chapter 29 happy ending after all!

in the night the viking star sailed once more. bill didn't hear the engines starting up, nor did any ofthe five children. kiki woke up, poked her head out from under her wing and then put it back again.

it was astonishing to find themselves at sea once more. they were making for italy. "oh dear —we've left the treasure island far behind," said lucy-ann mournfully.

"don't be a humbug," said jack. "you know you're jolly glad you escaped from it.""yes, i know that," said lucy-ann. "but i just hate leaving all that treasure.""i never even saw it," jack reminded her. "i feel i've been done out of something — all because thatidiot of a kiki took it into her head to fly off my shoulder just as we were going to look for thetreasure. nit-wit!"

"nit-wit," echoed kiki pleasantly. "tit-bit!" she flew down and looked at a plate of grapes.

"no, you don't," said jack, and removed it from her. "no tit-bits for a nit-wit — and anyway you'vehelped yourself to about two hundred grapes already. you're a greedy pig, kiki.""i suppose the rest of this cruise will be as dull as ditch-water," said philip. he glanced at the littlecarved ship on the dressing-table of his cabin. "golly — weren't we thrilled when we found thetreasure map inside! bill says we've got to give that up to the greek museum, but we can keep theredrawn map, the one we used — if we can get it back from mr. eppy!""i wonder what mother will say to all this," said dinah suddenly. "she won't be a bit pleased withbill, will she? she'll never speak to him again!""well — that would mean we'd never even see him again!" said lucy-ann, horrified at the thought.

"i simply love bill. i wish he was my father. it's horrid not having a father or a mother. you're lucky,you and philip, dinah, you have got a mother, even if you haven't a father.""well, you share our mother with us, don't you?" said philip, at once. "you call her aunt allie — andshe treats you as if she was your mother.""yes, i know. she's a darling," said lucy-ann, and said no more. she was worrying about bill.

suppose aunt allie really kept her word, and refused to speak to bill again because he had takenthem into danger? that really would be dreadful.

it was maddening to sail away from all the romantic little islands, just as they had had such anadventure — all the children longed to know what had happened after they had left. what did mr.

eppy do? what happened to him? how did he eventually get off the island — or was he still there?

and what about the treasure, that fabulous, amazing treasure hidden in the round treasure-chamberdeep down in the heart of the old ruined city?

bill promised to let them know all he heard — and he was as curious as the children! the viking starput in at naples, and then went on to spain. it was there that bill got the first news. he came straightto the children.

"well, you'll be glad to know that eppy and co. couldn't get off the island, and almost went mad withrage about it. then that police inspector chap sent a boat there — and what's more went in it himself— and had the whole lot arrested then and there. what a shock for mr. eppy!""what about the treasure?" asked dinah eagerly.

"it's all been brought out of the round rock- chamber, and is being sent to the mainland to beexamined and valued. a list of the things will be sent to us — and we are each to choose amemento!"

"gosh!" said jack. "i'll have a dagger, like philip, then. i bet the girls will have jewellery.""is it the andra treasure?" asked lucy-ann.

"they seem to think so," said bill. all their eyes went to the little ship on the dressing-table. there itstood, its sails set, its greek name showing on its side. the andra. what a ship of adventure it hadbeen!

"what's going to happen about lucian?" asked dinah. lucian was still on the viking star, but withthem, not with his aunt and uncle this time! his aunt, in hysterical tears, had remained on the airportisland to be with her husband. bill had offered to take lucian back to england, and park him with aschool friend till it was time for him to return to his school.

"lucian is to go to other relations in future for the holidays," said bill. "that is — unless we canoccasionally put up with him. i feel sorry for that lad."there was a silence. "it's awful when you feel you've got to do something you don't like doing justbecause you're sorry for someone," said lucy-ann, with a sigh. "i don't know whether aunt alliewill like to have him, anyway. and oh, bill — do you think she's going to be very cross with youabout all this? this adventure, i mean?"

"yes. i think she is," said bill. "i telephoned her from italy, and told her a little. perhaps i shouldhave waited till we saw her. she wasn't at all pleased.""oh, dear — we shan't have a very nice time the rest of the hols," said lucy-ann. "i don't like itwhen aunt allie is upset or cross. she'll be tired too, after looking after her aunt polly. i do wish thisadventure was going to have a nice end, not a nasty one!"everyone was quite glad when at last the viking star arrived at southampton, at the end of her longcruise. after the exciting adventure in the middle of it, things had seemed very tame and dull. it waslovely to be on firm land again, going home. aunt allie was not going to meet them. she was leavingher aunt the day before and going home to get things ready for the family. lucian was to be left witha school friend of his on the way. they were all going home in bill's car.

the boy was sad to say good-bye when the time came. he stammered and stuttered as he held out hishand to each of them in turn. "good-bye — er — i do hope i'll s-s-see you all again. i've had — er —er — a lovely time — and er — i'm sorry for anything i did you didn't like — and — er . . .""er-er-er," copied kiki, in delight. "pah! send for the doctor. er-er-er-er-er-er . . .""shut up, kiki, and behave yourself," said jack, vexed. but lucian didn't mind.

"i shall miss old kiki," he said. "and micky too. goodbye, micky — er — think of me sometimes,all of you."

he almost ran from them, and lucy-ann stared after him, rather distressed. "poor old lucian — hewas almost crying," she said. "he's really rather a nice old — er — nice old . . .""nit-wit," said everyone, and kiki yelled out too. "nit-wit! send for the doctor!""well, he's nice for a nit-wit then," said lucy-ann. she settled down in the car again. "now for home— and dear old aunt allie. i've got a frightfully big hug saved up for her!"mrs. mannering was delighted to see them all, though she was rather cool to bill. she had awonderful tea ready for them, and kiki screeched with delight to see a plate laid for her and micky,with a lovely fruit salad.

"one, two, three, go!" she said, and settled down to eat, keeping an eye on micky's plate, hoping shecould snatch a titbit from it.

after tea they all sat in the comfortable sitting-room, and bill lighted his pipe. he looked rathergloomy, the children thought.

"well, allie," he began. "i suppose you want to hear it all — the hunt for the andra treasure — andall that happened."

"we had some jolly narrow escapes," said jack, fondling kiki. "and you'll be glad to know, auntallie, that kiki got two grand nips at mr. eppy's ear!"they began their tale. mrs. mannering listened in amazement. her eyes went continually to the littlecarved ship on the mantelpiece, put proudly there by philip as soon as he reached home.

"there!" said philip, when they had finished their tale. "what do you think of that?"mrs. mannering didn't answer. she looked at bill. he wouldn't meet her eyes, but knocked out hispipe very hard on the fender.

"oh, bill," said mrs. mannering sadly. "you promised me — and you broke your word. i shall nevertrust you again. you promised faithfully not to lead the children into any kind of adventure again. iwouldn't have asked you to look after them, if i hadn't trusted you. i can't trust you any more!""aunt allie! what do you mean, you can't trust bill any more!" cried lucy-ann indignantly, and shewent to bill and put her arms round him. "can't you see he's the nicest, most trustable person in thewhole world?"

mrs. mannering couldn't help laughing. "oh, lucy-ann — you're very fierce all of a sudden. it's justthat every time i leave you alone with bill you get into horrible danger. you know you do.""well, why can't you and bill always be with us together?" demanded lucy-ann. "i don't see whyyou can't marry each other — then we'd always have bill, and you could keep an eye on him to seehe doesn't lead us into adventures."

bill exploded into an enormous shout of laughter. mrs. mannering smiled broadly. the others lookedat one another.

"i say!" said philip eagerly, "that's a wizard idea of lucy-ann's! we'd have a father then — all of us!

gosh, fancy having bill for a father. wouldn't the other boys envy us?"bill stopped laughing and looked soberly round at the four beaming children. then he looked at mrs.

mannering. he raised his eyebrows enquiringly.

"well, allie?" he said, in a curiously quiet voice. "do you think it's a good idea too?"she looked at him, and then smiled round at the eager children. she nodded. "yes — it's really a verygood idea, bill. i'm surprised we've never thought of it before!""that's settled then," said bill. "i'll take these four kids on — and you'll see to it i don't lead them intoany more adventures, allie? is that agreed?""well! this adventure had a wonderful ending after all!" said lucy-ann, drawing a deep breath. hereyes shone like stars. "good old bill! oh, i'm so happy now!""god save the king," said kiki excitedly. "polly put the doctor on, send for the kettle. pop goes bill!"the end.