time!"
Julian was very startled. So were the others. They stared up at George in astonishment.
„What do you mean, George?" said Julian, jumping to his feet. „Show me!"
Followed by everyone, George ran back to the spring. She pointed to the white slab behind the water. „There!" she said. „That"s the right size, isn"t it? And it"s beside WATER -
just as it said in the plan you told us about - only the people thought it was WADER."
„Gosh - I wonder if you"re right, George," said Julian, excited. „You might be - you never know. Sometimes springs come from underground passages - secret, hidden ways into the earth."
„Let"s try and move it," said Dick, his face red with sudden excitement. „It looks pretty hefty to me."
They began to struggle with the stone, getting extremely wet as they splashed about in the spring. But nobody minded that. This was too exciting for words. Harry helped too, heaving and tugging. He was very strong indeed.
The stone slab moved a little. It slid to one side and stuck. More tugging. More pulling.
More panting and puffing!
„I believe we"ll have to get help," said Julian at last. „It real y is too heavy and wel -
embedded."
„I"l go and get some of my tools," said Harry. „I"m used to heaving stones about with them.
We can easily move it if we have the right tools."
He flew off at top speed. The others sat down and mopped their streaming foreheads.
„Phew!" said Julian. „What a job this is for a hot day! I"m glad Harry remembered his tools.
Just what we want!"
„How queer that he and Guy are twins!" said George. „I never even thought of such a thing!"
„Well, they behaved so idiotically," said Julian. „Always pretending there was just one of them, and neither of them even mentioning the other. I wonder where Guy has been taken to. I don"t think he"ll come to much harm - but it wil be worrying to his people."
„Here comes Harry," said Anne, after a pause. „One of us ought to have gone with him to help him. He"s brought dozens of tools!"
The things he had fetched proved very useful indeed, especial y a big jemmy-like tool. The stone soon began to move when this was applied by Julian and Harry!
„It"s slipping - it"s coming away - look out, it wil fal right down into the spring!" cried Dick.
„Look out, you girls!"
The stone was prised right out, and fel into the stony channel where the water ran. The five children stared at the opening it left.
Julian leaned forward and looked into it. „Yes - there"s a big hole behind," he said. „Let me shine my torch in."
In great excitement he flashed his torch into the opening. He turned round, his face glowing.
„Yes! I think we"ve got it! There"s a tunnel behind, going down and down. It widens out behind this hole!"
Everyone was too thril ed for words. George gave Dick a punch, and Anne patted Timmy so hard that he whined. Harry beamed round, all his woes forgotten.
„Do we go down now?" asked Dick. „We"ll have to make the opening a bit wider. Earth and roots have narrowed it very much. Let"s make it bigger."
„Then we"ll explore it!" said George, her eyes shining. „A secret tunnel only known to us!
Quick - let"s explore it!"
Chapter Sixteen
THE SECRET WAY
Al the children were so excited that they got into each other"s way. Julian pushed them back.
„Let"s be sensible! We can"t al make the opening wider - let Harry and me get at it with the tools - and we"l soon make it bigger!"
It took only a minute to hack away at the sides of the hole to make it big enough for even Julian to climb through. He stood there panting, smiling broadly.
„There - it"s done! I"l get in first. Everyone got torches? We shall need them! It"s going to be dark in there!"
He clambered up and into the hole. He had to crawl on hands and knees for a little way, and then the hole suddenly went downwards and became considerably bigger. Julian could walk in it, if he bent down, for at that point the tunnel was about
Julian was very startled. So were the others. They stared up at George in astonishment.
„What do you mean, George?" said Julian, jumping to his feet. „Show me!"
Followed by everyone, George ran back to the spring. She pointed to the white slab behind the water. „There!" she said. „That"s the right size, isn"t it? And it"s beside WATER -
just as it said in the plan you told us about - only the people thought it was WADER."
„Gosh - I wonder if you"re right, George," said Julian, excited. „You might be - you never know. Sometimes springs come from underground passages - secret, hidden ways into the earth."
„Let"s try and move it," said Dick, his face red with sudden excitement. „It looks pretty hefty to me."
They began to struggle with the stone, getting extremely wet as they splashed about in the spring. But nobody minded that. This was too exciting for words. Harry helped too, heaving and tugging. He was very strong indeed.
The stone slab moved a little. It slid to one side and stuck. More tugging. More pulling.
More panting and puffing!
„I believe we"ll have to get help," said Julian at last. „It real y is too heavy and wel -
embedded."
„I"l go and get some of my tools," said Harry. „I"m used to heaving stones about with them.
We can easily move it if we have the right tools."
He flew off at top speed. The others sat down and mopped their streaming foreheads.
„Phew!" said Julian. „What a job this is for a hot day! I"m glad Harry remembered his tools.
Just what we want!"
„How queer that he and Guy are twins!" said George. „I never even thought of such a thing!"
„Well, they behaved so idiotically," said Julian. „Always pretending there was just one of them, and neither of them even mentioning the other. I wonder where Guy has been taken to. I don"t think he"ll come to much harm - but it wil be worrying to his people."
„Here comes Harry," said Anne, after a pause. „One of us ought to have gone with him to help him. He"s brought dozens of tools!"
The things he had fetched proved very useful indeed, especial y a big jemmy-like tool. The stone soon began to move when this was applied by Julian and Harry!
„It"s slipping - it"s coming away - look out, it wil fal right down into the spring!" cried Dick.
„Look out, you girls!"
The stone was prised right out, and fel into the stony channel where the water ran. The five children stared at the opening it left.
Julian leaned forward and looked into it. „Yes - there"s a big hole behind," he said. „Let me shine my torch in."
In great excitement he flashed his torch into the opening. He turned round, his face glowing.
„Yes! I think we"ve got it! There"s a tunnel behind, going down and down. It widens out behind this hole!"
Everyone was too thril ed for words. George gave Dick a punch, and Anne patted Timmy so hard that he whined. Harry beamed round, all his woes forgotten.
„Do we go down now?" asked Dick. „We"ll have to make the opening a bit wider. Earth and roots have narrowed it very much. Let"s make it bigger."
„Then we"ll explore it!" said George, her eyes shining. „A secret tunnel only known to us!
Quick - let"s explore it!"
Chapter Sixteen
THE SECRET WAY
Al the children were so excited that they got into each other"s way. Julian pushed them back.
„Let"s be sensible! We can"t al make the opening wider - let Harry and me get at it with the tools - and we"l soon make it bigger!"
It took only a minute to hack away at the sides of the hole to make it big enough for even Julian to climb through. He stood there panting, smiling broadly.
„There - it"s done! I"l get in first. Everyone got torches? We shall need them! It"s going to be dark in there!"
He clambered up and into the hole. He had to crawl on hands and knees for a little way, and then the hole suddenly went downwards and became considerably bigger. Julian could walk in it, if he bent down, for at that point the tunnel was about
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