JUSTIN and Stephen went to find Theo and Mary. They were waiting for them in the garden, looking rather troubled. They were glad to see Justin and Stephen and ran to meet them.
Mary took Stephen's hands. "I'm awfully sorry about your island, Stephen," she said.
"So am I," said Theo. "Bad luck, old girl—I mean, old boy!"
Stephen managed to smile. "I've been behaving like a girl," she said, half-ashamed. "But I did get an awful shock."
Justin told the others what they had planned. "We'll go tomorrow morning," he said. "We'll make out a list of all the things we shall need. Let's begin now."
He took out a pencil and notebook. The others looked at him.
"Things to eat," said Theo at once. "Plenty because we'll be hungry."
"Something to drink," said Stephen. "There's no water on the island— though I believe there was a well or something, years ago, that went right down below the level of the sea, and was fresh water. Anyway, I've never found it."
"Food," wrote down Justin, "and drink." He looked at the others.
"Spades," he said solemnly, and scribbled the word down.
Mary stared in surprise. "What for?" she asked.
"Well, we'll want to dig about when we're hunting for a way down to the dungeons," said Justin.
"Ropes," said Theo. "We may want those too."
"And torches," said Stephen. "It'll be dark in the dungeons."
"Oooh!" said Mary, feeling a pleasant shiver go down her back at the thought. She had no idea what dungeons were like, but they sounded breathtaking.
"Rugs," said Theo. "We'll be cold at night if we sleep in that little old room."
Justin wrote them down. "Mugs to drink from," he said. "And we'll take a few tools too— we may perhaps need them. You never know."
At the end of half an hour they had quite a nice long list, and everyone felt pleased and agitated. Stephen was beginning to convalesce from her rage and disappointment. If she had been alone, and had brooded over everything, she would have been in an even worse sulk and temper—but somehow the others were so calm and sensible and cheerful. It was impossible to sulk for long if she was with them.
"I think I'd have been much nicer if I hadn't been on my own so much," thought Stephen to herself, as she looked at Justin's bent head. "Talking about things to other people does help a lot. They don't seem so dreadful then; they seem more bearable and ordinary. I like my three cousins appallingly. I like them because they talk and laugh and are always cheerful and kind. I wish I was like them. I'm sulky and bad-tempered and fierce, and no wonder Father doesn't like me and scolds me so often. Mother's a dear, but I understand now why she says I am difficult. I'm different from my cousins— they're easy to understand, and everyone likes them. I'm glad they came. They are making me more like I ought to be."
This was a long thought to think, and Stephen looked very serious while she was thinking it. Justin looked up and caught her blue eyes fixed on him. He smiled.
"Penny for your thoughts!" he said.
"They're not worth a penny," said Stephen, going red. "I was just thinking how nice you all are— and how I wished I could be like you."
"You're an awfully nice person," said Justin, surprisingly.
"You can't help being an only child. They're always a bit queer, you know, unless they're mighty careful. You're a most interesting person, I think."
Stephen flushed red again, and felt pleased. "Let's go and take Timphothy for a walk," she said. "He'll be wondering what's happened to us today."
They all went off together, and Timphothy greeted them at the top of his voice.
They told him all about their plans for the next day, and he wagged his tail and looked up at them out of his soft brown eyes as if he understood every single word they said!
"He must feel pleased to think he's going to be with us for two or three days," said Mary.
It was very exciting the next morning, setting off in the boat with all their things packed neatly at one end. Justin checked them all by reading out aloud from his list. It didn't seem as if they had forgotten anything.
"Got the map?" said Theo, suddenly. Justin nodded.
"I put on clean jeans this morning," he said, "but you may be sure I remembered to pop the map into my pocket. Here it is!
He took it out— and the wind at once blew it right out of his hands! It fell into the sea and bobbed there in the wind. All four children gave a cry of utter dismay. Their precious map!
"Quick! Row after it!" cried Stephen, and swung the boat round. But someone was quicker than she was! Tim had seen the paper fly from Justin's hand, and had heard and understood the cries of dismay. With an enormous splash he leapt into the water and swam valiantly after the map.
He could swim well for a dog, for he was strong and powerful. He soon had the map in his mouth and was swimming back to the boat. The children thought he was simply marvellous!
Stephen hauled him into the boat and took the map from his mouth. There was hardly the mark of his teeth on it! He had carried it so carefully. It was wet, and the children looked anxiously at it to see if the tracing had been spoilt. But Justin had traced it very strongly, and it was quite all right. He placed it on a seat to dry, and told Theo to hold it there in the sun.
"That was a narrow squeak!" he said, and the others agreed.
Stephen took the oars again, and they set off once more to the island, getting a perfect shower-bath from Timphothy when he stood up and shook his wet coat. He was given a big biscuit as a reward, and crunched it up with great enjoyment.
Stephen made her way through the reefs of rocks with a sure hand. It was marvellous to the others how she could slide the boat in between the dangerous rocks and never get a scratch. They thought she was really wonderful. She brought them safely to the little inlet, and they jumped out on to the sand. They pulled the boat high up, in case the tide came far up the tiny cove, and then began to unload their goods.
"We'll carry all the things to that little stone room," said Justin. "They will be safe there and won't get wet if it rains. I hope nobody comes to the island while we are here, Stephen."
"I shouldn't think they would," said Stephen. "Father said it would be about a week before the deeds were signed, making over the island to that man. It won't be his till then. We've got a week, anyhow."
"Well, we don't need to keep a watch in case anyone else arrives then," said Justin, who had half thought that it would be a good idea to make someone stay on guard at the inlet, to give a warning to the others in case anyone else arrived. "Come on! You take the spades, Theo. I'll take the food and drink with Stephen. And Mary can take the little things."
The food and drink were in a big box, for the children did not mean to starve while they were on the island! They had brought loaves of bread, butter, biscuits, jam, tins of fruit, ripe plums, bottles of ginger-beer, a kettle to make tea, and anything else they could think of! Stephen and Justin staggered up the cliff with the heavy box. They had to put it down once or twice to give themselves a rest!
They put everything into the little room. Then they went back to get the collection of blankets and rugs from the boat. They arranged them in the corners of the little room, and thought that it would be most exciting to spend the night there.
"The two girls can sleep together on this pile of rugs," said Justin. "And we two boys will have this pile."
Stephen looked as if she didn't want to be put with Mary, and classed as a girl. But Mary didn't wish to sleep alone in her corner, and she looked so beseechingly at Stephen that the bigger girl smiled at her and made no objection. Mary thought that Stephen was getting nicer and nicer!
"Well, now we'll get down to business," said Justin, and he pulled out his map. "We must study this really carefully, and find out exactly under what spot the entrances to the dungeons are. Now— come around and let's do our best to find out! It's up to us to use our brains— and beat that man who's bought the island!"
They all bent over the traced map. It was quite dry now, and the children looked at it earnestly. It was plain that in the old days the castle had been a very fine place.
"Now look," said Justin, putting his finger on the plan. "These seem to run all along under the castle. According to me, we should press that brick to open the passage. "
"Yes," said Stephen. "I should think so too. Well, let us try it!”
"Hi, Tim!" said Justin, shaking a clod of earth out of his hair. "You're being a bit too vigorous. My word, you'll send the stones flying into the air too, in a minute. Stephen, isn't Tim marvellous the way he joins in everything?"
How they all worked! How they all longed to find the entrance to the underground passage! What a thrill that would be.