Famous Five 19 Five Go to Demons Rocks (11 page)

He’s an artful dodger, this one!’

Julian went back to the light-house, rather worried. It might take a few days in a little place like this to have a new lock put in. In the meantime they would either have to keep themselves prisoners in the lighthouse - or leave a front door that anyone could open!

The others listened excitedly to his tale, when he went back. They were glad to have the rug, the clock, and the purse again - though Anne was sad that all her money was gone.

‘We’ll have to get a new lock and key,’ said Julian. ‘After all, this light-house has only been lent to us, and it’s our responsibility to look after it and all it contains. It’s a good thing it was only our things that were taken - not Professor Hayling’s!’

‘It’s getting rather late,’ said Anne, jumping up. ‘We haven't had our tea yet! I’ll get it.

Anyone feel like buns with butter and jam?’

Everyone did, and soon Anne produced a large plate of delicious looking buns. They talked as they drank their tea, and ate the buns.

‘I vote we go and find Jeremiah Boogie tomorrow, and see if he’s heard of the robbery, and if he has anything interesting to say about it,’ said George.

‘And also we really must get him to show us the Wreckers’ Cave,’ said Julian. ‘By the way, what were the names of the two men who have the job of showing the visitors round the caves? I’m pretty sure one was Jacob!’

‘You’re right - it was - and the other man was called Ebenezer!’ said Dick. ‘Well - let’s hope Jacob is locked up, or out of the way somewhere when we go to see the caves.

We shall get some black looks from him, if not!’

‘Well, we can give him some back!’ said George, putting on a terrific scowl, and making Timmy give a sudden whine. She patted him. ‘It’s all right, Timmy - that scowl wasn’t for you!’

‘We’d better go to the caves tomorrow morning when the tide will be more or less out,’

said Julian. ‘And I’d better see if I can find a locksmith here who can give us a new lock and key quickly!’

‘Why not slip out now?’ said Dick. ‘I’ll come with you for a bit of fresh air. Want to come girls?’

‘No, I’d like to finish my book, said Anne, and George said the same. Tinker was playing with Mischief, and he didn’t want to come either.

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‘Well, you and the light-house will be safe with Timmy and Mischief to look after you!’

said Julian, and down the stairway he went, with Dick close behind him.

The locksmith promised to come and look at the door in the next day or two. ‘Can’t leave my shop just now,’ he said. ‘Nobody to see to it! It’ll take me a few days to do the job for you, I’m afraid, sir.’

‘Oh blow!’ said Julian. ‘We’ve already had a thief in the light-house! We don’t like to go out and leave it empty now!’

They rowed back to the light-house, shut and jammed the door as best they could, and went up to the girls. Timmy gave them an uproarious welcome, and Mischief took a flying leap from a chair-back on to Dick’s shoulder.

‘No lock or key for a few days,’ said Dick, sitting down and tickling the delighted little monkey. ‘I did want to go and see the caves tomorrow - especially the famous Wreckers’ one - but we can’t possibly leave the light-house empty.’

‘Woof,’ said Timmy at once.

‘He says, why not leave him behind, and let him guard it,’ said George, solemnly, and Timmy at once said ‘Woof’ again.

They all laughed. Dick patted Timmy, and ruffled the fur behind his ears. ‘Dear old Tim -

all right, you guard the light-house - you shall have a Very Special Bone for a reward!’

‘That’s settled then. We leave Timmy here on guard, and we all go off to the caves,’ said Julian. ‘Well, one of the brothers who show visitors round will be missing tomorrow, I fear - Jacob will not be there!’

‘I bet we’ll get some scowls from the other brother - what’s his name now - Ebenezer?’

said Anne. ‘We’ll have to be careful that we don’t get pushed into a deep pool of water!’

‘Dear me, yes,’ said Julian. ‘One never knows! We’ll certainly be on our guard!’

Next morning George awoke with a jump. Timmy was pushing her gently with his nose.

‘What is it, Tim?" said George. Timmy gave a bark, and ran to where the spiral stairway led downwards.

‘Go down and tell the boys what it is you want,’ said George, sleepily. So down the stairway went Timmy, and into the room where the boys were sleeping. He trotted in and nudged Julian with his nose, but Julian was so fast asleep that he didn’t stir.

Timmy pawed at him, and Julian awoke with a jump. He sat up. ‘Oh, it’s you, Tim - what on earth do you want? Is anything wrong with the girls?’

‘Woof,’ said Timmy, and ran to the spiral stairway. He disappeared down it, barking.

‘Blow! He’s heard someone!’ said Julian, yawning. ‘Well, if it’s Ebenezer or Jacob - no, it can’t be Jacob, of course - I’ll tell him what I think of people who steal!’

He unjammed the door of the light-house and opened it. On the step stood two milk-bottles! ‘Well, really, Timmy, fancy waking me because the milkman came!’ said Julian, taking in the bottles. ‘Good old milkman - I wonder if he had to come by boat - the sea’s pretty high this morning - but I suppose he could just about have waded over the rocks!’

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At breakfast the Five remembered that they meant to see the caves that morning. They had a very fine meal of fried bacon, bought the day before, and eggs, with buttered toast and marmalade to follow. Anne had made some good hot coffee, and they all enjoyed themselves immensely. Mischief made himself a real nuisance by putting a paw deep in the marmalade jar and then, when smacked, running all over the place leaving sticky marmaladey marks everywhere!

‘We’d better all take a wet rag with us as we go about the room,’ said Anne, in disgust.

‘He’s run over the table and desk and everything. BAD Mischief! I do so hate feeling sticky!’

Mischief was sad to feel himself in disgrace, and leapt on to Tinker’s shoulder, putting his sticky paws lovingly round the boy’s neck. ‘That’s right!’ said Tinker, ‘rub all your stickiness off on me, you little monkey!’

‘We’ll wash up in the sink, and you boys can tidy up the rooms,’ said Anne. ‘Then we’ll all go out. It’s a lovely day.’

‘Looks a bit stormy to me,’ said Dick. ‘What do you say, Tim?’

Tim agreed. He thumped his tail vigorously on the floor, making Mischief pounce on it in joy. Anne gathered up the crockery and took it to the sink.

In an hour or so they were ready to go out. ‘Let’s write a card to Aunt Fanny before we leave,’ said Anne. ‘Then that will be done. We won’t say a word about the things that were stolen, though. She might feel upset, and tell us to go back! And then what would Uncle Quentin and Professor Hayling say?’

‘I bet they’re having a wonderful time, arguing all day long, working out figures, and studying papers!’ said Julian. ‘And I’m pretty certain that Aunt Fanny will have to call them to a meal at least twenty times before they arrive at the table!’

Anne wrote the post-card and put on a stamp. ‘Now I’m ready,’ she said, standing up.

Timmy ran to the top of the stairs, glad that everyone seemed to be on the move at last.

He did so love a walk.

‘Darling Timmy,’ said George. ‘I’m afraid you’ll have to be left behind to guard the lighthouse! You see, we haven’t a key - and we can’t jam the door from outside. So please, Timmy dear, stay behind - on guard. You know what that means, don’t you? ON

GUARD!

Timmy’s tail went right down. He gave a small whine. He did so hate being left out of anything - especially a walk. He pawed gently at George as if to say, ‘Do please change your mind.’

‘On guard, Timmy, now,’ said George. ‘The lighthouse is in your charge. Don’t let ANYONE in. You’d better lie on the mat just inside the entrance.’

Timmy ran slowly down behind Julian and the others, looking very mournful indeed.

‘Now lie there,’ said George, and gave him a pat on the head. ‘We’ll take you out again soon, and then one of us will stay to guard the light-house - but this time we all want to go out. ON GUARD!’

Timmy lay down on the mat, and put his head on his paws, his big brown eyes looking up at George. ‘Dear old faithful,’ she said ruffling the hair on his head. ‘We won’t be very long!’

They slammed the door and went down the lighthouse steps. The tide was still out far enough for them to be able to wade over the rocks to the jetty. ‘We must be back before it’s well in,’ said Julian. ‘Or we’ll have to stay ashore till it’s out again. Our boat is tied to the light-house post, remember!’

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They went for a stroll along the front and who should be there, sitting on a stone seat, but old Jeremiah Boogie, smoking his long pipe, staring solemnly out to sea.

‘Good-morning, Jeremiah,’ said Dick, politely. ‘I hope we bought the right tobacco for you from Tom.’

‘Oh aye,’ said Jeremiah, puffing out very strong-smelling smoke. ‘Hallo, little monkey -

so you’ve come to my shoulder again, have you? Well, what’s the news from Monkey-Land?’

The others laughed as Mischief at once poured out a stream of monkey-chatter into the old man’s ear. ‘We thought we would go and see the caves today,’ said Julian.

‘Especially the old Wreckers’ Cave.’

‘Now don’t you let that Ebenezer take you round!’ said the old man, at once. ‘You won’t find Jacob there - oho - I know what’s happened to him. And serve him right. Never could keep his fingers to himself, that one! Ebenezer’s as bad. He could steal the buttons off your coat, and you’d never know! Now look - what about me showing you the caves? I know them inside out, and I can show you things that that rat of an Ebenezer doesn’t even know of.’

‘Well - we’d certainly much rather you took us, and not Ebenezer,’ said Julian.

‘Ebenezer may be feeling rather angry because we told the police about his brother stealing things. We’ll give you some more tobacco - I mean baccy - if you’ll guide us round.’

‘Well, let’s go now,’ said Jeremiah, getting up very spryly. ‘This way!’

And off they all went, Mischief too - the little monkey did Jeremiah the honour of sitting on his shoulder all the way down the village street. The old old man was delighted to see how everyone stared and laughed.

He took them round the foot of some very high cliffs. They came to a rocky beach farther along, and walked over it. ‘There’s the entrance,’ said the old man, pointing to a large hole in the cliff nearby. ‘That’s the way to the caves. Got a torch?’

‘Yes - we brought one each,’ said Julian, patting his pocket. ‘Do we have to pay to go in?’

‘No. People give Ebenezer a tip - five pence or so - if he shows them round - or Jacob, when he’s there,’ said Jeremiah. ‘I’ll deal with Ebby, though. Don’t you waste your money on that scoundrel!’

The hole in the cliff led to the first cave, which was a big one. Lighted lanterns hung here and there, but gave very little light.

‘Mind your step, now,’ warned Jeremiah. ‘It’s real slippery in places. This way - through this old arch.’

It was cold and damp in the cave, and the children had to go carefully, and avoid the puddles left by the sea. Then suddenly Jeremiah turned a corner and went in a completely different direction! Down and down and down they went!

‘Hey - we’re going towards the sea now surely?’ said Julian, in surprise. ‘Do the caves go under the sea, then? Not away back into the cliff?’

‘That’s right,’ said Jeremiah. ‘This is a real rocky coast - and the way we’re taking leads down a tunnel under the rocks, and then into the caves deep under ground. See the rocky roof over our heads - well, if you listen, you can hear the sea now, mumbling and grumbling over it - that roof is the bed of the sea!’

That was a very strange thought indeed, and rather alarming! Anne gazed fearfully up at the rocky roof overhead, and shone her torch on it, half-expecting to see a few cracks

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leaking salt-water from the sea rolling over the rocky roof! But no - there was a little moisture shining on it, and that was all.

‘Are we soon coming to the Wreckers’ Cave?’ asked George. ‘Mischief, stop making those noises. There’s nothing to be scared of!’

Mischief didn’t like this cold, dark strange walk underground, and had begun to make harsh frightened noises, and then suddenly gave a loud scared screech.

‘Don’t! You made me jump!’ said Anne. ‘Goodness - listen to the monkey’s screech echoing all along the tunnel and back! Sounds like a hundred monkeys chattering at once! Our voices echo too!’

Mischief was most alarmed to hear the enormous amount of screeches and chattering noises that now filled the tunnel. He began to cry almost like a baby, and clung to Tinker as if he would never let him go.

‘I expect he thinks this place is absolutely full of screeching monkeys,’ said Anne, sorry for the terrified little creature. ‘It’s only the echo, Mischief.’

‘He’ll soon get used to it,’ said Tinker, hugging the monkey close to him.

‘You want to hear the echo just round the next bend of the tunnel!’ said Jeremiah, stroking the little monkey, and very foolishly gave an enormous yell just as they got there!

The yell came back ten times as loud, and the tunnel seemed suddenly full of shouts tumbling over one another. Everyone jumped violently, and Mischief leapt high in the air in terror. He sprang to the ground, and scampered away at top speed, wailing in his little monkey-voice. He tore down the tunnel, tail in air, and disappeared round the corner.

Tinker was very upset.

‘Mischief! Come back!’ he yelled. ‘You’ll get lost!’

And along came the echo at once. ‘Get lost, get lost, get lost - lost - lost!’

‘Don’t you worry about your monkey,’ said Jeremiah, comfortingly. ‘I’ve had a score of monkeys in my time - and they always come back!’

‘Well, I’ll jolly well stay down here till Mischief does come back!’ said Tinker in rather a shaky voice.