Huffin and Puffin and grinned. He sat up and yawned. "Hallo, Jack!" he said. "Bill up already?"
"Looks like it," said Jack. "Probably gone to bathe. He might have waked us up, though! Come on, let's wake the girls and go and bathe too."
Soon all four were speeding to the sea, expecting to see Bill in the water. But he wasn't.
"Where is he, then?" said Lucy-Ann, puzzled. "And good gracious — where's the boat?"
Yes — where was the boat? There was no sign of it, of course. The children stared at the cove, puzzled and dismayed.
"He must have taken it round to Hidden Harbour," said Jack. "Perhaps the wireless wouldn't work or something. It still feels stormy, and that might have upset it."
"Well, let's go to Hidden Harbour then," said Philip. "Perhaps Bill got sleepy down there in the boat and thought he'd snuggle up in the cabin."
"He's probably there," said Dinah. "Fast asleep too! Let's go and give him a shock. We'll halloo down into the cabin and make him jump. The sleepyhead!"
"Oh, I do hope he's there," said Lucy-Ann, shivering as much with worry as with cold.
They dressed quickly, shivering a little, for the sun was hidden behind angry-looking clouds. "I do hope the weather isn't going to break up, just as we've begun such a lovely holiday," said Dinah. "Oh, Huffin, I'm sorry — but you got right under my feet. Did I knock you over?"
The puffin didn't seem to mind having Dinah tread on it. It shook out its wings, said "Arrrrr!" and hurried on after Puffin, who was trying to keep pace with Philip.
They went across the puffin colony, and came to the cleft in the cliffs. There, below them, lay the motor-boat, swaying very gently as waves ran up under her, and then ran back again.
"There she is!" said Dinah in delight. "Bill did take her round to the harbour!"
"He's not on deck," said Jack. "He must be in the cabin. Come on."
"Let's call him," said Lucy-Ann suddenly. "Do let's. I want to know if he's there."
And before the others could stop her she shouted at the top of her voice. "BILL! OH, BILL, ARE YOU THERE?"
No Bill came out from the cabin, and for the first time a little uneasiness crept into the children's minds.
"BILL!" yelled Jack, making everyone jump violently. "BILL! Come on out!"
No sound from the boat. Suddenly panic-stricken, all four children stumbled down the rocky ledges to the boat. They jumped on board and peered down into the little cabin.
"He's not there," said Dinah, scared. "Well, where is he, then?"
"He must be somewhere about, as the boat is still here," said Jack sensibly. "He'll come along soon. Maybe he's exploring somewhere on the island."
They were just turning away when Philip caught sight of something. He stopped and clutched Jack, turning very pale.
"What?" said Jack, frightened. "What's up?"
Silently Philip pointed to the wireless. "Smashed!" he said, in a whisper. "Smashed to bits! Who did it?"
Lucy-Ann began to cry. Jack went up on deck and had a look around, feeling sick and upset. Then Philip gave an anguished howl from the cabin that sent the others running to his side.
"Look! The engine of the boat is smashed up too! Absolutely destroyed. My goodness — what's been happening here?"
"And where is Bill?" said Dinah, in a husky whisper.
"Gone. Kidnapped," said Philip slowly. "Someone came for him in the night. They don't know we're here, I suppose — they just thought Bill was alone. They've got him — and now we're prisoners on Puffin Island and we can't get away!"
Chapter 14
A FEW PLANS
EVERYONE felt suddenly sick. Lucy-Ann sat down in a heap. Dinah joined her. The boys stood staring at the smashed engine as if they couldn't believe their eyes.
"It must be a nightmare," said Dinah at last. "It can't be true. Why — why, everything was right as rain last night — and now . . ."
"Now the boat's
"Looks like it," said Jack. "Probably gone to bathe. He might have waked us up, though! Come on, let's wake the girls and go and bathe too."
Soon all four were speeding to the sea, expecting to see Bill in the water. But he wasn't.
"Where is he, then?" said Lucy-Ann, puzzled. "And good gracious — where's the boat?"
Yes — where was the boat? There was no sign of it, of course. The children stared at the cove, puzzled and dismayed.
"He must have taken it round to Hidden Harbour," said Jack. "Perhaps the wireless wouldn't work or something. It still feels stormy, and that might have upset it."
"Well, let's go to Hidden Harbour then," said Philip. "Perhaps Bill got sleepy down there in the boat and thought he'd snuggle up in the cabin."
"He's probably there," said Dinah. "Fast asleep too! Let's go and give him a shock. We'll halloo down into the cabin and make him jump. The sleepyhead!"
"Oh, I do hope he's there," said Lucy-Ann, shivering as much with worry as with cold.
They dressed quickly, shivering a little, for the sun was hidden behind angry-looking clouds. "I do hope the weather isn't going to break up, just as we've begun such a lovely holiday," said Dinah. "Oh, Huffin, I'm sorry — but you got right under my feet. Did I knock you over?"
The puffin didn't seem to mind having Dinah tread on it. It shook out its wings, said "Arrrrr!" and hurried on after Puffin, who was trying to keep pace with Philip.
They went across the puffin colony, and came to the cleft in the cliffs. There, below them, lay the motor-boat, swaying very gently as waves ran up under her, and then ran back again.
"There she is!" said Dinah in delight. "Bill did take her round to the harbour!"
"He's not on deck," said Jack. "He must be in the cabin. Come on."
"Let's call him," said Lucy-Ann suddenly. "Do let's. I want to know if he's there."
And before the others could stop her she shouted at the top of her voice. "BILL! OH, BILL, ARE YOU THERE?"
No Bill came out from the cabin, and for the first time a little uneasiness crept into the children's minds.
"BILL!" yelled Jack, making everyone jump violently. "BILL! Come on out!"
No sound from the boat. Suddenly panic-stricken, all four children stumbled down the rocky ledges to the boat. They jumped on board and peered down into the little cabin.
"He's not there," said Dinah, scared. "Well, where is he, then?"
"He must be somewhere about, as the boat is still here," said Jack sensibly. "He'll come along soon. Maybe he's exploring somewhere on the island."
They were just turning away when Philip caught sight of something. He stopped and clutched Jack, turning very pale.
"What?" said Jack, frightened. "What's up?"
Silently Philip pointed to the wireless. "Smashed!" he said, in a whisper. "Smashed to bits! Who did it?"
Lucy-Ann began to cry. Jack went up on deck and had a look around, feeling sick and upset. Then Philip gave an anguished howl from the cabin that sent the others running to his side.
"Look! The engine of the boat is smashed up too! Absolutely destroyed. My goodness — what's been happening here?"
"And where is Bill?" said Dinah, in a husky whisper.
"Gone. Kidnapped," said Philip slowly. "Someone came for him in the night. They don't know we're here, I suppose — they just thought Bill was alone. They've got him — and now we're prisoners on Puffin Island and we can't get away!"
Chapter 14
A FEW PLANS
EVERYONE felt suddenly sick. Lucy-Ann sat down in a heap. Dinah joined her. The boys stood staring at the smashed engine as if they couldn't believe their eyes.
"It must be a nightmare," said Dinah at last. "It can't be true. Why — why, everything was right as rain last night — and now . . ."
"Now the boat's
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