Neither of the girls could imagine what the men would do when they came to find the boys the next day, and saw that they were gone. They cuddled up together and tried to go to sleep. They awoke early and got themselves some breakfast. Then they sat waiting for the men.
There was nothing else to do—it was of no use trying to hide. They must just pretend that they did not know where the boys were.
The motor-boat did not arrive until mid-day. Then two men came up to the tent, and the one who could speak English looked at the two girls.
"What about those boys?" he said. "Why are they not here?"
"I don't know," said Jill, trying to speak bravely.
"Where are they?" asked the man angrily.
"I don't know," said Jill again, quite truthfully.
"You don't know! You don't know!" said the man in disgust. "It is time you did know. Are they on this island?"
"Why don't you look and see?" said Jill. "I am sure you will not believe what I say—so you had better look."
The men glared at the plucky little girl and then went to hunt over the island. They found no one, of course, and returned looking worried.
They spoke to one another in a language that the girls could not understand. Then they went to the ruined buildings and looked around carefully. It did not take them long to see that the boys had pulled the old shack to pieces!
"So!" said the first man. "The boys tried to make a boat!"
Jill and Mary shook their heads. They were really feeling very much alarmed.
"It is a raft they made then?" asked the man. "What! You will not tell me, you naughty little girls! Then I shall order out my seaplanes and they will find those bad boys, and bring them back again. And you will all be made prisoners on another island till we take you far away to our country where you will stay for a long time."
The girls began to cry—not because they were afraid for themselves but because they did not want the seaplanes to hunt for Andy and Tom.
The men spoke quickly to one another. It was plain that they wanted to get back to the third island and tell their chief what had happened.
"We shall come back for you to-morrow," said the first man. "And maybe by that time we shall have caught the two bad boys. They will be punished, you may be sure!"
They left in their motor-boat, leaving two miserable girls behind them. "Oh, I do hope they won't catch poor Andy and Tom," wept Mary. "It's too bad! Now they will hunt all over the sea till they find them. And they'll catch us to-morrow too, and take us all away."
"Well, they just won't take me away!" said Jill, drying her eyes fiercely. "I shall give them a good old hunt for me! I shall go to the second island and make them hunt all over the first one and not find mel That will give them a shock! I shall hide in the food-cave!"
"So will I!" said Mary, dabbing her eyes fiercely too. "We'll wait till the tide goes down and then we'll clamber over the rocks!"
So when the tide was low that day the two girls clambered hurriedly over the line of rocks that led from one island to the next, and came to the sandy beach. Not far off was the entrance to the cave that led up to the Round Cave.
"Nobody has seen us," said Mary, as they ran up to the cave. "We'll hide here and make the enemy think we've escaped from the island too! Perhaps they will be so busy looking for us that they will forget about the boys."
"I don't think they'll forget Andy and Tom," said Jill, making her way up the passage to the Round Cave. "I am sure that seaplanes are out looking for them already. I have heard three or four leaving the third island. Look, Mary—this chest is almost empty. Let's take out the tins and things that are left and get inside. We can shut the lid down on us if we hear anyone coming."
The girls got the chest ready, and then amused themselves by trying to find the funnel opening that led from the cave to the surface of the cliff above. But they could not find it.
"I wonder if it's night yet," said Mary, for it was impossible to tell in the dark cave. The girls had Andy's torch, for no daylight came into the cave at all. They crept to the shore-cave to see. Yes—it was twilight outside. Night would soon fall.
"I vote we make a nice soft bed in the sandy floor," said Jill. "We can cover ourselves with those empty sacks. And in the morning we'll peep out and see if we can see anything!"
So they made sandy beds and threw the sacks over themselves, they fell fast asleep and did not wake till morning.
And then, when they went to peep out of the shore-cave, they had a great surprise! Coming gracefully down to the smooth water was an enormous seaplane, droning like a great bumble-bee.
"It's coming to get us!" squealed Mary in fright, and the two girls scuttled back into the Round Cave!
Chapter 25
Return to the Islands
If only the girls had stopped to look carefully at that seaplane, they would have noticed that it bore the signs of their own country! It was the very same seaplane that had rescued Tom and Andy! It had flown to headquarters, had made its report, and had handed Tom's camera in. As soon as the pictures had been developed, and the seaplane and submarine photographs had come out clearly, there was great excitement.
Tom and Andy had been questioned closely They told their story clearly and well, and the men who listened to them were amazed at the adventures the four children had been through.
"Well, you have stumbled on an astonishing secret," said one man who had been listening, "We are proud of you! Now we shall be able to spring a real surprise on our enemy, and clean up all the submarines and seaplanes that have been worrying our shipping for some time. We did not know they had a base so near us. No wonder they have been able to do such damage!"
"Please, sir, what about my sisters?" asked Tom anxiously. "Will you get them away before you do anything?"
The men laughed heartily. "Of course!" said one. "That will be our first job. You don't really suppose we should forget those two plucky little girls, do you? Oh no—we shall send your father's seaplane to rescue mem—and after that—oho! A big surprise will come to those islands!"
The boys grinned. "May we see the surprise, sir?" asked Andy.
"No," said the man. "It will be a bit too noisy." He turned to Tom's father and gave him a few quick orders.
"Come along," said the boy's father. "You and Andy must come with me to the islands so that you may tell me quickly where the girls are. We have to get them off before we attack me enemy—and I'd like to do it as quickly as possible before anyone knows we've discovered their secret."
The boys were thrilled! To go off in that wonderful seaplane again—to the islands! And to rescue the two girls under the very noses of the enemy! What fun!
They all went aboard the great seaplane. They rowed out to it in a little boat and climbed up the ladder over the side, and into the plane. A few quick orders, and the great engines were started up.
R-r-r-r-r-r! R-r-r-r-r-r-r! R-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r! The seaplane skimmed over the water for a little while and then rose from the surface as gracefully as a gull. It soared up and round, and then flew in a straight line towards the far-off islands.
The boys were trembling with excitement and joy. They had had many adventures, but this last one, the rescue of the girls, was the finest of the lot! They looked out over the sea, watching for the first sign of the islands they now knew so well.
"As soon as we sight the islands, we are going cautiously," said Tom's father. "We don't want to warn the enemy if we can help it! You say there is a good landing-place off the shore of the second island, Andy. Well, you must guide us there when the islands come in sight, and we'll land on the water. Then you and Tom and a couple of men can get to the first island and take off the girls. Then off we'll go again and give the signal for the warships to go and-surprise the enemy!"