Five On Kirrin Island Again Chapter Eighteen HALF PAST FOUR IN THE MORNING（在线收听）

Chapter Eighteen HALF PAST FOUR IN THE MORNING

As soon as the men were out of earshot, George's father spoke in a low voice.

'It's  no  good.  I'll  have  to  let  them  have  my  book  of  notes.  I  can't  risk  having  you  buried  down here, George. I don't mind anything for myself - workers of my sort have to be ready to take risks all their lives -- but it's different now you're here!'

'Father, I haven't got the book of notes,' whispered George, thankfully. 'I gave them to Timmy. I

'did manage to get that stone away from the entrance to his little prison - though the men think I didn't! I gave the book to Timmy and told him to go and hide till I fetched him.'

'Fine work, George!' said her father. 'Well - perhaps if you got Timmy now and brought him here

-- he could deal with these two men before they suspect he is free! He is quite capable of getting them both down on the ground at once.'

'Oh yes! It's our only chance,' said George. 'I'll go and get him now. I'll go a little way along the passage and whistle. Father -- why didn't you go and try and rescue Timmy?'

'I  didn't  want  to  leave  my  book,'  said  her  father.  'I  dared  not  take  it  with  me,  in  case  the  men came after me and found it. They've been looking in all the caves for it. I couldn't bear to leave it here, and go and look for the dog. I was sure he was all right, when I saw the men taking biscuits 77

out  of  the  bag.  Now  do  go,  George,  and  whistle  to  Timmy.  The  men  may  be  back  at  any moment.'

George  took  her  torch  and  went  into  the  passage  that  led  to  the  little  cave  where  Timmy  had been. She whistled loudly, and then waited. But no Timmy came. She whistled again, and then went further along the passage. Still no Timmy.

She called him loudly. 'TIMMY! TIMMY! COME HERE!' But Timmy did not come. There was no sound of scampering feet, no joyful bark.

'Oh bother!' thought  George.  'I  hope he hasn't  gone so  far away that he  can't hear me.  I'll  go a little further.' So she made her way along the tunnel, past the cave where Timmy had been, and then on down the tunnel again. Still no Timmy.

George rounded a corner and then saw that the tunnel split into three. Three different passages, all dark, silent and cold. Oh dear! She didn't in the least know which to take. She took the one on the left.

But  that  also  split  into three  a little way on! George stopped.  'I shall  get absolutely  lost in  this maze  of  passages  under  the  sea  if  I  go  on,'  she  thought.  'I  simply  daren't.  It's  too  frightening.

TIMMY! TIMMY!' Her voice went echoing along the passage and sounded very queer indeed.

She retraced her steps and went right back to her father's cave, feeling miserable.

'Father, there's  no sign of Timmy at  all. He must have  gone along one of the passages  and  got lost! Oh dear, this is awful. There are lots of tunnels beyond this cave, it seems as if the whole rocky bed of the sea is mined with tunnels!' George sat down and looked, very downhearted.

'Quite likely,' said her father. 'Well  - that's a perfectly good plan gone wrong. We must try and think of another.'

'I  do wonder what  Julian and the others will think when they  wake up  and find me  gone,' said George, suddenly. 'They might even come and try to find me 'here.'

'That wouldn't be much good,' said her father. Then we'll simply come down here and wait, and nobody will know where we are. The others don't know of the entrance in the little stone room, do they?'

'No,' said George. 'If they came over here I'm sure they'd never find it! We've looked before. And that would mean they'd be blown up with the island. Father, this is simply dreadful.'

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'If only we knew where Timmy was!' said her father. Or if we could get a message to Julian to tell  him  not  to  come.  What's  the  time?  My  word,  it's  half  past  three  in,  the  early  morning!  I suppose Julian and the others are still asleep.'

Julian was fast asleep. So was Anne. Dick was in a deep sleep as well, so nobody guessed that George's bed was empty.

But,  about  half  past  four  Anne  awoke,  feeling  very  hot,  really  must  open  the  window!'  she thought. 'I'm boiling!' She got up and went to the window. She opened it, and stood looking out.

The stars were out and the bay one faintly.

'George,' whispered Anne. 'Are  you awake?' She listened for a reply. But none came. Then she listened  more  intently.  Why,  she  couldn't  even  hear  George's'  breathing!  Surely  George  was there?

She  felt  over  George's  bed.  It  was  flat  and  empty.  She  switched  on  the  light  and  looked  at  it.

George's pyjamas were still on the bed. Her clothes were gone.

'George has gone to the island!' said Anne, in a fright, in the dark by herself!'

She went to the boys' room. She felt about Julian's bed for his shoulder, and shook him hard. He woke up with a jump. 'What is it? What's up?'

'Julian! George is gone. Her bed's not been slept in,' whispered Anne. Her whisper awoke Dick, and soon both boys were sitting up wide awake.

'Blow!  I  might  have  guessed  she'd  do  a  fool  thing  like  that,'  said  Julian.  'In  the  middle  of  the night too -- and all those dangerous rocks to row round. Now what are we going to do about it? I told her she wasn't to go to the island -- Timmy would be quite all right! I expect Uncle Quentin forgot to take him up to the tower with him yesterday, that's all. She might have waited till half past ten this morning then she would probably have seen him.'

'Well - we can't do anything now, I suppose, can we?' said Anne, anxiously.

'Not  a thing,' said Julian. 'I've no doubt  she's safely  on Kirrin  Island by  now, making a fuss of Timmy, and having a good old row with Uncle Quentin. Really… George is the limit!'

They talked for half an hour and then Julian looked at his watch. 'Five o'clock. We'd better try and get a bit more sleep. Aunt Fanny will be worried in the morning when she hears of George's latest escapade!'

Anne went back to her room. She got into bed and fell asleep. Julian could not sleep  - he kept thinking  of  George  and  wondering  where  exactly  she  was.  Wouldn't  he  give  her  a  talking-to 79

when she came back!  He suddenly heard a peculiar noise downstairs. Whatever could  it be?  It sounded like someone climbing in,  at  a window.  Was there one open? Yes,  the window of the little wash-place might be open. Crash! What in the world was that? It couldn't be a burglar - no burglar would be foolish enough to make such a noise. There was a sound on the stairs, and then the bedroom door was pushed open. In alarm Julian put out his hand to switch on the light, but before he could do so something heavy jumped right on top of him! He yelled and Dick woke up with a jump. He put on the light -- and then Julian saw what was on his bed - Timmy!

'Timmy! How did you get here? Where's George! Timmy, is it really you?', said Julian.

'Timmy!' echoed Dick, amazed. 'Has George brought him back then? Is she here too?'

Anne came in, wakened by the noise. 'Why, Timmy! Oh Julian, is George back too, then?'

'No, apparently not,' said Julian, puzzled. 'I say, Tim, 'what's this you've got in your mouth? Drop it, old chap, drop it!'

Timmy  dropped  it.  Julian  picked  it  up  from  the  bed.  'It's  a  book  of  notes  -  all  in  Uncle's handwriting!  What  does  this  mean?  How  did  Timmy  get  hold  of  it  -  and  why  did  he  bring  it here? It's most extraordinary!'

Nobody  could  imagine  why  Timmy  had  suddenly  appeared  with  the  book  of  notes  -  and  no George.

'It's very queer,' said Julian. 'There's something I don't understand here. Let's go and wake Aunt Fanny.' So they went and woke her up, telling her all they knew. She was very worried indeed to hear that George was gone. She picked up the book of notes and knew at once that it was very important.

'I must put this into the safe,' she said. 'I know this is valuable. How did Timmy get hold of it?'

Timmy was acting queerly. He kept pawing at Julian and whining. He had been very pleased to see everyone, but he seemed to have something on his mind.

'What  is  it, old  boy?' asked Dick. 'How did  you  get  here? You didn't  swim,  because  you're not wet. If you came in a boat, it must have been with George -- and yet you've left her behind!'

'I think something's happened to George,' said Anne, suddenly. 'I think Timmy keeps pawing you to tell you to go with him and find her. Perhaps she brought him back in the boat, and then was terribly tired and fell asleep on the beach or something. We ought to go and see.'

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'Yes,  I  think  we  ought,'  said  Julian.  'Aunt  Fanny,  would  you  like  to  wake  Joanna  and  get something hot ready, in case we find George is tired out and cold? We'll go down to the beach and look. It will soon be daylight now. The eastern sky is just beginning to show its first light.'

'Well,  go  and  dress  then,'  said  Aunt  Fanny,  still  looking  very  worried  indeed.  'Oh,  what  a dreadful family I've got - always in some scrape or other!'

The three children began to dress. Timmy watched them, waiting patiently till they were ready.

Then  they  all  went  downstairs  and  out  of  doors.  Julian  turned  towards  the  beach,  but  Timmy stood still. He pawed at Dick and then ran a few steps in the opposite direction.

'Why  -  he doesn't  want  us  to  go to  the beach! He wants  us  to  go another way!' cried Julian, in surprise. 'All right, Timmy - you lead the way and we'll follow!'