"Warships!" cried the boys. "I say! What a shock for the enemy!"
"It's a shock they deserve," said Tom's father grimly. "We are sending three warships and some aeroplanes to deal with the submarines and seaplanes. So, you see, we want to get the girls off as quickly as possible."
"Oh, golly, wouldn't I like to join the fight!" groaned Andy. "Oh, couldn't I, sir?"
"No," said Tom's father. But he smiled at the eager boy and clapped him on the shoulder. "You're a good lad, Andy," he said, "and I'm glad that my three children had your help in their amazing adventures!"
Andy went red with pleasure. He thought Tom's father was a fine man, dressed in his grand uniform. He wondered what his own father would say when he heard all their adventures—and in his secret mind he felt a little uncomfortable because his father would have to hear the news that his fishing-boat had been lost.
The boys kept a watch for the islands—and as soon as they caught sight of them, lying flat in the sea, they both shouted loudly:
"There they are!"
"The islands, the islands!"
"Which is UK one the girls are on?" asked Tom's father eagerly. Tom showed him.
"The first one," he said. "And the next one is where the food-cave is, and the third one is where the submarines are. I don't know anything about the others further off. We didn't explore those."
"Well, we shall," said the boy's father, in a grim tone. "Now, Tom, we are almost on the coast of the second island. Is that the smooth bit of water we can land on, just down there?"
"Yes!" cried both boys, as they saw the flat stretch of water that lay between the reef of rocks and the cave-beach. The seaplane circled round and flew down gracefully. She skimmed the water a little, like a swallow, and then came to rest, bobbing up and down as she lay there.
"The tide is a bit too deep over the rocks that lead to the first island," said Tom in disappointment. "We can't climb over them to rescue the girls yet."
"We'll take a boat, then," said his father. "Are those the caves you hid in, Tom?"
"Yes—that one just there is the one that leads to the food-cave," said Tom. "Like to see it, Daddy? You might find something of importance there, perhaps."
"Yes—we might as well have a look," said the boy's father. So a boat shot off from the seaplane carrying the two boys, Tom's father, and two men. They landed on the beach and went towards the cave.
The girls were hiding inside the chest when they heard footsteps coming up the passage-way that led from the shore-cave to the Round Cave. They lay there trembling, wondering when they were going to be discovered.
Tom led his father into the cave. "Look!" he said, "do you see all these boxes and chests, Daddy? They are absolutely full of food of all sorts. I can tell you it came in handy when we were so hungry. At first I kept a list of the things we took, thinking that we would pay for them when we discovered the owner, but-"
Tom stopped. A queer noise was coming from a big chest near by. He stared in surprise.
"What's that noise?" said Tom's father at once.
"I don't know," said Tom. "Listen!"
It was the girls inside the chest, of course! They had heard Tom's voice, and they were quite mad with joy and excitement—but they couldn't lift up the lid of the chest which they had carefully shut down over themselves! It had got so tightly fastened that they could not push it up, and the two girls were shouting and banging on the lid to make themselves heard.
"There's something in that chest," said Tom in a trembling voice. "Is it the enemy playing a trick?"
"We'll soon see," said his father, in a fierce voice. He rapped out an order to the two men with him, and they went over to the chest. They ripped off the lid—and every one stood ready to fight the enemy.
But it was two small, excited, and most untidy little girls who rose up from the chest, shouting loudly:
"Tom! Andy! It's us! We hid here because we thought you were the enemy!"
Their father picked them out of the chest and hugged them. They were as surprised as he was! They simply couldn't believe their eyes!
"Daddy! It's you! However did you get here? Oh, Tom! Andy! You've come to rescue us just in time. Oh, what a good thing you came to the cave!"
"Why are you here?" asked the boys.
Jill and Mary told their tale, their words tumbling over one another. When their father heard that the enemy guessed that the boys had left on a raft, he hustled them all out of the cave very quickly.
"We'll get back to our plane," he said. "We shall get into a spot of trouble if the enemy see us here. If they really think the boys have gone to tell their secret they will be watching for us—though not expecting us quite so soon. Come along!"
They all rowed off to the seaplane. The girls were thrilled to get inside it, and even more excited when it rose into the air and left the sea far below.
"Good-bye, little islands," said Jill, watching them get smaller and smaller as the plane left them behind. "We've had lots of adventures on you—but I'm very glad to leave you, all the same!"
The boys were looking down as the plane flew swiftly along. Suddenly Tom gave a shout.
"Warships! Look! Steaming below us at top speed! Are they going to the islands?"
"They are," said his father. "There will be quite a lot of noise round about your islands very soon! And, look—here are aeroplanes, too, to help the warships."
A flight of aeroplanes flew near the seaplane. The children felt tremendously excited. What a pity they had left before the fun began!
"And now, home we go to your mother," said the children's father, "and to Andy's father. Both will be so very glad to have you back again."
"But what will my father say about his lost fishing-boat?" wondered poor Andy. "Whatever will he say?"
Chapter 26
The End of the Adventures
THE seaplane flew over the water, and at last came to the shores of the little fishing-village where Andy lived, and the other three children had been staying. It glided down to the water, and rested there, its great wings spread out beside it.
The little beach was soon crowded with people-fishermen and their wives, children, visitors—all shouting and cheering. The news had gone round that the fout missing children had been found!
A boat set off to fetch the children from the plane. It was rowed by Andy's father! How Andy shouted to see him!
"Dad! We're back again!"
The bearded man in the boat smiled and waved. He had been terribly worried about Andy and the children—but now his heart was glad. They were safe!
The children tumbled into the boat, all talking at once. Andy's father patted his boy on the shoulder and smiled at him out of eyes as blue as Andy's. Neither of them said very much, but their hands pressed one another joyfully. Tom's father came with them. He had two days' leave and was going to spend it with his wife and children.
The people on the beach cheered and shouted. The little boat grounded and was pulled up the shore by willing hands. Every one wanted to shake hands and say how glad they were to see the children back. And then the children saw their mother! They rushed to her and hugged her like bears, shouting and laughing.