no one about, but, even as they watched, the three Sticks appeared, apparently coming up from the dungeons. They seemed glad to be in the sunshine, and the children were not surprised, for the dungeons were so cold and dark.

The Sticks looked all round. Stinker kept close to Mrs. Stick, his tail well down.

"They're looking for the cows and sheep and-horses they heard down in the dungeons last night!" whispered d.i.c.k to Julian.

The Sticks spoke together for a minute or two, and then went off in the direction of the sh.o.r.e that faced the wreck. Edgar went to the room in which the children had first planned to sleep-the one whose roof had fallen in.

"I'm going to stalk the two Sticks," whispered Julian to the others. "You two see what Edgar is up to."

Julian disappeared, keeping behind bushes as he watched where the Sticks went, and followed them. George and d.i.c.k went cautiously and quietly over the cliff to the castle in the middle of the little island. They could hear Edgar whistling. Stinker was running about the courtyard of the castle.

Edgar appeared out of the ruined room, carrying a pile of cushions, which had evidently been stored there. George went red with rage and clutched d.i.c.k's arm fiercely.

"Mother's best cushions!" she whispered. "Oh, the beasts!"

d.i.c.k felt angry too. It was quite plain that the Sticks had helped themselves to anything handy when they had left Kirrin Cottage. He picked up a clod of earth, took careful aim, and flung it into the air. It fell between Edgar and Stinker, breaking into a shower of earth.

Edgar dropped the cushions, and looked up into the air in fright. It was plain that he thought something had fallen from the sky. George picked up another clod, took aim, and flung it high into the air. It fell all over Stinker, and the dog gave a yelp, and scuttled down the hole that led into the dungeons.

Edgar looked up into the sky and then all round and about him, his mouth wide open. What could be happening? d.i.c.k waited until he was looking in the opposite direction, and then once more sent a big clod into the air. It fell into bits and scattered itself all over the startled Edgar.

Then d.i.c.k gave one of his realistic moos, exactly like a cow in pain, and Edgar stood rooted to the spot, almost frightened out of his skin. Those cows again! Where were they?

d.i.c.k mooed again, and Edgar gave a yell, found his feet, and almost fell down the dungeon steps. He dis- appeared with a dismal howl, leaving behind all the cushions on the ground.

"Quick!" said d.i.c.k, jumping to his feet. "He won't be back for a few minutes, anyhow. He'll be too scared. Let's grab the cushions and bring them here. I don't see why the Sticks should use them down in those awful old dungeons."

The two children raced to the courtyard, picked up the cushions and raced back to their hiding-place. d.i.c.k looked across to the room where Edgar had brought them from.

"What about slipping across there and seeing what else they've stored away?" he said. "I don't see why they should be allowed to have anything that isn't theirs."

"I'll go across, and you keep watch by the dungeon entrance," said George. "You've only got to moo again if you see Edgar, and he'll run for miles."

"Right," said d.i.c.k, with a grin, and went swiftly to the flight of steps that led underground to the dungeons. There was no sign of Edgar at all, nor of Stinker.