chapter 18 the way out

guy soon told his story. it was much as the others had imagined.

'i was fast asleep this morning, with jet curled up to me,' he said. 'he began to bark and i wonderedwhy, so i got up to see - and i saw four people in the camp.'

'the four we know!' said dick, and julian nodded. 'go on, guy.'

'they were looking all over the place,' said guy, 'prising up rocks, messing about - so i yelled atthem. but they only laughed. then one of the men, who was trying to prise up a slab - the slab thatcovers that great hole underground, harry - you remember it? - well, this man gave a yell and said'i've got it! this is the way in - down here, behind this slab!'

guy stopped, looking very angry. jet licked him comfortably. 'well,' he went on, 'i set jet on them,and they kicked him cruelly - so i went for them.'

'you're a plucky one, aren't you!' said dick, admiringly. 'did you knock them all out, by any chance?'

'no. of course not,' said guy. 'one of the men pretty well knocked me out though. he hit me on thehead and i went down, dazed. i heard him say 'drat this kid - he'll be fetching help, and we shan't beable to get down and hunt for the goods.' and then another man said 'we'll take him with us then,'

and they got hold of me and dragged me through the opening.'

'but how did they get down into that great hole?' said harry in wonder. 'there is such a steep dropinto it. you need a rope.'

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'oh, they had a rope all right,' said guy, munching his biscuit and chocolate and looking decidedlybetter. 'one of the men had one tied round and round his waist. they knotted it fast round a rock -that big one we can't move, harry - and then they swung down on it. all except the woman. she saidshe'd stay at the top and keep watch. she hid behind a bush some way off.'

'i never saw her when i came along!' said harry. 'i never thought of looking there! what about you?

did you get down too?'

'yes. i screamed and shouted and kicked and howled, but it wasn't a bit of good. they made meswing down the rope - and i fell off half-way down and hurt my ankle. i howled at the top of myvoice for help, and they hurried me along with them, shaking me like a rat.'

'the beasts!' said harry, fervently. 'oh, the beasts!'

'i heard one of them say that there should be a tunnel out of the hole somewhere, it was marked onpaul's plan - whatever that may be - and then i think i must have fainted - the pain of my ankle, youknow. and when i came to myself again, we were all here, the three men and i -beside this roof-fall - though i really don't know how we got here. they must have dragged me alongwith them!'

'and that's all, is it?' asked julian.

'not quite. they were furious when they saw the roof-fall, but as soon as they began to scrabble in ita rock rolled down and hit one of the men quite a crack - and after that they were afraid to doanything. they stood and talked for a bit - and then they decided to go and get some tools, and comedown again to see if they could remove all this stuff and get through it.'

'good gracious!' said julian, startled. 'then they may be back at any moment?'

'i suppose so. they left me here because they couldn't think of anything else to do with me! theyknew i couldn't walk, because of my ankle. i think it's broken. so of course, i couldn't possibly findmy way out myself! and here i've been waiting for those brutes to come back, and to hack throughthe rubble to go after whatever it is they want!'

everyone began to feel rather uncomfortable at the thought that three violent men might be appearingat any moment. 'is it very far to the opening you came down?' asked julian. but guy didn't know. hehad fainted, as he had said, and he didn't even know what way they had come.

'it can't be far,' said harry. 'i think it would be worth while trying to find the opening, see if the menhave left the ropes there, and get out that way. if guy's ankle really is broken, he couldn't possiblymanage to go back the long way we've come.'

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'no. that's true,' said julian, thoughtfully. 'well, that's what we'll do then. but we'll go jollycautiously, without a sound, because it might be just our luck to meet those fellows on their way backhere!'

'shall we start?' said george. 'what about guy?'

julian knelt down beside the boy, and gently examined his ankle. 'i've done my first aid training,like everybody else!' he said. 'and i ought to know if his ankle is broken or just sprained.'

he examined the swollen ankle carefully. 'it's not broken. i believe i could bandage it tightly with acouple of large hankies. give me yours, dick.'

the others watched admiringly as julian deftly and confidently bandaged guy's swollen ankle.

'there!' he said. 'you can perhaps hobble on it now, guy. it may hurt, but i don't think it will damageit. try. you'll have to go barefoot because your ankle is too swollen for your shoe to go on.'

very gingerly guy stood up, helped by harry. he tried his hurt foot, and it certainly seemed all rightto hobble on, though it was very painful. he grinned round at the others' anxious faces.

'it's fine!' he said. 'come on, let's go! we don't want to bump into those fellows if we can help it.

thank goodness we've got jet and timmy.'

they set off down the passage, flashing their torches in front as usual, to show them the way.

the tunnel was quite wide and high here, and in a very short time came out into an enormous pitunderground.

'ah - this is the hole i saw down behind the slab where the rabbit went,' said dick. 'we weren't veryfar from the camp, as we thought. i'm surprised that when this pit was explored, the undergroundpassages were not discovered, guy!'

'i expect the men exploring it came to the roof-fall and thought there was nothing beyond,' said guy.

'or maybe they were afraid of going further in case of further falls. they can be very dangerous, youknow. many a man has been buried under one and never heard of again.'

they looked round the enormous hole - it was really a huge round pit. daylight showed in the roof atone place.

'that's the opening into it,' said guy, eagerly. 'the one i came through, on the rope.'

he limped a few steps forward to look for the rope. harry held him by the arm, thankful that theankle was holding up so well. guy pointed upwards.

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'yes. i can see the rope. the men have left it there, thank goodness. they must have been certain thati couldn't get to it!'

the rope hung down from the little opening high above their heads. julian looked round at anne.

'can you manage to climb up the rope, anne?' he said, doubtfully.

'of course!' said anne, scornfully. 'we do rope-climbing in the gym at school often enough.

don't we, george?'

'yes - but our gym rope is a bit thicker!' said george.

'i'll go up first,' said harry. 'we've got a much thicker rope, guy and i, that we use when we want tohaul on very heavy stones. i'll find it, and let it down.'

'well - we can't afford to waste any time, in case those fellows come back,' said julian. 'i daresay thegirls can manage all right. george, you go up first.'

george went up like a monkey, hand over hand, her legs twisted round the rope. she grinned downwhen she got to the top.'

'easy!' she said. 'come on up next, anne, and show the boys how to do it!'

before the boys could leap to the rope, anne was on it, pulling herself up lithely. julian laughed.

he called up to george.

'george! you might have a squint round and see if there's any sign of people about. if they weregoing to borrow guy's tools, they would have been back long ago, so i think probably they've had togo to kirrin or some farm-house to borrow them.'

'they wouldn't get my tools!' said guy, 'or harry's. we had them stolen once, and now we alwayshide them where no one can possibly find them.'

'that settles it then,' said julian. 'they've had to go a good way, i expect, to get satisfactory tools totackle that roof-fall. they probably imagine that it's a pretty big fall! all the same, keep a watch out,george, till we're all up.

it was difficult to get guy up, for he was feeling weak, but they managed it at last. the two dogs hadto have the boys' shirts tied round them so that the rope would not cut them when they were hauledup. they didn't seem to mind at all. timmy was very heavy to pull up because he appeared to thinkthat he had to try and make his legs do a running action all the time - just to help! all that happenedwas that he began to spin round and round, as he went up!

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everyone was up in the open air at last, hot and perspiring. julian had the precious bag safely underhis arm. timmy sat down panting. then he suddenly stopped panting and pricked up his ears.

'woof,' he said warningly, and stood up.

'quiet, tim, quiet, jet,' said julian, at once aware that somebody must be about. 'hide, everyone -quickly. it may be those fellows coming back!'

'wuff,' began jet, but guy stopped him immediately. the six children separated and went into hidingat once, each choosing the best place he or she could see. there were plenty of hiding-places in theold camp!

they heard voices coming near. nobody dared to peep out and see who was coming - but julian anddick recognized the drawling voice of one of the men!

'what a time we've been!' said the man. 'just chuck the spades and things down the hole - then we'llall climb down again. buck up! we've wasted too much time already. anyone might come on thescene at any moment!'

the spades and jemmies went hurtling down the hole. then one by one the men went down the rope.

the children could not hear the woman's voice. they thought she must have been left behind.

julian gave a low whistle and all the others popped up their heads. 'we'll spring for it!' said julian.

'buck up!'

they all shot out of their hiding-places at once and made off - except julian. he stayed behind for aminute or two. what could he be doing?

julian was doing something very simple indeed! he was hauling up the rope that dangledunderground! he slipped it off the rock that held it and tied it round his waist, looking suddenly verybulky.

he grinned a very wide grin and went after the others. how very, very angry those men were going tobe!