by Enid Blyton
The night came as suddenly as usual. The stars flashed out brightly, and the world of mountains lay peacefully under the beautiful starlight. Captain Arnold went to examine the trap-door to make sure that no one could come upon them from there, and then he went to look at the sliding door. But it was still fast shut and there seemed to be no sound from the other side at all.
The night passed peacefully. First the Captain kept watch and then the two boys. But nothing happened. The dawn came, and the sun rose. The children awoke and stretched themselves. They were hungry — but, alas, except for a few of the flat cakes, there was no food left at all.
“I hope they are not going to starve us out,” said Mike hungrily, as Captain Arnold shared out the few cakes between the party. “I shouldn’t like that at all.”
“This adventure is exciting, but awfully uncomfortable,” said Nora.
At about ten o’clock the great golden door slid back again. Up the stairs came the Folk of the Mountain but this time they carried shining spears! They were on the warpath, that was plain!
Captain Arnold had half-expected this. He made the children go into a corner, and he went to meet the tall chief, with Mafumu close beside him to talk for him.
But the chief was in no mood for talking. He too carried a spear, and he looked very fiercely at Captain Arnold.
“Tell him I will kill his sun again, Mafumu,” said the Captain desperately.
“Chief say he kill you first,” said poor Mafumu, his teeth chattering. And, indeed, it certainly looked as if this was what the chief meant to do, for he lowered his spear and pointed it threateningly at Captain Arnold.
The Captain had a revolver. He did not want to shoot the chief, but thought he might as well frighten him. He drew his revolver and fired it into the air. The noise of the shot echoed round the mountains in a most terrifying manner. The chief jumped with fright. All the Mountain Folk began to jabber and shout.
But one, cleverer than the others, aimed his spear at Captain Arnold. The shining weapon flew through the air, struck the gun in the Captain’s hand, and sent it flying to ground with a clang. None of the Mountain Folk dared to pick it up, and Captain Arnold did not dare to either — for a different reason! He was not afraid of the revolver — but he was afraid of the spears around him!
The chief shouted out a harsh order, and twelve men ran up with spears. They took hold of all the little company, and before ten minutes had gone by, each grown-up and child was bound with thin, strong ropes!
“What will they do with us?” said Nora, who was very angry because her wrists had been bound too tightly.
Nobody knew. But it was plain that the little party were to be taken below into the heart of the mountain. They were not to be left on the summit.
“I expect the chief is afraid we will do something to his beloved sun if he leaves us up here,” said Jack. “I wish another eclipse would happen! What a shock it would give them all!”
The chief gave orders for the captives to be taken down the shining stairway — but just as they were about to go, there came a most extraordinary noise!
At first it was far away and quiet — a little humming — but soon it grew louder and louder, and the mountain-side echoed with the sound of throbbing.
“R-r-r-r-r-r-r!” went the noise. “R-r-r-r-r-r! R-r-r-r-r-r-r!”
The Folk of the Secret Mountain stopped and listened, their eyes wide with amazement. This was a strange noise. What could it be?
The children were puzzled at first too — but almost at once Jack knew what the noise was, and he lifted up his voice in a shout.
“It’s an aeroplane! An aeroplane! Can’t you hear it? It’s coming nearer!”
Captain Arnold was amazed. He knew that it was the noise made by the throbbing of aeroplane engines — but what aeroplane? Surely — surely — it could not be the White Swallow?
The noise came nearer — and then a black speck could be seen flying towards the mountain-side. It really was an aeroplane — no doubt about that at all!
The Mountain Folk saw it too. They cried out in surprise and pointed to it. “What are they saying, Mafumu?” shouted Jack.
“They say, ‘Big, big bird, big, big bird that sings r-r-r-r-r-r-r!’” said Mafumu, his eyes shining and his teeth flashing. The children laughed, excited and eager. Something was going to happen — they were sure of it!
The aeroplane came nearer and nearer, growing bigger as it came. “It is the White Swallow!” shouted Captain Arnold. “I’d know the sound of her engines anywhere, the beauty! Ranni and Pilescu must have somehow got back to the planes, made the White Swallow ready for taking off — and flown up in her.”
“Can they land here?” cried Paul.
“Of course!” said Mike. “Look at this great smooth courtyard — an ideal landing-ground if ever there was one! Oh, if only Ranni and Pilescu know this mountain when they see it, and they come here!”
The aeroplane came nearer, rising high as it flew, as if it were going to fly right over the summit of the mountain. The Mountain Folk were terrified, and crouched to the ground. The aeroplane, gleaming as white as a gull, circled overhead as if it were looking for something.
“It’s going to land, it’s going to land!” yelled Jack, jumping about even though his hands and legs were bound. “Golly, what a shock for the red-beards!”
The white aeroplane circled lower — and even as it made to land there came another noise echoing around the mountains.
“R-r-r-r-r-r! R-r-r-r-r-r!”
“That’s my aeroplane; I bet it is, I bet it is!” yelled Prince Paul, his face red with excitement as he tried his hardest to get rid of the ropes that bound him, “I’d know the sound of my aeroplane anywhere too!”
Whilst the White Swallow made a perfect landing, running gracefully on her big wheels over the enormous flat courtyard, the second aeroplane could be seen rising slowly up the mountain-side.
“It’s Paul’s blue and silver plane,” cried Peggy. “Oh, my goodness — this is too thrilling for anything! Look who’s in the White Swallow! Ranni, Ranni, Ranni!”
A Thrilling Rescue!
The chief and his servants were full of amazement and fear when they heard the noise of the aeroplanes and saw them coming. When the White Swallow zoomed immediately overhead all the Mountain Folk fell down in fear and moaned as if they were in pain.
“Look out! You’ll be hurt by the plane!” yelled Mike, when the White Swallow made to land. The terrified people leapt to their feet and ran helter-skelter to the sides of the courtyard. The plane missed everyone, and it was good to see Ranni’s smiling face as he jumped down from the cockpit. He glanced at the Mountain Folk but none were near, and ran across the courtyard to the prisoners. He pulled a fierce-looking knife from his belt and cut them all free.
The children crowded round him, hugging him and raining questions. “You should have seen me yesterday!” yelled Paul, who was now very proud of his narrow escape. “I wore clothes of gold and sun-rays on my head!”
Captain and Mrs. Arnold were delighted too, though the Captain kept a stern eye on the Mountain Folk, who were crowded together, trembling, watching the aeroplane.
“They look as if they expect it to jump on them, or bark at them or something,” grinned Jack.
“I think it would be a good thing if we took off at once,” said Ranni. “You never know when these people will find their senses and start making things unpleasant for us! They’ve only got to damage our plane and we are done for!”
“Here comes Pilescu with my plane!” cried Paul in delight, as the big blue and silver aeroplane circled overhead, making a tremendous noise. The mountains around threw the echoes back, and the aeroplane sounded like a rumbling thunderstorm! Round and round it circled, and the Mountain Folk gave groans of terror and threw themselves on their faces again.
The little prince’s plane made just as good a landing as the White Swallow. It let down its wheels and lightly touched the ground, running along
smoothly over the enormous courtyard.
“Really, it is a perfect landing-ground!” said Captain Arnold, watching. “Smooth, big, and with plenty of wind!”
The blue and silver plane came to a stop. The door of the cockpit opened as the engines stopped. Pilescu looked out, his eyes hidden by sun-glasses. Ranni had not worn them, and the sight of Pilescu gave the Mountain Folk an even bigger fright!
Half of them rushed to the big stairway and disappeared down it, shouting. The other half, with the chief, knelt on the ground, the chief muttering something.
“He say, ‘Big chief want mercy!’” grinned Mafumu, who was now enjoying himself immensely.
“Well, if he thinks I’m going to throw him down the mountain-side or take him off in the planes, he’s mistaken,” said Captain Arnold. “I shan’t take any notice of him at all. Come along — we really ought to get off at once. It is a miraculous escape from great danger.”
“The two planes will easily take us all,” said Mike joyfully. “Who’s going in which?”
“Ranni, Pilescu, Paul, Jack and the girls can go in Paul’s big plane,” said Captain Arnold. “I’d like Mike with us — and Mafumu had better come with me too. We can’t leave him here.”
They all began to climb up into the two cockpits. It didn’t take long. Pilescu took the controls of his plane and looked round.
“All ready?” he asked. Then he looked again. “Where’s Paul? I thought he was to come in this plane.”
“He’s not here,” said Jack. “I expect he climbed into the White Swallow. I know he always wanted to fly in her.”
“Right,” said Pilescu, and pulled at a handle. But Ranni stopped him.
“We must see if Paul is in the other plane!” he said. “We don’t want to arrive in England and find that Paul isn’t in either plane!”
Ranni opened the door of the cockpit again and leaned out. He yelled to the White Swallow. “Hallo there! Have you got Paul all right?”
“What?” yelled Captain Arnold, who was just about to take off.
“Is PAUL with you?” shouted Ranni.
“No,” shouted back Captain Arnold, after a quick look round his own plane. “I said he was to go with you. The White Swallow isn’t big enough for more than four.”
Ranni went white. He loved the little Prince better than anyone else in the world — and here they were, about to take off from the mountain-top without Paul! Whatever in the world had become of him?
Ranni leapt out of the plane. Nora called to him. “Look. Isn’t that Paul over there in the temple?”
Ranni rushed towards the temple, imagining that all kinds of dreadful things were happening to the little prince. He took out his gun, quite determined to give the whole of the Mountain Folk the worst shock of their lives if they were taking little Paul a prisoner again!
Nobody but Paul was in the temple. He was in a corner struggling with something. Ranni gave a roar.
“Paul! What is it? We nearly went without you!”
Paul stood up. In his arms was the beautiful shimmering robe of golden cloth that he had worn the day before, and over his shoulder he had slung his sun-ray headdress. Young Paul was determined to take those back to school with him, to show his admiring friends. How else would they believe him when he told them of his great adventure?
He had slipped away from his party when no one was looking, for he had felt certain that Captain Arnold would say no, if he asked if he might go and get the garments. The clothes had been difficult to gather up and carry, and Paul did not realise that the planes were starting off so soon!
“Hallo, Ranni! I just went to get these sun-clothes of mine,” said Paul. “You haven’t seen them, Ranni. Look, you must….”
But to Paul’s enormous astonishment Ranni gave him a resounding slap, picked up the boy, clothes and all, and ran back to the big blue and silver plane with him. The Mountain Folk, seeing Ranni run, began to jabber, and one or two picked up their spears.
A gleaming spear flew past Ranni’s big head. He dodged to one side, sprang up the ladder of the cockpit and threw Paul on to a seat.
“The little idiot had gone into the temple to get his sun-clothes!” said Ranni, angry and alarmed because they had so nearly gone without Paul.
Paul was angry too. He sat up on the seat. “How dare you hit me?” he shouted to Ranni. “I’ll tell the King, my father. He’ll, he’ll, he’ll…”
“Shut up, Paul,” said Jack. “I’ll slap you myself if you say any more! You might have stopped us escaping. The Mountain Folk are looking rather nasty now.”
Sure enough some of them were creeping towards the planes, spears in hand. Both planes started up their engines. The throbbing noise arose on the air again. The Mountain Folk shrank back in alarm.
The White Swallow took off first. Gracefully she rose into the air, circled round twice, and then made off over the mountains. Then the blue and silver plane rose up and she was off too.
Jack looked downwards. Already the Secret Mountain looked far off and small. He could just see the folk there running about like ants. How angry they must be because their prisoners had escaped in such an extraordinary way!
“Well, we’re off again,” said Jack to the girls. “And glad as I was to see the Secret Mountain, I am even gladder to leave it behind! Cheer up, Paul, don’t look so blue! We’re safe now, even though you nearly messed things up!”
Prince Paul was feeling very foolish. “Sorry,” he said. “I didn’t think. Anyway, thank goodness I’ve got the sun-clothes. Won’t the boys at school think I’m lucky! I shall dress up in them and show the Head.”
Everyone laughed. It was exciting to be in the plane again. Jack called to Ranni.
“Ranni! You haven’t told us your adventures yet. How did you escape from the Secret Mountain?”
“It was unexpectedly easy,” shouted back Ranni, who was sitting beside Pilescu. “No one suspected that Pilescu and I were anything but ordinary Mountain Folk when we went down the golden stairway with them. We went down and down for ages and at last came to a big cave where most of them seem to live.”
“Oh yes, Mafumu and I once saw that,” said Jack. “Go on, Ranni.”
“We didn’t like to go and sit in the cave in case somebody spoke to us and we couldn’t answer in their language,” said Ranni. “So we waited about in a passage until we saw a little party of the Mountain Folk going along with spears. We thought they must be going hunting so we joined them, walking behind them.”
“How exciting!” said Nora. “Didn’t they guess who you were?”
“Not once,” said Ranni. “We followed them down all kinds of dark passages until we came into the big hall-like place whose steps lead up to the rock-entrance. They worked a lever and the big door slid open. Then they set that great rock turning and sliding, and the way was open to us!”
“You were lucky,” said Jack. “I wish I had shared that adventure.”
“It wasn’t quite so good after that,” said Ranni. “We had to find our way back to the planes and we got completely lost up in the mountain-pass. We found our way at last by a great stroke of luck — and arrived at the planes, very tired indeed, but safe!”
“It didn’t take you long to get them going,” shouted Peggy. “Did you find it difficult to spot the Secret Mountain?”
“No. Very easy,” said Ranni. “It looks so yellow from the air — and besides, it’s the only one with a flat top.”
“I say! What’s the White Swallow doing?” cried Jack suddenly. “It’s going down! Is it going to land, Ranni?”
“It looks like it,” said Ranni. “I wonder what’s the matter! My word, I hope nothing has gone wrong. This plane is large but it won’t take everyone.”
The White Swallow flew lower still. Below was a fine flat stretch of grass, and the plane was making for that. It landed easily and came to a stop.
“We must land too, and see what’s up,” said Ranni, looking worried. So the blue and silver plane circled ro
und too, and flew slowly towards the flat piece of grass. It let down its wheels and landed gently and smoothly, running along for a little way and then stopping.
Captain Arnold was already out of his plane and was helping little Mafumu down.
“What’s the matter? Anything wrong?” yelled Ranni, climbing from his cockpit. “Let me come and help!”
Goodbye To Mafumu — And Home At Last!
Captain Arnold looked round and shook his head. “No — there’s nothing wrong,” he said. “But we can’t take Mafumu to England with us! He would be miserable away from his own people. His own folk live near here — look, you can see the village over there — and I am taking him home.
“The children will want to say good-bye to him,” said Ranni at once. “Little Mafumu has been a good friend to us. We couldn’t have rescued you without his help. Hie, Jack — bring Paul and the girls to say good-bye to Mafumu. We’re leaving him here.”
Everyone climbed from the two aeroplanes. The children were sad to say good-bye to their small friend. They had grown very fond of cheeky Mafumu, and they did not want to leave him behind at all.
“Can’t we possibly take Mafumu home with us?” asked Paul. “Do let’s. He could live with us — and he could come to school with Mike and Jack and me!”
“Mafumu wouldn’t be happy,” said Ranni. “One day we will all pay a visit to him again, and see how he is getting on. I shouldn’t be surprised if some day he is made chief of his tribe — he is brave and intelligent, and has all the makings of a fine leader.”
“I hope that uncle of his won’t hit him too much,” said Jack. “Golly, look — all the people are running out from the village. Have they seen Mafumu, do you think?”
Sure enough, from the little native village nearby came many men, women and children. They had seen Mafumu, and although they had been unsure about the aeroplanes, they felt that the “big roaring birds” as they called them could not be very dangerous if Mafumu was in one of them!
Mafumu’s uncle was with the people. Jack wondered if he would take hold of the little boy and give him a shaking for having run away from him back to his friends. He glanced at Mafumu to see if he was afraid. But the boy held himself proudly. Was he not friends with these people? Had he not helped them? He felt a real king that day.