And then the seaplane appeared, flying fairly low and quite slowly. It was plain that it was hunting the seas for something.
"Can we do anything, Andy?" said Tom.
"We had better jump into the water, hold on to the raft, and hope maybe the seaplane will think there's no-one on it," said Andy. "Only our heads will show beside the raft—they might not notice them. Come on, quick!"
The boys slid into the water over the side of the raff. They hung there with their hands, only their heads showing. They waited anxiously.
The great seaplane came zooming overhead, very close to the water. It had seen the raft and was coming to examine it more closely. How the boys hoped that when the raft was seen to be empty the seaplane would fly off!
The plane flew over the raft. It circled round and came back again, flying once more over the raft. It circled round again and the boys hoped it would now fly off. But once more it flew over the raft—and then, to the boys' great dismay, it skimmed over the water and landed there, not very far off.
"It's no good, Tom. We're discovered," said Andy. "We may as well climb back on to the raft. Look—they're letting down a boat."
The boys climbed back on to the raft, angry and disappointed. And then Tom gave such a tremendous yell that Andy nearly fell overboard with fright.
"Andy! ANDY! Look at the sign on the seaplane! It's British! It's BRITISH!"
Andy looked—and sure enough there was the well-known mark that all British machines wear! And then such a change came over the boys. Instead of sitting there sullen and angry, they went completely mad. They stood up and danced on that rocking raft I They yelled, they waved, they stamped! And, as you can imagine, Tom lost his balance and fell right into the water.
Andy pulled him in, gasping and spluttering. "Oh, Andy, it's a British seaplane—not the enemy. Golly! Suppose it had flown off and not come down to examine the raft!" And then Tom went mad again and shouted for joy.
The boat from the seaplane came nearer. It had two men in it, and they hailed the boys.
"Ahoy there! Where are you from?"
"Ahoy there!" yelled back Andy. "Ahoy there!" He was too excited to shout anything else. The boat came alongside the raft and the men pulled the two boys into it.
"Why, it's only a couple of boys," said one man. "We reckoned you might be men from a sunk ship or aeroplane. How did you get here?"
"It's a long tale to tell," said Andy. "I think I'd better tell it to the chief, if you don't mind."
"All right. The commander's in the plane," said the first man. They rowed off to the seaplane, and left the little raft bobbing about on the sea alone. Tom was quite sorry to see it go. He had got fond of it. He was sorry to think of the wasted food, too!
The boat reached the enormous seaplane. The boys were pushed up into it, and a grave-faced man turned to receive them.
And then Andy got a second shock, for Tom once more let out a yell that really scared him!
"DADDY! Oh, DADDY! It's YOU!"
The grave-faced man stared at Tom as if he couldn't believe his eyes. Then he took the boy into his arms and gave him such a bear-like hug that Tom felt as it his bones would break!
"Tom! We've been hunting for you ever since we heard you had gone off in that boat and hadn't come back!" he said. "Where are the girls—quick, tell me f"
"They're safe," said Tom. "We left them on the island. They're quite safe. Oh, Daddy—isn't this too good to be true I Daddy, this is Andy. He's been such a brick. Weld never have escaped if it hadn't been for him."
"What do you mean—escaped!" said Tom's father, in surprise. "Escaped from what?"
"We've got a big secret to tell you," said Tom. "We've found out something queer. You tell him. Andy."
"Well, sir," said Andy, "we got thrown off up the coast of some desolate islands where nobody lives now. The enemy are using them for their submarines and seaplanes. There are caves stored with food—and there" must be stores of fuel somewhere, too."
"What!" shouted Tom's father. He called his men near and they all listened to Andy's tale. The boy told it well.
"And we were just escaping on the raft we had made when we saw you," finished Andy. "We slipped over the side of the raft to hide—but you must have seen us."
"We didn't," said Tom's father. "But we were puzzled about the empty raft and came down to examine it. Little did we think you and Andy were there! This seaplane and two others have been scouring the seas about here looking for the sailing-ship you went off in. We were afraid you might be drifting about in it, half-starving. Your poor mother has been dreadfully upset."
"Oh dear, I was afraid she would be," said Tom. "But, never mind, we're all safe, Daddy—at least, I hope the girls are safe!"
"They will be, very soon," said the boy's father in a grim voice. "We shall rescue them—and clean up those submarines and seaplanes in no time! How clever of the enemy to have a base just under our noses—but it won't last long now! You've done a marvellous thing, Tom and Andy!"
"I hope my father won't be very angry with me for losing his boat," said Andy. "Though we might perhaps be able to get it back from the enemy now."
"Your father won't be angry with you for anything once he sees you are safe, and hears the tale you have just told me!" said Tom's father. "Settle down now—we're going up."
"Back to the island to rescue the girls?" asked Tom eagerly. His father shook his head.
"No," he said. "They must wait, I'm afraid, till I get this news through. I'll wireless home that we've got you safe, and have got great news—but that's all. This is too important to be told to anyone but the chief himself."
With a great noise of engines, the seaplane skimmed over the water, and then rose gracefully in the air. She shot away southwards, and the boys looked out over the sea, which was now far below.
"Well, what luck to be rescued like this!" said Andy. "And oh, Tom—what a shock the enemy are going to get!"
Chapter 24
What Happened to the Girls
The two girls felt very lost and lonely when the boys went off on the raft. They climbed the cliff quickly so that they might watch the boys till they were out of sight.
They waved until the raft was a tiny speck on the sea. Then they lost sight of it. It was gone.
"I do hope Tom and Andy reach home all right," said Jill, as they made their way down the cliff to the shore again. "It would be awful if they got lost on the sea."
"Don't say things like that!" said Mary. "Let's think of something cheerful. Let's have something to eat."
But neither of them really wanted anything. They kept thinking of the two brave boys on their little raft.
"I do hope nobody combs to the island to-day," said Mary. "I don't feel as if I shall be able to act very well."
Nobody did come that day. The girls were left quite alone. They bathed in the sea and dried themselves in the sun. Then they bathed all over again. There really wasn't much else to do!
They missed the two boys very much, and when night came they even felt a little frightened.
"Cheer up!" said Jill, seeing Mary's long face. "We shall be all right cuddled up in the tent together! The enemy don't know the boys are gone—that's the main thing. I should think the boys are pretty safe by now—there has been a good wind blowing all day and they must have gone a long way already."
The girls lighted their little stove and put it just at the tent-opening when night came. They liked to see the small light it gave. They boiled a kettle of water on it and sat inside the tent, drinking hot cocoa, whilst the stars came out in the sky.
As they were about to curl up and go to sleep they heard the sound of a seaplane droning overhead. It came over the island twice, and then went away.