"Gr-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r!"
George awoke too, and put out her hand sleepily. "What's the matter, Tim?" she said.
"He's heard something, George," said Julian, in a low voice from his bed .on the other side of the cave.
George sat up cautiously. Timmy was still growling. "Sh!" said George and he stopped.
He was sitting up straight, his ears well cocked.
"Perhaps it's the smugglers come in the night," whispered George, and a funny prickly feeling ran down her back. Somehow smugglers in the day time were rather exciting and quite welcome—but at night they seemed different. George didn't at all want to meet any just then!
"I'm going out to see if I can spy anything," said Julian, getting off his bed quietly, so as not to wake Dick. I'll go up the rope to the top of the cliff. I can see better from there."
"Take my torch," said George. But Julian didn't want it.
"No, thanks. I can feel the way up that knotted rope quite well, whether I can see or not," he said.
He went up the rope in the dark, his body twisting round as the rope turned. He climbed up on to the cliff and looked out to sea. It was a very dark night, and he could see no ship at all, not even the wreck. It was far too dark.
"Pity there's no moon," thought Julian. "I might be able to see something then."
He watched for a few minutes, and then George's voice came through the hole in the roof, coming out queerly at his feet.
"Julian! Is there anything to see? Shall I come up?"
"Nothing at all," said Julian. "Is Timmy still growling?"
"Yes, when I take my hand off his collar," said George. "I can't imagine what's upset him."
Suddenly Julian caught sight of something. It was a light, a good way beyond the line of rocks. He watched in excitement. That would be just about where the wreck was!
Yes—it must be someone on the "wreck with a lantern!
"George! Come up!" he said, putting his head inside the hole.
George came up, hand over hand, like a monkey, leaving Timothy growling below. She sat by Julian on the cliff-top. "See the wreck—look, over there!" said Julian. "At least, you can't see the wreck itself, it's too dark—but you can see a lantern that someone has put there."
"Yes—that's someone on our wreck, with a lantern!" said George, feeling excited. "Oh, I wonder if it's the smugglers—coming to bring more things."
"Or somebody fetching that trunk," said Julian. "Well, we'll know tomorrow, for we'll go and see. Look!—whoever is there is moving off now—the light of the lantern is going lower—they must be getting into a boat by the side of the wreck. And now the light's gone out."
The children strained their ears to hear if they could discover the splash of oars or the sound of voices over the water. They both thought they could hear voices.
"The boat must have gone off to join a ship or something," said Julian. "I believe I can see a faint light right out there—out to sea, look! Maybe the boat is going to it."
There was nothing more to see or hear, and soon the two of them slid down the knotted rope back to the cave. They didn't wake the others, who were still sleeping peacefully. Timothy leapt up and—licked Julian and
George, whining joyfully. He did not growl any more.
"You're a good dog, aren't you?" said Julian, patting him. "Nothing ever escapes your sharp ears, does it?"
Timothy settled down on George's feet again. It was plain that whatever it was that had disturbed him had gone. It must have been the presence of the stranger or strangers on the old wreck. Well, they would go there in the morning and see if they could discover what had been taken away or brought there in the night.
Anne and Dick were most indignant the next morning when they heard Julian's tale.
"You might have waked us!" said Dick, crossly.
"We would have if there had been anything much to see," said George. "But there was only just the light from a lantern, and nothing else except that we thought we heard the sound of voices."
When the tide was low
George awoke too, and put out her hand sleepily. "What's the matter, Tim?" she said.
"He's heard something, George," said Julian, in a low voice from his bed .on the other side of the cave.
George sat up cautiously. Timmy was still growling. "Sh!" said George and he stopped.
He was sitting up straight, his ears well cocked.
"Perhaps it's the smugglers come in the night," whispered George, and a funny prickly feeling ran down her back. Somehow smugglers in the day time were rather exciting and quite welcome—but at night they seemed different. George didn't at all want to meet any just then!
"I'm going out to see if I can spy anything," said Julian, getting off his bed quietly, so as not to wake Dick. I'll go up the rope to the top of the cliff. I can see better from there."
"Take my torch," said George. But Julian didn't want it.
"No, thanks. I can feel the way up that knotted rope quite well, whether I can see or not," he said.
He went up the rope in the dark, his body twisting round as the rope turned. He climbed up on to the cliff and looked out to sea. It was a very dark night, and he could see no ship at all, not even the wreck. It was far too dark.
"Pity there's no moon," thought Julian. "I might be able to see something then."
He watched for a few minutes, and then George's voice came through the hole in the roof, coming out queerly at his feet.
"Julian! Is there anything to see? Shall I come up?"
"Nothing at all," said Julian. "Is Timmy still growling?"
"Yes, when I take my hand off his collar," said George. "I can't imagine what's upset him."
Suddenly Julian caught sight of something. It was a light, a good way beyond the line of rocks. He watched in excitement. That would be just about where the wreck was!
Yes—it must be someone on the "wreck with a lantern!
"George! Come up!" he said, putting his head inside the hole.
George came up, hand over hand, like a monkey, leaving Timothy growling below. She sat by Julian on the cliff-top. "See the wreck—look, over there!" said Julian. "At least, you can't see the wreck itself, it's too dark—but you can see a lantern that someone has put there."
"Yes—that's someone on our wreck, with a lantern!" said George, feeling excited. "Oh, I wonder if it's the smugglers—coming to bring more things."
"Or somebody fetching that trunk," said Julian. "Well, we'll know tomorrow, for we'll go and see. Look!—whoever is there is moving off now—the light of the lantern is going lower—they must be getting into a boat by the side of the wreck. And now the light's gone out."
The children strained their ears to hear if they could discover the splash of oars or the sound of voices over the water. They both thought they could hear voices.
"The boat must have gone off to join a ship or something," said Julian. "I believe I can see a faint light right out there—out to sea, look! Maybe the boat is going to it."
There was nothing more to see or hear, and soon the two of them slid down the knotted rope back to the cave. They didn't wake the others, who were still sleeping peacefully. Timothy leapt up and—licked Julian and
George, whining joyfully. He did not growl any more.
"You're a good dog, aren't you?" said Julian, patting him. "Nothing ever escapes your sharp ears, does it?"
Timothy settled down on George's feet again. It was plain that whatever it was that had disturbed him had gone. It must have been the presence of the stranger or strangers on the old wreck. Well, they would go there in the morning and see if they could discover what had been taken away or brought there in the night.
Anne and Dick were most indignant the next morning when they heard Julian's tale.
"You might have waked us!" said Dick, crossly.
"We would have if there had been anything much to see," said George. "But there was only just the light from a lantern, and nothing else except that we thought we heard the sound of voices."
When the tide was low
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