chapter 14 things begin to happen!
things began to happen the very next day. the ship was cruising along as usual in a purple-bluesea, and the sun shone down from a sky spread with dazzling white clouds and patches of brilliantblue.
gulls glided by, and all kinds of other sea-birds bobbed on the water, or soared high above the ship.
everyone was peaceful in their deck-chairs, reading or snoozing, waiting for the mid-morning drinkof iced lemonade brought by the stewards. even the children were lazing in their chairs, tired aftertheir strenuous morning game at deck-tennis.
kiki sat on the back of jack's chair, snoozing too. she had been chasing gulls, calling to them in avoice so like theirs that the poor things were completely bewildered. now she was tired out. mickywas curled up in the shade of a lifeboat, fast asleep.
a small page-boy appeared, the one who ran messages, and fetched odds and ends for the passengers.
he carried a long envelope on a salver.
he called out loudly as he went. "radiotelegram for mrs. mannering, please. radio for mrs.
mannering, please."
philip nudged his mother, and beckoned to the call-boy. mrs. mannering looked up, startled to hearher name shouted out. the boy came up to her and presented the radiotelegram.
she tore it open, wondering who it was from. she read it out loud to the listening children.
your aunt seriously ill and calling for you. fly back if you can, and i'll take over the kids. radio me,please.
bill.
there was a silence. "oh dear," said mrs. mannering. "this would happen on a cruise. what shall ido? it's all very well for bill to say 'fly back.' but where from? and how can i leave you all?""don't upset yourself, mother," said philip. "i'll see to things for you. i know the second officer verywell and he'll tell me what you're to do.""as for us, you needn't worry at all," said jack. "you know we're all right on the boat. you wouldn'twant us all to fly back with you, surely!""oh no. of course not. especially after i've paid such high fares for you all on this cruise," said mrs.
mannering, still looking worried. "oh dear — i do hate sudden things like this. i really do.""mother dear, it's all right," said dinah. "you can get a plane from the very next place we stop at, ifthere is an airfield. you'll be in england tomorrow. and bill will take over, as he said. he'll probablymeet you at croydon, if the plane lands there, see you safely on to your train, and then catch a planeto join us. he'll enjoy the rest of the trip. maybe you'll be back too.""oh no, i shan't — not if aunt polly has got one of her really bad turns," said mrs. mannering. "she'sbeen so good to me — and to you too — that i must stay with her till she's quite herself again. oh, ido hate leaving you four by yourselves."mrs. eppy couldn't help overhearing all this. she spoke to mrs. mannering. "i can keep an eye on thefour for you till your friend comes, you know. after all, i have to look after lucian, and he's muchthe same age. i shall be pleased to do what i can.""well, that's good of you," said mrs. mannering, getting out of her deck-chair, helped by philip. "isuppose it's idiotic of me to worry about them — they're all quite big now — but they do seem to getinto such awful scrapes sometimes!"she went off with philip. he was very useful indeed. he found the second officer, and very soon hehad worked out all the details with him. the ship would go out of her way a little, and call at anisland that had an airport. a radio message would be sent immediately, so that a plane would bewaiting. in no time at all mrs. mannering would be back in england.
"we could wait at the island till your friend comes on his plane," said the second officer, afterconsulting with the captain. "it would only mean altering our programme a very little — it is a veryfree-and-easy one, as you know. now — do you want to radio instructions to mr. cunningham, sothat he will know what time to meet your plane at croydon?"it was amazing how easily everything was arranged after all. "i was silly to get upset and flustered,"said mrs. mannering to the children. "thanks to philip it's all been arranged beautifully. i'll be awaytomorrow, and bill will arrive later — probably that evening. it's wonderful!"the girls helped her to pack. the viking star steamed to a large island, where there was a goodairport. the children saw aeroplanes taking off as they came near, for the airport was on the coast.
a motor-boat came out to take mrs. mannering off. she kissed all the children good-bye. "now don'tget into any scrapes," she begged them. "be good. keep away from danger and trouble. give bill mylove and tell him if he leads you into anything i'll never, never forgive him!"they waved good-bye as the motor-boat chuffed away to the port. they watched it through theirbinoculars and saw mrs. mannering getting out on to the jetty, with a porter carrying her cases.
"she's got into a taxi," announced jack. "now she's off to the airport. she'll soon be away!"half an hour later an aeroplane took off from the airport on the coast, and rose into the air. it flewtowards the ship, circled it twice and made off to the west.
"that was mother's plane," said philip. "i think i even saw her waving. well — safe journey to her!
and now we must look out for old bill."
a curious silence fell on the children. they were all thinking the same thing, but nobody quite likedto say it. jack cleared his throat.
"er — you know — now that this has happened — er . . ." he stopped.
everyone waited politely. "well, go on," said dinah.
"er — i was just thinking," said jack, "just thinking that now — well — with old bill coming and all.
er . . ."
he stopped again. dinah gave a little giggle. "i'll say it for you," she said. "it's what we've all beenthinking, i know. dear old bill is coming — and we can tell him all about the map and the andratreasure — and mr. eppy. and maybe — maybe, he'll do something about it!""gosh, yes," said jack. "i didn't know how to put it without seeming a bit heartless, as aunt allie hasonly just gone. but things are a bit different now. bill may think we ought to do something.""how — simply — super!" said philip, drawing a deep breath. "just as we'd given up hope!""we couldn't possibly drag mother into an adventure," said dinah. "but bill's different. i mean — hewon't want us to plunge into an adventure, i know — but he may quite well think he ought to dosomething about it.""and we shall at least know what's happening," said jack. "won't it be grand to show him the littlecarved ship — and the map — and tell him everything! good old bill!"lucian came up, with rather a solemn expression on his face. "i say! i'm awfully sorry about all this. ido hope your mother arrives safely, philip, and that her aunt will get better. i hope all this won't spoilthe rest of the cruise for you. i am most awfully sorry.""thanks," said philip. "we shall get over it.""oh, i say, i quite forgot to give you this," went on lucian. "i'm so sorry. my uncle gave it to mebefore he left, and said i was to hand it to you. i can't imagine what it is."jack took it. he guessed what it was, and he was right. it was the piece of the plan that mr. eppy had"borrowed." he had put it into a sealed envelope with a little note.
thanks. not very interesting after all.
p. eppy.
jack laughed. "not very interesting, says he! i bet he's got a careful tracing of it. much good may itdo him!"he went off to put it into its safe place — in the lining of his shorts. he was glad that mr. eppy hadn'tseen all the other pieces of the plan. still, probably he didn't need to. he might guess where thetreasure was, if he knew the island. if so, it wouldn't be there long!
the day went by rather slowly. mrs. eppy was rather annoying, because she took very seriously herpromise to look after the children. she hunted them out at mealtimes, and even told the table stewardto seat them at her table.
but jack was not having that. "no, mrs. eppy," he said firmly, but politely. "we expect our friend,bill cunningham, tonight — or at the latest, tomorrow morning. we will keep our own table and eatwith him. thank you all the same."lucian was disappointed, and sulked. he didn't even smile when kiki and micky had a fight over abanana and ended by pulling it in half.
after the evening meal the children went up on deck, hoping against hope that bill would arrive thatnight. the second officer had had no message, so thought he probably would arrive.
"he would surely have radioed me if he was coming tomorrow," he said. "he knows we're holdingthe ship here for him. all the same, i'd go to bed, if i were you, kids — he may come in the middle ofthe night!"they wouldn't hear of going to bed! they sat up on deck and watched the sun go down in a blaze ofgold. they saw the clouds turn rosy-pink. then they watched night creeping over the sea from theeast, and saw the water turn more and more purple, till at last they could hardly tell it from the sky.
then the stars came out brilliantly, and the water sparkled again.
lucy-ann was almost asleep in her deck-chair when jack nudged her. "wake up! there's a plane. itmay be bill's!" she was awake at once, and went to the deck-rail with the others.
the plane went down to the airport landing ground. it must be bill's! after about half an hour theyheard a motor-boat starting up its engine in the port.
"it's bill coming out now!" cried lucy-ann in excitement. "dear old bill!"the motor-boat came nearer and nearer. it stopped by the ship, and a ladder was thrown down.
someone began to climb up. lucy-ann could contain herself no longer.
"bill!" she cried. "is it you, bill! bill!"up came a familiar voice. "ahoy there! bill it is!"and bill it was. he came climbing on to the deck, and the four children ran to him at once. theysmothered him, hugged him, and were bear-hugged back.
"dear bill! good old bill! it's grand to see you. now everything's fine.""yes, everything's fine!" said bill, swinging lucy-ann right off her feet. "gosh, it's good to see youall! now we'll have some fun!"
