Chapter 13.

SAFE IN THE CAVE.

THEY all peeped out between the fern-fronds, Lucy-Ann holding her breath. Yes, there were the two men, clambering about dangerously near the waterfall.

"But what are they doing down there?" said Jack in wonder. "Why look for us there? They must have known we didn't go that way, if they were following us."

"Well, they must have seen me waving to you from behind the waterfall," said Dinah. "They must think that's where our hiding-place is."

"Waving to us from behind the waterfall?" said Philip in the utmost amazement. "What are you talking about, Dinah? You must be bats."

"Well, I'm not," said Dinah. "That's where Lucy-Ann and I were when you came up the slope there to climb into the cave. We were standing behind the waterfall, and I tried my hardest to attract your attention and tell you that those two men were following you."

"But - how in the world did you get behind the waterfall?" asked Jack. "It was an idiotic thing to do. Fancy climbing up those slippery rocks, and getting behind the water! You might have been"

"We didn't go that way, silly," said Dinah. "We went another way." And she told Jack and Philip all about the hole at the back of the cave that led down into the cave of echoes, and the pa.s.sage that came out behind the roaring waterfall. The boys listened in the greatest amazement.

"Gosh! How extraordinary!" said Jack. "Well, I suppose the men just caught sight of you down there, Dinah, and took their eyes off me and Philip for a minute, and lost us. We must have climbed into this cave through the fern just as they were watching you. What a good thing!"

"That's why they're messing about down there on those wet rocks," said Philip, grinning. "They think that that is our hiding-place, behind the fall, and they want to get there and find us. They don't guess that isn't the right way. I can't for the life of me see how they can possibly get behind the water from any of those rocks in front. If they're not jolly careful, they'll get swept off by the water - and down they'll go like lightning."

Lucy-Ann shuddered. "I don't want to see them do that," she said, and wouldn't peep out of the ferns any more.

But Dinah and the boys watched in glee. They felt safe up there in their fern-hidden cave, and it was fun to watch the two men slipping about on the rocks near the water, getting angrier and angrier.

Kiki was still behind the waterfall, watching them in interest. Suddenly she gave one of her dreadful cackles of laughter, and the men heard it even through the roar of the water. They looked at one another, startled.

"Hear that?" said Juan. "Somebody yelling their heads off, laughing at us. Wait till I get them, that's all. They must be just behind the sheet of water. How do they get there?"

It was impossible to get behind the waterfall from above or below. Quite impossible. The men realised this after they had fallen many times, and once almost slipped off a wet rock into the cascading water itself. They sat down on a ledge a good way from the water and mopped their heads. They were hot and angry, and their clothes were soaked.

They were puzzled, too. Where had those boys come from? Was there a whole camp of people somewhere? Were they hiding in the mountains? No, that could not be so, for they would have seen them roving the countryside in search of food. There could only be a few people. They must have sent out the boys to seek for food.

The children watched them in delight. There was something very enjoyable in seeing their enemies at a loss, in being able to see their every action and yet not be seen themselves. Even Lucy-Ann had another peep now that she knew they were no longer slipping about by the waterfall.

"We'd better go," said Juan. "If that's their hiding-place, they can keep it. We'd better get somebody else here to help us. We could put him to guard this place. If he sat here, he could see if anyone came up to get behind the water. Come on, I'm fed up with this."

They stood up. Jack watched them through the fern-fronds. Were they going back to their hut, or to the plane, perhaps? Then, seeing that they were going to pa.s.s rather near to the cave, the boy hastily closed the fronds and pushed the others back.

"Keep quiet," he said. "They may come fairly near."

They came extremely near. They took a way that led them right past the cave itself. The children sat as still as stone, hearing the men scrambling along outside. Suddenly the fern swayed and shook, and Lucy-Ann's hand flew up to her mouth to stifle a scream.

"They're coming in, they've found us!" she thought, and her heart almost stopped beating. The fern rustled again, and then was quiet. The footsteps pa.s.sed, and the voices of the two men were heard saying something the children could not hear.

"Have they gone?" wondered Dinah, and, looking at Jack, she raised her eyebrows. He nodded. Yes - they were gone - but what a terrible fright everyone had had when they grasped hold of the fern to help them along! Little did Juan and Pepi dream that four silent children sat within two feet of them then.

Jack parted the fern again. There was no sign of the men. He felt sure they must have gone back, but he did not date to go out and spy. "Better lie low for a bit," he said. "We'll have a meal. I'll creep out and spy around later on. Where's Kiki?"

n.o.body knew. Then Dinah remembered she had been with them behind the waterfall. They had gone back without her in their anxiety to warn the boys about the two men. She must still be there.

"Blow! We'd better go and fetch her," said Jack. "I don't really feel like moving just now, either - I'm really tired with dragging that heavy sack along so far."

A voice spoke outside the cave a gloomy, dismal, reproachful voice.

"Poor Kiki! All alone! What a pity, what a Kiki, poor pity!"

The children laughed, and Jack parted the fronds cautiously, in case by any chance the men were still anywhere about. Kiki clambered through, looking very sorry for herself. She flew to Jack's shoulder and nibbled his ear gently.

"All aboard!" she said more cheerfully, and cracked her beak. Dinah ruffled up the feathers on her head.

"Kiki must have flown out from behind the waterfall and come straight here," she said. "Clever Kiki! Clever old bird!"

"G.o.d save the King," said Kiki. "Wipe your feet!"

Jack's tin-opener came out again, and a choice of tins and jars was made. There was a small tin of biscuits still to be finished, and the children chose some pressed meat to go with them, and a large tin of juicy apricots. Jack opened the fronds just a little to let in enough daylight to see by. Once again they thoroughly enjoyed their meal, and Kiki got into trouble for taking more than her fair share of apricots.

The children waited some time before they dared to creep out of the cave. When the sun was well down, Jack clambered out between the fronds, and had a good look round. There was no sign of the men at all. Jack found a high place from which, if he sat there, he could see for a good way in any direction.

"We'll take it in turns to keep watch," he said. "You can come in half an hour, Philip."

They had a fine time clambering all about. They found some wild raspberries, and ate great quant.i.ties of them. They were delicious. Kiki ate them too, murmuring "Mmmmmmmm" all the time.

Each of them took turn at keeping watch, but there was nothing to see. The sun went down behind the mountains, and twilight came. They all went back to the cave.

"It will be lovely to sleep here tonight," said Lucy-Ann, pleased. "This moss is so nice and soft. Like velvet."

She stroked it. It felt like velvet too. She helped Dinah to put down macks and a rug to lie on, and made pillows of pullovers and jerseys.

"A drink of apricot juice and a few biscuits for everyone," said Dinah, as they all sat down on the "bed." She handed out the biscuits. Jack parted the fern-fronds and tied them firmly back.

"Must have a little air in the cave," he said. "It will get jolly stuffy with four of us here."

"Five," said Dinah. "Don't forget Kiki."

"Six," said Philip, producing the lizard. "Don't forget dizzy Lizzie."

"Oh, I really hoped you'd lost her," said Dinah crossly. "I haven't seen her all day."

They finished their biscuits and lay down. It was quite dark now outside. Their "bed" felt warm and soft. They all snuggled down, making nice cosy places for themselves.

"I should really enjoy all this, if only I knew that Mother wasn't worrying about us," said Philip, pulling the rug over him. "I haven't any idea at all where we are, but it's a very beautiful place. Doesn't that waterfall sound lovely, singing in the night?"

"It's singing jolly loudly," said Jack, yawning. "But I don't think it will keep me awake. Oh, Kiki, do move off my middle. I can't imagine why you will keep perching there at night. Go on one of my feet."

"Wipe your feet," ordered Kiki, and flew to Jack's right foot. She put her head under her wing.

"Tomorrow Philip and I must go to that cave of echoes you told us about and stand behind the waterfall," said Jack. "Fancy you girls having a little adventure like that all on your own!"

"Little adventure!" said Lucy-Ann. "Why, it was a jolly big one - especially when we suddenly saw that we were just behind that waterfall!"

Dinah was very much afraid that Lizzie would run over her during the night, and lay awake some time expecting the feel of tiny feet. But Lizzie was curled up in Philip's armpit, tickling him dreadfully when she moved.

Lucy-Ann was asleep almost at once, and soon the others were too. The waterfall roared all through the night without ceasing. The wind sprang up and moved the big fronds of the fern. A fox or some other creature came sniffing up to the cave entrance, was alarmed at the smell of humans there and fled away silently.

n.o.body stirred, except Philip when the lizard woke up, felt cramped, and made her way to another nice warm spot, this time behind his ear. He awoke for a second, felt Lizzie moving, and then shut his eyes immediately again, pleased with the feel of the tiny feet.

Towards morning a throbbing sound awoke all four children. It penetrated into the cave, sounding even louder than the waterfall. Jack sat up at once, surprised. What could that be?

The noise grew louder and louder, it seemed as if it was coming right down on their heads. Whatever could it be?

Rr-rr-rr-rr-rr-rrRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

"It's a plane!" cried Jack. "A plane! Come to rescue us. Out of the cave, quick!"

They all tumbled out of the cave and looked for the plane. One was climbing into the air, a large shape against the sky. It had evidently come very near the side of the mountain, and had awakened them by its noise.

"A plane to rescue us?" said Philip scornfully. "Not likely! That's the plane we came here in - the men's plane, idiot!"

Chapter 14.

THE POOR PRISONER.

SURE enough, it was the men's plane. The children all recognised it quite well as they watched it vanishing into the distance. It flew towards the west.

"Wonder if it's going back to Bill's aerodrome?" said Jack. "Wonder if Bill knows what those two men are up to?"

"We don't know very much ourselves, except that they are after some sort of treasure," said Philip. "But, honestly, what treasure they think they can find here in this place beats me."

"Beats me too," said Jack. "Well - there they go! Do you suppose they'll come back?"

"Sure to," said Philip. "They won't give up as easily as that. Maybe they've gone to report that there are other people here now - for all they know, after the treasure too! And they might bring back more men to smell us out."

"Oh," said Lucy-Ann in alarm. "I don't want to be smelt out."

"Do you think both men have gone?" asked Philip.

"I should think so," said Jack. "But we can go and have a jolly good look round and see. If one man is left, he'll be somewhere near that shed of theirs. He won't know how many of us there are here - he may think there are men with us, you know, and not dare to move about too much by himself."

But when the children left the cave later in the morning and went to "have a squint," as Jack said, they could find no sign of either Juan or Pepi. There was no fire. It had been stamped out. And this time the shed was well and truly locked, and the key taken. No amount of shaking or kicking would open the door.

"Well, if we'd known the men were going to fly off, we might have asked them for a lift," said Jack with a grin. "I wonder when they'll come back - if they do come back, that is."

"Not till it's daylight tomorrow, I should think," said Philip. "I expect they'll take off at night again. Let's go and have another squint at those crates."

But there was really nothing to see. They were empty as before, and the tarpaulin was over them. The children played about for some hours, and had a meal under a tree. They went to get a tin or two from the rest of the store still hidden in the bush. Jack opened them.

After the meal Philip suggested that they should go back to the waterfall and the girls should take them to the cave of echoes, and down the pa.s.sage that led behind the water. So off they went, first hiding all trace of having been near the men's shed.

But when they got back to their cave, Jack gave a most annoyed exclamation and began to feel in all his pockets.

"What's the matter?" said Lucy-Ann.

"Well, do you know what I've done? I've gone and left the tin-opener behind," said Jack. "Think of that! What an idiotic thing to do! I thought we might want another tin opened, so I put it down at the roots of that tree we had our picnic under - and I must have left it there. I haven't got it, anyway."

"Oh, Jack! But we can't have a meal without opening a tin," said Philip, seeing awful visions of a hungry night. "Gosh - you are an a.s.s!"

"Yes, I know," said Jack gloomily. "Well, there's only one thing to be done. I must go back and get it. You explore the cave of echoes with the girls, Philip, and I'll take Kiki and go back for the opener. Serves me right."

"I'll come with you, Jack," said Lucy-Ann, sorry for her brother.

"No, you've had a jolly long walk already," said Jack. "You go with the others. Anyway, I'll be quicker by myself. I'll just have a sitdown before I start back. I can always explore the cave another time."

He sat down on the moss. The others sat with him, sorry for him, knowing how annoyed he must feel with himself. But it would be still more annoying to have to go without meals. The opener must certainly be fetched.

After about half an hour Jack felt able to start back again. He said a cheery good-bye to the others, and left, scrambling quickly down the rocks. They knew he would not lose his way. They all felt they knew it quite well by this time.

Jack had Kiki on his shoulder, and they talked together all the way. Kiki was simply delighted to have Jack all by herself. He was nearly always with the others. They talked complete nonsense and both of them thoroughly enjoyed it.

Jack arrived at last at the tree under which they had had their lunch. He looked for the opener, half fearful in case it had been removed by somebody. But it was still there, lying where he had left it. He picked it up and put it into his pocket.

"Three cheers," he said.

"Three blind mice," said Kiki. "Handy spandy, humpy dumpy."

"I agree with you," said Jack. "Well, we'll get back, I think. Twilight will soon be coming and I don't fancy going back in the dark. Off we go, Kiki, up the hill."

"Jack and Jill," agreed Kiki.

"Jack and Kiki, you mean," grinned Jack, turning to go. Then he stood still suddenly and listened. Away in the distance he could hear a sound he knew - a familiar, throbbing sound. Rr-rr-rr-rr-rr!

"Gosh, Kiki! - are those fellows coming back so soon?" said Jack, staring into the western sky, which was still faintly gold. "Yes - that's a plane all right. But is it theirs?"

The plane came nearer, growing larger and larger. An idea came into Jack's mind. He ran to where the men's shed was, and climbed quickly up into a tree not far from where they had their camp-fire. He spoke sternly to Kiki.

"Now, quiet, Kiki. Not a word. Do you understand? Shhhhhh!"