by Enid Blyton
But he wasn't. He was awake. Luckily he hadn't missed the box! He came into the dining-room to have tea with the family, and Julian took his chance. He muttered an excuse, slipped away from the table, and replaced the box on the table behind his uncle's chair!
He winked at the others when he came back. They felt relieved. They were all scared of Uncle Quentin, and were not at all anxious to be in his bad books. Anne didn't say one word during the whole of the meal. She was so terribly afraid she might give something away, either about Tim or the box. The others spoke very little too. While they were at tea the telephone rang and Aunt Fanny went to answer it.
She soon came back. "It's for you, Quentin," she said. "Apparently the old wreck has caused quite a lot of excitement, and there are men from a London paper who want to ask you questions about it."
"Tell them I'll see them at six," said Uncle Quentin. The children looked at one another in alarm. They hoped that their uncle wouldn't show the box to the newspapermen. Then the secret of the hidden gold might come out!
"What a mercy we took a tracing of the map!" said Julian, after tea. "But I'm jolly sorry now we left the real map in the box. Someone else may guess our secret!"
Chapter Ten. AN ASTONISHING OFFER
THE next morning the papers were full of the extraordinary way in which the old wreck had been thrown up out of the sea. The newspaper men had got out of the children's uncle the tale of the wreck and the lost gold, and some of them even managed to land on Kirrin Island and take pictures of the old ruined castle.
George was furious. "It's my castle!" she stormed to her mother. "It's my island. You said it could be mine. You did, you did!"
"I know, George dear," said her mother. "But you really must be sensible. It can't hurt the island to be landed on, and it can't hurt the castle to be photographed."
"But I don't want it to be," said George, her face dark and sulky. "It's mine. And the wreck is mine. You said so."
"Well, I didn't know it was going to be thrown up like that," said her mother. "Do be sensible, George. What can it possibly matter if people go to look at the wreck? You can't stop them."
George couldn't stop them, but that didn't make her any the less angry about it. The children were astonished at the interest that the cast-up wreck caused, and because of that, Kirrin Island became an object of great interest too. Sightseers from the places all around came to see it, and the fishermen managed to find the little inlet and land the people there. George sobbed with rage, and Julian tried to comfort her.
"Listen, George! No one knows our secret yet. We'll wait till this excitement has died down, and then we'll go to Kirrin Castle and find the ingots."
"If someone doesn't find them first," said George, drying her eyes. She was furious with herself for crying, but she really couldn't help it.
"How could they?" said Julian. "No one has seen inside the box yet! I'm going to wait my chance and get that map out before anyone sees it!"
But he didn't have a chance, because something dreadful happened. Uncle Quentin sold the old box to a man who bought antique things! He came out from his study, beaming, a day or two after the excitement began, and told Aunt Fanny and the children.
"I've struck a very good bargain with that man," he said to his wife. "You know that old tin-lined box from the wreck? Well, this fellow collects curious things like that, and he gave me a very good price for it. Very good indeed. More even than I could expect for the writing of my book! As soon as he saw the old map there and the old diary he said at once that he would buy the whole collection."
The children stared at him in horror. The box was sold! Now someone would study that map and perhaps jump to what 'ingots' meant. The story of the lost gold had been put into all the newspapers now. Nobody could fail to know what the map showed if they studied it carefully.
The children did not dare to tell Uncle Quentin what they knew. It was true he was all smiles now, and was promising to buy them new shrimping-nets, and a raft for themselves- but he was such a changeable person. He might fly into a furious temper if he heard that Julian had taken the box and opened it himself, while his uncle was sleeping.
When they were alone the children discussed the whole matter. It seemed very serious indeed to them. They half-wondered if they should let Aunt Fanny into the secret-but it was such a precious secret, and so marvellous, that they felt they didn't want to give it away to anyone at all.
"Now listen!" said Julian, at last. "We'll ask Aunt Fanny if we can go to Kirrin Island and spend a day or two there- sleep there at night too, I mean. That will give us a little time to poke round and see what we can find. The sightseers won't come after a day or two, I'm sure. Maybe we'll get in before anyone tumbles to our secret. After all, the man who brought the box may not even guess that the map shows Kirrin Castle."
They felt more cheerful. It was so awful to do nothing. As soon as they had planned to act, they felt better. They decided to ask their aunt the next day if they might go and spend the week-end at the castle. The weather was gloriously fine, and it would be great fun. They could take plenty of food with them.
When they went to ask Aunt Fanny, Uncle Quentin was with her. He was all smiles again, and even clapped Julian on the back. "Well!" he said. "What's this deputation for?"
"We just wanted to ask Aunt Fanny something," said Julian, politely. "Aunt Fanny, as the weather is so fine, do you think you would let us go for the week-end to Kirrin Castle, please, and spend a day or two there on the island? You can't think how we would love to!"
"Well- what do you think, Quentin?" asked their aunt, turning to her husband.
"If they want to, they can," said Uncle Quentin. "They won't have a chance to, soon. My dears, we have had a marvellous offer for Kirrin Island! A man wants to buy it, rebuild the castle as a hotel, and make it into a proper holiday place! What do you think of that?"
All four children stared at the smiling man, shocked and horrified. Somebody was going to buy the island! Had their secret been discovered? Did the man want to buy the castle because he had read the map, and knew there was plenty of gold hidden there?
George gave a curious choke. Her eyes burned as if they were on fire. "Mother! You can't sell my island! You can't sell my castle! I won't let them be sold."
Her father frowned. "Don't be silly, Georgina," he said. "It isn't really yours. You know that. It belongs to your mother, and naturally she would like to sell it if she could. We need the money very badly. You will be able to have a great many nice things once we sell the island."
"I don't want nice things!" cried poor George. "My castle and my island are the nicest things I could ever have. Mother! Mother! You know you said I could have them. You know you did! I believed you."
"George dear, I did mean you to have them to play on, when I thought they couldn't possibly be worth anything," said her mother, looking distressed. "But now things are different. Your father has been offered quite a good sum, far more than we ever thought of getting- and we really can't afford to turn it down."
"So you only gave me the island when you thought it wasn't worth anything," said George, her face white and angry. "As soon as it is worth money you take it away again. I think that's horrid. It- it isn't honourable."
"That's enough, Georgina," said her father, angrily. "Your mother is guided by me. You're only a child. Your mother didn't really mean what she said- it was only to please you. But you know well enough you will share in the money we get and have anything you want."
"I won't touch a penny!" said George, in a low, choking voice. "You'll be sorry you sold it."
The girl turned and stumbled out of the room. The others felt very sorry for her. They knew what she was feeling. She took things so very seriously. Julian thought she didn't understand grown-ups very well. It wasn't a bit of good fighting grown-ups. They could do exactly as they liked. If they wanted to take away George's island and castle, they could. If they wanted to sell it, they could! But what Uncle Quentin
didn't know was the fact that there might be a store of gold-ingots there! Julian stared at his uncle and wondered whether to warn him. Then he decided not to. There was just a chance that the four children could find the gold first!
"When are you selling the island, Uncle?" he asked quietly.
"The deeds will be signed in about a week's time," was the answer. "So if you really want to spend a day or two there, you'd better do so quickly, for after that you may not get permission from the new owners."
"Was it the man who bought the old box who wants to buy the island?" asked Julian.
"Yes", said his uncle. "I was a little surprised myself, for I thought he was just a buyer of old things. It was astonishing to me that he should get the idea of buying the island to rebuild the castle as a hotel. Still, I dare say there will be big money in running an hotel there- very romantic, staying on a little island like that- people will like it. I'm no businessman myself, and I certainly shouldn't care to invest my money in a place like Kirrin Island. But I should think he knows what he is doing all right."
"Yes, he certainly does," thought Julian to himself, as he went out of the room with Dick and Anne. "He's read that map- and has jumped to the same idea that we did-the store of hidden ingots is somewhere on that island-and he's going to get it! He doesn't want to build an hotel! He's after the treasure! I expect he's offered Uncle Quentin some silly low price that poor old uncle thinks is marvellous! Oh dear- this is a horrible thing to happen."
He went to find George. She was in the tool-shed, looking quite green. She said she felt sick.
"It's only because you're so upset," said Julian. He slipped his arm round her. For once in a way George didn't push it away. She felt comforted. Tears came into her eyes, and she angrily tried to blink them away.
"Listen, George!" said Julian. "We mustn't give up hope. We'll go to Kirrin Island tomorrow, and we'll do our very, very best to get down into the dungeons somehow and find the ingots. We'll jolly well stay there till we do. See? Now cheer up, because we'll want your help in planning everything. Thank goodness we took a tracing of the map."
George cheered up a little. She still felt angry with her father and mother, but the thought of going to Kirrin Island for a day or two, and taking Timothy too, certainly seemed rather good.
"I do think my father and mother are unkind," she said.
"Well, they're not really," said Julian, wisely. "After all, if they need money badly, they would be silly not to part with something they think is quite useless. And you know, your father did say you could have anything you want. I know what I would ask for, if I were you!"
"What?" asked George.
"Timothy, of course!" said Julian. And that made George smile and cheer up tremendously!
Chapter Eleven. OFF TO KIRRINISLAND
JULIAN and George went to find Dick and Anne. They were waiting for them in the garden, looking rather upset. They were glad to see Julian and George and ran to meet them.
Anne took George's hands. "I'm awfully sorry about your island, George," she said.
"So am I," said Dick. "Bad luck, old girl-I mean, old boy!"
George managed to smile. "I've been behaving like a girl," she said, half-ashamed. "But I did get an awful shock."
Julian told the others what they had planned. "We'll go tomorrow morning," he said. "We'll make out a list of all the things we shall need. Let's begin now."
He took out a pencil and notebook. The others looked at him.
"Things to eat," said Dick at once. "Plenty because we'll be hungry."
"Something to drink," said George. "There's no water on the island- though I believe there was a well or something, years ago, that went right down below the level of the sea, and was fresh water. Anyway, I've never found it."
"Food," wrote down Julian, "and drink." He looked at the others.
"Spades," he said solemnly, and scribbled the word down.
Anne stared in surprise.
"What for?" she asked.
"Well, we'll want to dig about when we're hunting for a way down to the dungeons," said Julian.
"Ropes," said Dick. "We may want those too."
"And torches," said George. "It'll be dark in the dungeons."
"Oooh!" said Anne, feeling a pleasant shiver go down her back at the thought. She had no idea what dungeons were like, but they sounded thrilling.
"Rugs," said Dick. "We'll be cold at night if we sleep in that little old room."
Julian wrote them down. "Mugs to drink from," he said. "And we'll take a few tools too- we may perhaps need them. You never know."
At the end of half an hour they had quite a nice long list, and everyone felt pleased and excited. George was beginning to recover from her rage and disappointment. If she had been alone, and had brooded over everything, she would have been in an even worse sulk and temper-but somehow the others were so calm and sensible and cheerful. It was impossible to sulk for long if she was with them.
"I think I'd have been much nicer if I hadn't been on my own so much," thought George to herself, as she looked at Julian's bent head. "Talking about things to other people does help a lot. They don't seem so dreadful then; they seem more bearable and ordinary. I like my three cousins awfully. I like them because they talk and laugh and are always cheerful and kind. I wish I was like them. I'm sulky and bad-tempered and fierce, and no wonder Father doesn't like me and scolds me so often. Mother's a dear, but I understand now why she says I am difficult. I'm different from my cousins- they're easy to understand, and everyone likes them. I'm glad they came. They are making me more like I ought to be."
This was a long thought to think, and George looked very serious while she was thinking it. Julian looked up and caught her blue eyes fixed on him. He smiled.
"Penny for your thoughts!" he said.
"They're not worth a penny," said George, going red. "I was just thinking how nice you all are- and how I wished I could be like you."
"You're an awfully nice person," said Julian, surprisingly. "You can't help being an only child. They're always a bit queer, you know, unless they're mighty careful. You're a most interesting person, I think."
George flushed red again, and felt pleased. "Let's go and take Timothy for a walk," she said. "He'll be wondering what's happened to us today."
They all went off together, and Timothy greeted them at the top of his voice. They told him all about their plans for the next day, and he wagged his tail and looked up at them out of his soft brown eyes as if he understood every single word they said!
"He must feel pleased to think he's going to be with us for two or three days," said Anne.
It was very exciting the next morning, setting off in the boat with all their things packed neatly at one end. Julian checked them all by reading out aloud from his list. It didn't seem as if they had forgotten anything.
"Got the map?" said Dick, suddenly.
Julian nodded.
"I put on clean jeans this morning," he said, "but you may be sure I remembered to pop the map into my pocket. Here it is!
He took it out- and the wind at once blew it right out of his hands! It fell into the sea and bobbed there in the wind. All four children gave a cry of utter dismay. Their precious map!
"Quick! Row after it!" cried George, and swung the boat round. But someone was quicker than she was! Tim had seen the paper fly from Julian's hand, and had heard and understood the cries of dismay. With an enormous splash he leapt into the water and swam valiantly after the map.
He could swim well for a dog, for he was strong and powerful. He soon had the map in his mouth and was swimming back to the boat. The children thought he was simply marvellous!
George hauled him into the boat and took the map from his mouth. There was hardly the mark of his teeth on it! He had carried it so carefully. It was wet, and the children looked anxiously at it to see if the tracing had been spoilt. But Julian had traced it very strongly, and it was quite all right. He placed it on a seat to dry, and tol
d Dick to hold it there in the sun.
"That was a narrow squeak!" he said, and the others agreed.
George took the oars again, and they set off once more to the island, getting a perfect shower-bath from Timothy when he stood up and shook his wet coat. He was given a big biscuit as a reward, and crunched it up with great enjoyment.
George made her way through the reefs of rocks with a sure hand. It was marvellous to the others how she could slide the boat in between the dangerous rocks and never get a scratch. They thought she was really wonderful. She brought them safely to the little inlet, and they jumped out on to the sand. They pulled the boat high up, in case the tide came far up the tiny cove, and then began to unload their goods.
"We'll carry all the things to that little stone room," said Julian. "They will be safe there and won't get wet if it rains. I hope nobody comes to the island while we are here, George."
"I shouldn't think they would," said George. "Father said it would be about a week before the deeds were signed, making over the island to that man. It won't be his till then. We've got a week, anyhow."
"Well, we don't need to keep a watch in case anyone else arrives then," said Julian, who had half thought that it would be a good idea to make someone stay on guard at the inlet, to give a warning to the others in case anyone else arrived. "Come on! You take the spades, Dick. I'll take the food and drink with George. And Anne can take the little things."
The food and drink were in a big box, for the children did not mean to starve while they were on the island! They had brought loaves of bread, butter, biscuits, jam, tins of fruit, ripe plums, bottles of ginger-beer, a kettle to make tea, and anything else they could think of! George and Julian staggered up the cliff with the heavy box. They had to put it down once or twice to give themselves a rest!