The Secret of Spiggy Holes - Blyton Enid. Страница 14

“We’re getting on!” thought the boy. He gave Tinker another sandwich, and that was swallowed at once. Don smelt the meat from where he stood. He decided that if Tinker was friendly to this strange boy, he could be too - and also he badly wanted that nice-smelling meat.

So he ran up, still growling softly. But Jack knew it was a pretend-growl, and he chuckled to himself. He gave the hungry animal a sandwich, and then another. The dog swallowed them both. There were only two more left, so Jack gave the dogs one each.

Then he stood up and took a few cautious steps towards the tower. The dogs did not seem to mind. They could now smell Jack’s biscuits and they kept close to the boy as he walked. Tinker was very friendly indeed, and licked Jack’s hand when he found it near his nose. Don would not do that, but he no longer growled.

Jack walked to the foot of the tower and looked up. He gave each dog a biscuit, and wondered if by any chance the door at the foot of the tower was unlocked. If it was, dare he run up the winding stairway and try to talk to the prisoner? Maybe he could even unlock the door and get the boy out? But no - the dogs would not know Prince Paul and might bark and then they would both be caught.

He tried the door. It opened! Jack listened. No one seemed to be about at all. The dogs pressed against him, asking for another biscuit. He threw them each one a little way off and then slipped through the door leaving it open.

The dogs ate the biscuits, and then lay down by the door to wait for this unexpected friend to come back. They hoped he would have some more biscuits!

Jack stood at the bottom of the tower stairway and listened. The stone steps were dark. Not a sound was to be heard. Jack got out his torch and switched it on. Then, making no sound, the brave boy slowly went up the steps, only using his torch at the awkward parts, for he was afraid of slipping there and making a noise.

There were no lights in the rooms he passed. Only when he came to the top room did he see a streak of light under the door. He stood outside and listened. Somebody was crying inside. Jack looked for the keyhole and put his eye to it.

He could see a small boy sitting at a table with his head on his hands. He was crying quietly, and the tears fell on to a page of the book in front of him. Nobody else seemed to be in the room as far as Jack could see or hear.

Jack knocked very gently on the door. The boy inside raised his head.

“Who is there?” he asked.

“It’s Jack, one of your friends!” answered Jack in a low tone. “I’m one of the children you’ve seen waving to you in the tower. I’ve made friends with the two dogs and I’ve slipped up here to talk to you.”

“Oh!” cried the boy, in a voice of great delight. “Can you let me out? Is the door locked on the outside? See if they have left the key.”

Jack felt. He tried the door. It was locked and bolted. He could undo the bolts easily enough - but there was no key to unlock the door. It was hopeless.

“I can’t rescue you to-night,” said Jack. “But listen, please. We’ve made a rope-ladder that will reach your window. If you hear a stone rattling up one night that falls into your room, pick it up at once. It will be tied to a string. Pull the string, and some twine will come up. Pull the twine and it will bring up the rope-ladder. See? Fix the ladder to something and get down it.”

“Oh, thank you!” said the boy. He pressed his face to the door and Jack could hear him sigh. “I am so tired of being shut up here.”

“Why are you a prisoner?” asked Jack.

“It is a long story,” said the boy. “My father is King of Baronia, and he is ill. If he dies I shall be king - and my uncle does not want me to be. So he has paid some men to kidnap me and carry me away. Then, if my father dies and I am not there to become king, my uncle will seize the throne and make himself king before I can be found!”

“So you really are a prince!” said Jack. “We wondered if you were. What a wicked shame to keep you prisoner like this! Shall we tell the police, Paul?”

“Oh no,” said Paul at once. “If Mr. Diaz and Luiz think that the police know about me they might harm me in some way - and certainly they would smuggle me down that secret passage and then you would never know where I had gone. Please try to rescue me yourself. What is your name?”

“I’m Jack,” said Jack. “Look here, Prince, keep your eyes open for our letter-messages from our tower. We will let you know when we are coming at night with the rope-ladder.”

“You are very good,” said the little prince. “I was so pleased when I saw you waving.”

“I must go,” said Jack. “I think I can hear something. I mustn’t be caught. Good-bye!”

He slipped down the stairs, and tried to open the tower door - but it was now locked! Mr. Diaz had been along, found it open, and had locked it, although he had no idea that Jack was inside.

Jack stood inside the locked door, with his heart beating loudly. How could he get out? Perhaps the kitchen door could be opened without noise?

He went to the door that led from the tower to the scullery. There was no sound to be heard beyond it. Jack opened it cautiously. He stepped into the big, dark scullery, meaning to creep across to the back door, open it and escape through the grounds.

But, alas for Jack! He walked straight into a tin bath, and fell over it with a most tremendous clatter!

Another Narrow Escape

Jack picked himself up at once in a fright. The door into the scullery opened, and Anna looked in, switching on the light. She screamed when she saw Jack, and ran back into the kitchen, shouting for Luiz.

“Luiz! Luiz! There is a burglar in the scullery!”

Jack ran to the back door and tried to open it. But it was locked and bolted and even had a chain on it, too. The boy knew quite well that by the time he had undone everything he would be caught! He was in despair. Whatever could he do? It was no use to run back up the stairs to the tower-rooms, for he would be caught there too.

And then he thought of something. Of course! He could escape down the secret passage! He had his torch with him, and he could easily see the way.

He ran to the cellar door. Fortunately that was open. He leapt down the steps into the cellar just as Mr. Diaz and Luiz came tearing into the kitchen. He heard them shouting, “Where is he? Where is he?”

Jack sped to the eighteen stone steps that led down to the door of the underground room. He ran down them, using his torch. He opened the thick door at the bottom. He ran through the large underground room there to the secret passage.

His heart was beating fast and his breath was coming in pants. He made his way down the secret passage, bending his head every now and again when he came to the narrow, low parts. Soon he came to the damp piece, and knew that he would presently come to the small cave that lay above the large shore-cave.

He came to the oak door that led into the small cave. He pushed it open and made his way to where he knew the rope hung to help him down into the big beach-cave.

“Then all I’ll have to do is to slip round the sands, up the cliff-path and into Peep-Hole,” thought the boy thankfully.

But what a dreadful shock for Jack - once more the tide was in and the water filled the big cave. He could not possibly get home that way. He would have to wait till it went out.

“I only hope that they don’t realise I’ve come down through the secret passage, and come after me,” thought Jack. “I would be properly caught then. But I don’t see how they can think anything else. After all, all the doors were locked, and I didn’t get out through the tower door or the scullery door - so they’ll know I must have come this way. And if they remember that the tide is in, they will be able to come along and catch me beautifully.”