to the edge of the cliff and looked down - and then he started back in fear. What was that noise - that awful, dreadful noise? It was like a giant wailing and wailing at the top of his voice, the wailing going up and down in the wind. Wilfrid found his knees were shaking. He simply didn"t dare to go on. He sat down and tried to get his breath, putting his hands over his ears to keep out the horrible wailing.
And then he suddenly remembered something and heaved a sigh of heartfelt relief. „Of course - these must be the Wailing Cliffs we were told about!" he thought thankful y. „We heard about the Whispering Wood - and it does whisper - and the Wailing Cliffs - and they do wail! At least, it"s really the wind, of course. But goodness, what a queer, strange sound!"
He sat for a while longer, then, feeling much bolder, he went to the edge of the great cliff, and looked over. He stared down in surprise.
„There"s somebody down there - three or four people! Mustn"t let them see me - they must belong to the men on the island! What are they doing down there?"
He lay down and peered over. Four men were there - but, as Wilfrid watched, they disappeared. Where had they gone? He craned over the cliff to see. „There must be caves in the cliff, I suppose," he said to himself. „That"s where they"ve gone! Gosh, I wish this wailing would stop. I shal start wailing myself in a minute!"
After some time voices came faintly up to him, as he lay watching, and he saw two men coming out on to the rocks below again. What were they carrying? A long, deep box -
why, it looked exactly like one of the boxes in which the others had seen those beautiful little statues, packed in sawdust!
„So that"s how they get them away from here - take them down through some passage in the cliffs - to a waiting boat. Where"s the boat, thought I can"t see one. Not arrived yet, perhaps."
He watched with intense interest as the men carried out box after box and piled them on a great flat rock that abutted on a stretch of fairly calm water.
„Big boxes - little ones - my word, those men have been busy lately!" thought Wilfrid, wishing and wishing and wishing that the others were with him. „I wonder what"s in them.
Not the bed of gold, that"s certain. I bet it would be far too big to put into a boat. Have to be pul ed to pieces first! Hal o - here comes another box - a small one this time. Good gracious, they"l soon need a steamer to take all these!"
Almost as he said the words, he saw a smal steamer in the far distance! „Well! There"s the steamer, just as I said! I bet the boat wil appear soon, and be loaded - and then chug off to the waiting steamer!"
But the steamer came no nearer, and no boats appeared. „Waiting for the tide, I expect,"
thought Wilfrid. „Goodness, what wil the others say when I tel them all this! They won"t believe me! And I bet they won"t scold me for going off by myself!"
He decided to go back and find the others and tell them what he had seen. He set off trying to remember the way. Surely he must be near the place where he had left them?
And then quite suddenly, someone leapt out from behind a tree and caught hold of him!
„Let me go, let me go!" shouted Wilfrid, in a panic. And then he gave a cry of relief, as he suddenly saw Timmy running towards him.
„Timmy! Save me!"
But Timmy didn"t come running to save him. He stood there, looking up at him, rather puzzled, while poor Wilfrid went on struggling, real y frightened!
Then Wilfrid heard a giggle. A GIGGLE? Who in the world could be giggling just then? He forced himself to look round - and saw Dick and Anne, doing their best not to laugh, and George holding her sides. His captor let go of him and began to laugh too. It was Julian!
„I say - this is too bad! You gave me a most awful fright," said Wilfrid. „I"ve already been captured once this afternoon. Whatever do you think you"re doing?"
„Where have you been, Wilfrid?" said Julian, rather sternly. „I
And then he suddenly remembered something and heaved a sigh of heartfelt relief. „Of course - these must be the Wailing Cliffs we were told about!" he thought thankful y. „We heard about the Whispering Wood - and it does whisper - and the Wailing Cliffs - and they do wail! At least, it"s really the wind, of course. But goodness, what a queer, strange sound!"
He sat for a while longer, then, feeling much bolder, he went to the edge of the great cliff, and looked over. He stared down in surprise.
„There"s somebody down there - three or four people! Mustn"t let them see me - they must belong to the men on the island! What are they doing down there?"
He lay down and peered over. Four men were there - but, as Wilfrid watched, they disappeared. Where had they gone? He craned over the cliff to see. „There must be caves in the cliff, I suppose," he said to himself. „That"s where they"ve gone! Gosh, I wish this wailing would stop. I shal start wailing myself in a minute!"
After some time voices came faintly up to him, as he lay watching, and he saw two men coming out on to the rocks below again. What were they carrying? A long, deep box -
why, it looked exactly like one of the boxes in which the others had seen those beautiful little statues, packed in sawdust!
„So that"s how they get them away from here - take them down through some passage in the cliffs - to a waiting boat. Where"s the boat, thought I can"t see one. Not arrived yet, perhaps."
He watched with intense interest as the men carried out box after box and piled them on a great flat rock that abutted on a stretch of fairly calm water.
„Big boxes - little ones - my word, those men have been busy lately!" thought Wilfrid, wishing and wishing and wishing that the others were with him. „I wonder what"s in them.
Not the bed of gold, that"s certain. I bet it would be far too big to put into a boat. Have to be pul ed to pieces first! Hal o - here comes another box - a small one this time. Good gracious, they"l soon need a steamer to take all these!"
Almost as he said the words, he saw a smal steamer in the far distance! „Well! There"s the steamer, just as I said! I bet the boat wil appear soon, and be loaded - and then chug off to the waiting steamer!"
But the steamer came no nearer, and no boats appeared. „Waiting for the tide, I expect,"
thought Wilfrid. „Goodness, what wil the others say when I tel them all this! They won"t believe me! And I bet they won"t scold me for going off by myself!"
He decided to go back and find the others and tell them what he had seen. He set off trying to remember the way. Surely he must be near the place where he had left them?
And then quite suddenly, someone leapt out from behind a tree and caught hold of him!
„Let me go, let me go!" shouted Wilfrid, in a panic. And then he gave a cry of relief, as he suddenly saw Timmy running towards him.
„Timmy! Save me!"
But Timmy didn"t come running to save him. He stood there, looking up at him, rather puzzled, while poor Wilfrid went on struggling, real y frightened!
Then Wilfrid heard a giggle. A GIGGLE? Who in the world could be giggling just then? He forced himself to look round - and saw Dick and Anne, doing their best not to laugh, and George holding her sides. His captor let go of him and began to laugh too. It was Julian!
„I say - this is too bad! You gave me a most awful fright," said Wilfrid. „I"ve already been captured once this afternoon. Whatever do you think you"re doing?"
„Where have you been, Wilfrid?" said Julian, rather sternly. „I
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