"Oh dear! It seems quite impossible," said Jill, feeling very worried. Mary began to cry.
"Don't cry, Mary," said Andy, putting his arm round her. "We have to be brave now. We are British children, and so we have plenty of courage and heaps of ideas. We must all think hard and see what we can do to trick the enemy."
"But, Andy, how can we hide on this bare island?" said Mary, drying her eyes and blinking away her tears. "They will beat all through the bracken and heather. There are no good trees to hide in. Not a single cave. Really, there isn't anywhere at all!"
"You're right. Mary," said Andy. "It's going to be very difficult. But we must think of something. You see, if only we can hide and not be found we can somehow think of a way to rescue Tom—but if we are found we can't help Tom, and won't be able to escape and tell our secret!"
"Yes—it's very, very important," said Jill thoughtfully. "Let's think of ways of hiding. The bracken is no use at all, is ft?"
"Not a bit of use," said Andy. "I did think we might perhaps wade out to the ship and hide down in the cabin—but I know they would look there."
"Could we hide in the shack?" asked Mary. "Pile the heather over ourselves, or something?"
"No," said Andy. "The shack's no use. We should be discovered there at once. And there's no place in any of the other old ruined buildings. I wish we knew of a cave or something like that."
"It's a good thing we've got plenty of food hidden in the sand," said Jill. "If we can manage to hide ourselves away we need not starve! We've only got to go and dig up that store of food!"
"Yes—that's very lucky," said Andy. "I say, listen!. That's the sound of a motor-boat, isn't it?"
Andy crept out to see, keeping well under cover. Yes—there was a motor-boat coming round the corner of the island—a motor-boat with five men in it!
"They're coming!" whispered Andy. "They're in a motor-boat. Quick—where shall we hide!"
"We'd better rush over to the opposite side of the island," said Jim, her face pale. "The first place they'll hunt is this side, where they land.XJuick, Mary!"
The three children slipped out of the shack and made their way up the rocky path. They were just out of sight when the motor-boat landed on the beach. They would be able to reach the other side of the island unseen—but what could they do there? The shore there was nothing but rocks and sand—they would be found in two minutes!
Chapter 15
The Island is Searched
Andy and the girls did not take long to reach the opposite shore of the island. They slid down the steep cliff there and reached the beach. It was sandy, but at one side was a mass of seaweed-covered rocks. It was impossible to hide behind them, for a moment's search would at once discover them.
They looked at one another in despair. "Any good wading out to sea and keeping under water?" asked Jill.
"No," said Andy, "we'd have to keep popping our heads up to breathe and we'd be seen at once."
Jill stared at the rocks nearby and then she gave such a squeal that Andy and Mary jumped in fright.
"Sh!" said Andy angrily. "You'll be heard. Whatever's the matter?"
"I've thought of how to hide!" said Jill breathlessly. "It's the same idea I had for hiding that boat. Can't we cover ourselves with sand, and then drape ourselves with seaweed, to look like rocks? We could go and lie down beside those rocks, and if we were well covered with weeds we'd look exactly like them!"
"Golly! That is an idea!" said Andy at once. "Quick! I'll cover you girls with sand at once. Come over here."
The three ran to the rocks. The tide was out, and the sand was hard but damp. Andy made the girls lie down together, and then he piled sand high over them, leaving a space over their noses for breathing. He only had his hands to do this, so it was hard work. Then he dragged great handfuls of seaweed from the rocks and threw it over the sandy mound. When he had finished, the girls looked exactly like the seaweed-covered rocks nearby! It was really marvellous.
Andy covered with loose seaweed the untidy places he had made in the sand. Then he began to make a hole for himself, and to cover himself too. He draped himself with piles of seaweed and then poked up his head to look at the girls.
He really didn't know which of the rocks they were! He simply couldn't tell! He looked and looked—but not until one of the rocks moved a little did he see that it was the girls I
"Jill! Mary!" he called in a low voice. "As soon as you hear me screaming like a gull you must lie absolutely still. You look marvellous! I didn't know which rock you were till one of you moved."
"Andy, I'm afraid one of the men might tread on me," said Mary, in a frightened voice.
"Well, let him!" said Andy. "I don't advise you to call out and ask him not to walk on you!"
There was a little giggle from the nearby rock. Although the girls were frightened they could still see a joke. They all lay quietly for a time and then Andy heard voices coming near. He cried like a seagull, and the girls then lay so still that not even the tiniest bit of seaweed above them moved at all.
The men slid down to the sandy shore, calling to one another in loud voices. Andy could not understand anything they said. All the children's hearts beat loudly and Jill wondered if hers could possibly be heard. It seemed to her to be thumping as loudly as a hammer.
The men stood on the beach and looked round. One shouted something to the others and began to walk over to the rocks. Andy felt most alarmed.
"I do hope we look like real rocks," he thought "And I hope nobody treads on us—we should be found at once if that happened—to say nothing of being hurt!"
The man came nearer. He stood near Andy and took out a packet of cigarettes. Andy heard him strike a match and knew that he had lighted a cigarette.
The man threw the empty cigarette packet on to the sand, and puffed at his cigarette. A young gull, seeing the man throw the packet away, thought that it might be a piece of bread. It flew down to see, crying "Ee-oo, ee-oo, ee-oo!" very loudly.
The other gulls heard it and soared round in circles, wondering if there was any food to find. The young gull landed on the sand and stood looking at the packet, hardly daring to go nearer to peck it, for it was too close to the man.
The other gulls flew down—and two stood on Andy and one stood on the girls! The children looked so exactly like rocks that the gulls really thought they were!
One gull thought the rock felt unusually soft and warm and he bent down his head and pecked at it. He pecked Andy's knee and the boy nearly gave a yell.
The men joined the one who was smoking a cigarette. They did not even bother to walk over the rocks. One man said that it was plain there could be nobody hiding there for the gulls would not stand about as they were doing if there was anyone hiding. They would know it and be suspicious.
For some time the men stood talking and smoking. Then they turned to go up the cliff again. One walked so near Andy that the boy could feel the thud of his footfall close by.
Up the cliff climbed the men and disappeared over the top. Andy cautiously lifted his head after a while and looked around. There was no one to be seen.
The boy felt that it would be safer if they all stayed where they were for some time longer—but he felt cold and damp, and he was afraid that the girls would catch a dreadful chill.