The Sea of Adventure by Enid Blyton Page A

smashed up so that we can't get away, the wireless is smashed so that we can't get a message through — and Bill's gone," said Philip. "And it isn't a dream. It's real."
     
    "Let's sit down in the cabin, all together," said Lucy-Ann, wiping her eyes. "Let's sit close and talk. Let's not leave each other at all."
     
    "Poor Lucy-Ann!" said Philip, putting his arm round her, as she sat down unsteadily. "Don't worry. We've been in worse fixes than this."
     
    "We haven't!" said Dinah. "This is the worst fix we've ever been in!"
     
    Kiki felt the tenseness of all the children. She sat quietly on Jack's shoulder, making little comforting noises. Huffin and Puffin sat solemnly on the deck, staring fixedly in front of them. Even they seemed to feel that something awful had happened.
     
    In the cabin, sitting close together, the children felt a little better. Jack rummaged in a tiny cupboard beside him and brought out some bars of chocolate. The children had had no breakfast, and although the shock they had had seemed to have taken their appetites away, they thankfully took the chocolate to nibble.
     
    "Let's try and think out carefully exactly what must have happened," said Jack, giving a bit of his chocolate to Kiki.
     
    "Well — we know that Bill was worried about something," said Philip. "Those planes, for instance. He felt certain something queer was going on up here. And that's why he went out by himself in the boat. He must have been seen."
     
    "Yes — and maybe in some way his enemies got to know he was here," said Dinah. "They could have followed him a long way back, using field glasses to keep him in sight. Anyway — it's quite clear that they came looking for him here."
     
    "And found him," said Jack. "What a pity he went off to tinker with the wireless last night!"
     
    "Well, if he hadn't, the enemy, whoever they are, would probably have searched the island and found us too," said. Dinah. "As it is — they probably don't know we're here."
     
    "It wouldn't matter if they did know," said Lucy-Ann, sniffing. "They'll be quite sure we can't do any harm, living on an island we can't get off!"
     
    "They got here — in a motor-boat probably," went on Jack. "Left the motor-boat out beyond, somewhere — and slipped inshore quietly in a rowing-boat. They must know this little channel — or maybe they saw a light from the boat. Bill would be sure to have the cabin light on, and it's a pretty bright one."
     
    "Yes. And they surprised him and knocked him out, I suppose," said Philip gloomily. "They've taken him away — goodness knows what'll happen to him!"
     
    "They won't — they won't hurt him, will they?" said Lucy-Ann in rather a trembly voice. Nobody answered. Lucy-Ann began to cry again.
     
    "Cheer up, Lucy-Ann," said Philip. "We've been in worse scrapes before, whatever Dinah says. We'll get out of this one all right."
     
    "How?" wept Lucy-Ann. "I don't see how we can! You don't either."
     
    Philip didn't. He scratched his head and looked at Jack.
     
    "Well — we've got to make some kind of plan," said Jack. "I mean — we must make up our minds what we are going to do to try and escape — and what we are going to do till we escape."
     
    "Won't Bill's friends come and look for us when they don't get Bill's messages through?" asked Dinah suddenly.
     
    "Pooh! What would be the good of that?" said Philip at once. "There are hundreds of these little bird-islands here. It might take years visiting and exploring every single one to find us!"
     
    "We could light a fire on the cliff and keep it burning so that any searcher could see the smoke in the daytime and the flames at night," said Dinah excitedly. "You know — like ship-wrecked sailors do."
     
    "Yes, we could," said Jack. "Only — the enemy might see it too — and come along and find us before anyone else does."
     
    There was a silence. Nobody knew who the enemy were. They seemed mysterious and powerful and frightening.
     
    "Well, I can't help