nobody could even guess the answers to anne's surprised questions. the children stared into thetrunk and puzzled over it. it seemed such a funny thing to smuggle. they remembered the otherthings in the wreck too - the tins of food. they were queer things to smuggle into the island. theredidn't seem any point in it.
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"funny," said dick, at last. "it beats me. there's no doubt that queer things are afoot here, or thesticks wouldn't be hanging around our island. and we've seen signals from a ship out to sea.
something's going on. we thought if we opened this trunk it might help us - but it's only made themystery deeper."
just then the voices of the two parent sticks could be heard shouting for edgar. but edgar did notdare to shout back. timmy's nose was poked against his leg. he might be nipped at any time.
timmy growled every now and again to remind edgar that he was still there.
"do you know anything about the ship that signals to this island at night?" asked julian, turning toedgar.
the boy shook his head. "never heard of any signals," he said. "i just heard my mother saying thatshe expected the roamer tonight, but i don't know what she meant.""the roamer?" said george, at once. "what's that - a man - or a boat - or what?""i don't know," said edgar. "i'd only have got a clip on the ear if i'd asked. find out yourself.""we will," said julian, grimly. "we'll watch out for the roamer tonight! thanks for the information."the children spent a quiet and rather boring day in the cave - all but anne, who had plenty of thingsto arrange again. really, the cave looked most home-like when she had finished! she put the blanketson the bed, and used the rugs as carpets. so the cave really looked most imposing!
edgar was not allowed to go out of the cave, and timothy didn't leave him for a moment. he sleptmost of the time, complaining that "those cows and things" had frightened him so much the nightbefore that he'd not been able to sleep a wink.
the others discussed their plans in low voices. they decided to keep watch on the cliff-top, two andtwo together, that night. they would wait and see what happened. if the roamer came, they wouldhurriedly make fresh plans then.
the sun sank. the night came up dark over the sea. edgar snored softly, after a very good supper ofsardines, pressed beef sandwiches, tinned apricots and tinned milk. anne and dick went up to keepthe first watch. it was about half-past ten.
at half-past twelve julian and george climbed up the knotted rope and joined the other two.
they had nothing to report. they went down into the cave, got into their comfortable beds and wentto sleep. edgar was snoring away in his corner, timmy still on guard.
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julian and george looked out to sea, watching for any sign of a ship. the moon was up that night,and things were not quite so dark. suddenly they heard low voices, and saw shadowy figures downby the rocks below.
"the two sticks," whispered julian. "going to row out to the wreck again, i suppose."there was the splash of oars, and the children saw a boat move out over the water. at the same timegeorge nudged julian violently and pointed out to sea. a light was being shown a good way out,from a ship that the children could barely see. then the moon went behind a cloud, and they couldsee nothing for some time.
they watched breathlessly. was that shadowy ship a good way out the roamer? or was the owner ofit the "roamer'? were the smugglers at work tonight?
"there's another boat coming - look!" said george. "it must be coming from that ship out to sea.
now the moon has come out again, you can just see it. it is going to the old wreck. it must be ameeting-place, i should think."
then, most irritatingly, the moon went behind a cloud again, and remained there so long that thechildren grew impatient. at last it sailed out again and lighted up the water.
"both boats are leaving the wreck now," said julian excitedly. "they've had their meeting - andpassed over the smuggled goods, i suppose - and now one boat is returning to the ship, and the other,the sticks' boat, is coming back here with the goods. we'll follow the sticks when they get back andsee where they put the goods."
after a long time the sticks" boat came to shore again. the children could not see anything then, butpresently they saw the sticks going back towards the castle. mr. stick carried what looked like alarge bundle, flung over his shoulder. they could not see if mrs. stick carried anything.
the sticks went into the courtyard of the castle, and came to the dungeon entrance. "they're takingthe smuggled goods down there," whispered julian to george. the children were now watching frombehind a nearby wall. "we'll go back and tell the others, and make some more plans. we mustsomehow or other get those goods ourselves, and take them back to the mainland and get in touchwith the police!"
just then a scream rang out in the night. it was a high-pitched, terrified scream, and frightened thewatching children very much. they had no idea where it came from.
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"quick! it must be anne!" said julian, and the two ran as fast as they could to the hole that led downto the cave. they dropped down the rope and julian looked round the quiet cave anxiously.
what had happened to anne to make her scream like that?
but anne was peacefully asleep on her bed, and so was dick. edgar still snored and timmy watched,his eyes gleaming green.
"funny," said julian, still startled. "awfully queer. who screamed like that? it couldn't possibly havebeen anne - because if she had screamed in her sleep like that, she would have wakened the others.""well, who screamed, then?" said george, feeling rather scared. "wasn't it weird, julian? i didn't likeit. it was somebody who was awfully frightened. but who could it be?"they woke dick and anne and told them about the strange scream. anne was very startled. dick wasinterested to hear that two boats had met at the wreck, and that the sticks had brought back smuggledgoods of some sort, and taken them down in the dungeons.
"we'll get those tomorrow, somehow!" he said, cheerfully. "we'll have good fun.""why did you think it was me screaming?" asked anne. "did you think it was a girl's scream?""yes. it sounded like the scream you give when one of us jumps out at you suddenly," said julian, "aproper little girl's scream - not a yell, like a boy gives.""it's funny," said anne. she cuddled down into her bed again, and george got in beside her.
"oh anne!" said george, in disgust, "you've got our bed simply full of those dolls - and that teddybear is here too! you really are a baby!""no, i'm not," said anne. "the dolls and the bear are babies - they are frightened and lonely becausethey're not with the little girl they belong to. so i had them in bed with me instead! i'm sure the littlegirl would be glad."
"the little girl!" said julian, slowly. "we thought we heard a little girl scream tonight - we found asmall trunk full of a little girl's clothes, and a little girl's dolls. what does it all mean?"there was a silence - and then anne spoke excitedly. "i know! the smuggled goods are a little girl!
they've stolen a little girl away - and these are her dolls, and those over there are her clothes thatwere stolen at the same time, for her to dress in and play with. the little girl's here, on this island now- you heard her scream tonight when those horrid sticks carried her down into the dungeons!"90
"well - i do believe anne has hit on the right idea," said julian. "clever little girl, anne! i thinkyou're right. it isn't smugglers who are using this island - it's kidnappers!""what are kidnappers?" said anne.
"people who steal away children or grown-ups and hide them somewhere till a large sum of money ispaid out for them," explained julian. "it's called a ransom. till the ransom is paid, the prisoner is heldby the captors."
"well, that's what's happened here then!" said george.
"i bet it has! some poor little rich girl has been stolen away - and brought to the wreck by boat fromsome ship - and taken over by those horrible sticks. wicked creatures!""and we heard the poor little thing scream just as she was taken down underground," said george.
"julian, we've got to rescue her."
"yes, of course," said julian. "we will, never fear! we'll rescue her tomorrow."edgar woke up and joined in the conversation suddenly. "what you talking about?" he said.
"rescue who?"
"never you mind," said julian.
george nudged him and whispered.
"all i hope is that mrs. stick is feeling as upset about losing her dear edgar as the mother of the littlegirl," she said.
"tomorrow we find the little girl somehow, and take her away," said julian. "i expect the sticks willbe on guard, but we'll find a way."
"i'm tired now," said george, lying down. "let's go to sleep. we'll wake up nice and fresh. oh anne,do put these dolls your side. i'm lying on at least three."anne took the dolls and the bear and arranged them on her side of the bed. "don't feel lonely,"george heard her say. "i'll look after you all right till you go back to your own mistress. sleep tight!"soon they all slept - all but timothy, who lay with one eye open all night long. there was no need toput anyone on guard while timmy was there. he was the best guardian they could have.
