There was a ledge running round one side of it, like a bench. ‘We could put all our things there – tins and so on,’ said Jack to himself. ‘And when we’ve put our macks down on this moss we’ll have a most lovely bed. I really must tell the others.’
It was quite time that he showed himself, for the others had now missed him and were yelling at the tops of their voices for him.
‘Jack! JA-CK! Where are you? JACK!’
Jack heard their voices as he pushed aside the fern fronds and looked out, just his head showing. Dinah and Kiki suddenly caught sight of his face peering out of the fern some way above them. Kiki gave a squawk of surprise and flew up at once. Dinah jumped.
‘Look!’ she yelled to Philip and Lucy-Ann. ‘Look where Jack is – hiding behind that giant fern!’
Jack put his hands to his mouth and yelled at the top of his voice, trying to drown the noise of the waterfall. ‘Come on up here! I’ve found something marvellous!’
The others climbed up eagerly. Jack held aside the green fronds for them. ‘Won’t you come into my parlour!’ he said politely. ‘So pleased to see you all.’
They passed through the green curtain into the cave behind. They called out in delighted surprise.
‘What a lovely place! Nobody could ever find us here!’
‘There’s a soft green carpet on the floor! It’s moss!’
‘The roar of the fall isn’t nearly so loud here! We can hear ourselves speak!’
‘Glad you like it,’ said Jack modestly. ‘I found it quite by accident. It’s perfect, isn’t it?’
It was. Lucy-Ann was relieved that the thunder of the waterfall was lessened here, in the cave. Dinah was thrilled with the softness of the moss. Philip was pleased by the real safety of such a hiding place. Nobody would ever find it except by chance.
‘Let’s go and fetch our things from the rock where we left them,’ said Dinah, who always liked all her belongings set out neatly together. ‘There is plenty of room for them here. I shall put our tins of food on that rocky ledge.’
‘We can only just stand upright,’ said Philip. He went to where the green fronds hung down over the entrance, making the cave rather dark. He parted the fronds and at once a ray of sunshine fell into the cave, lighting it up well.
‘We could tie back some of the fern so that we get the sun in the cave,’ said Philip. ‘We’ve got a jolly good view of the waterfall from here – and we can see everything around well, so that if anyone comes we shall spot them at once. It’s fine.’
‘I shan’t mind living here a bit for a little while,’ said Lucy-Ann happily. ‘I feel safe here.’
‘You may have to live here a long while,’ said Philip. ‘Well – I can think of worse places.’
‘Those men would never find us here,’ said Jack. ‘Never!’
He tied back some of the fronds, and the children sat down on the floor for a little while, enjoying the sunshine that now poured in. The moss was like a cushion to sit on.
After a bit they all climbed down to where they had left their rugs and tins and other things. They carried them up to their new home. Dinah arranged the loose things on the rocky ledge. They looked nice there.
‘We shall have a lovely soft bed tonight,’ she said. ‘We ought to sleep jolly well in here. It’s not musty or stuffy.’
‘Fusty-musty-dusty,’ said Kiki at once, remembering the three words she had learnt in the last holidays. ‘Fusty-musty-dusty, fusty . . .’
‘Oh, don’t begin that again, Kiki,’ said Jack. ‘We got tired of that long ago.’
Kiki flew to his shoulder, and looked out of the strange little cave. There was really a wonderful view outside – first of all, the cascading waterfall, with rainbows caught in it here and there; then beyond it the steep mountainside, and far beyond that, lower down, the green valley which stretched to the foot of steep mountains on the opposite side, towering up one behind the other.
It was about time for a meal again. All the children seemed to get hungry at the same time, and they glanced at the tins on the shelf or ledge. Jack felt for his tin-opener.
‘You mind you don’t lose it,’ said Philip. ‘That’s our most precious possession at the moment, Jack – your tin-opener.’
‘Don’t worry. I shan’t lose it,’ said Jack, and began to open a tin. Kiki watched with her head on one side. She liked these tins. They had most exciting things inside, she considered.
Soon they were sitting eating hungrily, looking out of the cave entrance to the sparkling waterfall not far off. It was nice to sit there munching away, with that lovely view outside, the soft moss beneath them and the warm sun on their bare legs.
‘We do seem to have some adventures,’ said Jack. ‘It’s most peculiar the way we can’t seem to keep out of them. I do hope Bill and Aunt Allie aren’t worrying too much about us. If only we could get word to them!’
‘We can’t,’ said Philip. ‘We’re stuck here all alone, with no means of getting into touch with anyone as far as I can see – except those two men. I’m blessed if I know what to do. Thank goodness we’ve got plenty of food.’
‘We’d better go back to that bush where we dumped the rest of the tins and fetch them along here as soon as we can,’ said Jack. ‘What we’ve brought won’t last us more than today. Will you two girls be all right if Philip and I go along and get what we can? We shan’t be able to bring them all at one go. We must make several journeys.’
‘Yes, we shall be quite all right here,’ said Dinah, giving Kiki the last bit of salmon out of her tin. ‘You set off this afternoon. You can leave Kiki here to guard us.’
11
The cave of echoes
It was very early in the afternoon. The boys knew they would have plenty of time to go to the bush where their tins were hidden and fetch them to the cave. Perhaps between them they could carry one sack.
‘We’d better go now,’ said Jack. ‘We’ll have to keep a sharp lookout for those men, because they were going to have a jolly good look round, and we don’t want them to spot us. Now, you’re sure you girls will be all right?’
‘Quite,’ said Dinah lazily. She felt glad she was not going to go all the way back to the bush and then drag a heavy sack to the cave. She lay back on the moss. It was so very very soft, and springy too.
Jack slung his field glasses round him. They might be useful in trying to spot any men from far off. He and Philip slid through the green fronds of fern. Jack called back to the girls, raising his voice high.
‘If you should happen to spot anyone near here, remember to untie the string that ties back these ferns at once, see?’ he said. ‘Then they will swing back and the cave will be completely hidden. Lucy-Ann, see that Kiki doesn’t follow us.’
Lucy-Ann had Kiki on her shoulder, where Jack had just put her. She put her hand round the bird’s ankles and held her. Kiki knew then that she was not supposed to go with Jack and Philip and she gave a dismal squawk.
‘What a pity, what a pity!’ she said gloomily, and raised up her crest fiercely. But Lucy-Ann would not let her go. She held her until Jack and Philip were out of sight. Then she lowered her hand and Kiki flew off her shoulder and out of the cave. She perched on a rock looking for Jack.
‘Down the well,’ she said grumpily. ‘Blackbirds down the well.’
‘No, blackbirds in a pie,’ said Lucy. ‘What a bird you are for getting things mixed up, Kiki!’
‘Poor Kiki!’ said Kiki, and cracked her beak loudly. ‘Poor Kiki!’
She flew back into the cave. Dinah was fast asleep, stretched out on the green moss, her mouth open. Kiki flew over and put her head on one side, looking at Dinah’s open mouth. Then she plucked up a bit of moss with her curved beak.
‘Kiki! Don’t you dare to put that into Dinah’s mouth!’ cried Lucy-Ann, knowing Kiki’s mischievous ways. ‘You’re a bad bird!’
‘Wipe your feet,’ said Kiki crossly, and flew to the back of the cave. Lucy-Ann turned over on her tummy and watched her
. She didn’t trust Kiki in this mood.
The sun poured into the cave. It felt breathless in there. Lucy-Ann thought it would be a good idea to untie the fronds and let them swing together, to keep out the sun. So she pulled the bit of string that Jack had shown her and at once the ferny curtain descended, and the cave was lost in a dim green twilight, rather exciting to be in.
Dinah didn’t wake. Lucy-Ann lay on her tummy again, thinking of all that had happened. The noise of the waterfall came in, rather muffled now, for the curtain of fronds was very thick.
‘Kiki,’ said Lucy-Ann. ‘Kiki, where are you?’
There was no answer from Kiki. Lucy-Ann tried to make out where the parrot was. She must be sulking because Philip and Jack hadn’t taken her with them. Silly old Kiki!
‘Kiki! Come over here!’ said Lucy-Ann. ‘Come and talk to me. I’ll teach you “Three little kittens have lost their mittens”.’
Still there was no answer from Kiki, not even a squawk. Lucy-Ann wondered why. Even if Kiki sulked she would usually talk back if anyone spoke to her.
She peered towards the back of the cave. No Kiki there. She looked at the ledge on which their goods were neatly arranged. No Kiki there.
Well, where was she then? She hadn’t flown out between the fern fronds, that was certain. She must be somewhere in the cave!
On the rocky ledge was a torch. Lucy-Ann felt for it and took it into her hand. She switched it on and flashed it round the cave. Kiki was nowhere to be seen. She was not even perched up anywhere in the low roof of the cave. How very mysterious!
Lucy-Ann now felt quite alarmed. She awoke Dinah, who sat up, rubbing her eyes, cross to be awakened.
‘What’s the matter?’ she said. ‘I was having such a lovely snooze.’
‘I can’t find Kiki,’ said Lucy-Ann. ‘I’ve looked everywhere.’
‘Don’t be silly. She’s gone out of the cave after Jack, I expect,’ said Dinah, even crosser. She lay down again and yawned. Lucy-Ann shook her.
‘You’re not to go to sleep again, Dinah. I tell you, Kiki was here a little while ago – at the back of the cave – and now she’s gone. Absolutely vanished.’
‘Well, let her – she’ll come back all right,’ said Dinah. ‘Leave me alone, Lucy-Ann.’
She shut her eyes. Lucy-Ann didn’t like to say any more. Dinah could be so fierce when she was cross. The little girl sighed and wished the boys were back. What had happened to Kiki?
She got up and walked across the moss to the back of the cave. The rock was folded in on itself there, and there was a space behind one of the folds. Lucy-Ann looked cautiously into the dark space, expecting to see Kiki hiding there, ready to cry ‘Boo’ at her, as she sometimes most annoyingly did.
But Kiki wasn’t there. Lucy-Ann flashed her torch up and down the little hidden corner, and suddenly her torch came to a stop, focused on one place.
‘Why – there’s a hole there!’ said Lucy-Ann in surprise. ‘That’s where Kiki must have gone!’
She clambered up to the hole, which was about shoulder-high. It was just big enough for her to squeeze through. She expected to drop down into another cave the other side, but she didn’t. The hole went upwards slightly, a round, narrow tunnel. Lucy-Ann felt sure Kiki must have disappeared into this cold, dark little tunnel.
‘Kiki!’ she yelled, and flashed her torch in front of her. ‘Where are you, idiot? Come back!’
No sound from Kiki. Lucy-Ann squeezed herself right into the round tunnel, wondering how long it was. It was almost as round as a pipe. Maybe water had forced its way through at one time, but now it was quite dry. Lucy-Ann could not hear any sound of the waterfall once she was in the tunnel, though she listened hard. It was very quiet there.
‘KIKI!’ she yelled. ‘KIKI!’
Dinah heard the yell in her dreams and awoke with a jump. She sat up crossly again. But this time Lucy-Ann was not in the cave with her. Now it was Dinah’s turn to feel scared. She remembered that Lucy-Ann said that Kiki had suddenly disappeared. Now it seemed as if Lucy-Ann had too. The fronds of fern were hanging over the entrance, Lucy-Ann would not have pushed out through them without telling Dinah she was going out.
Dinah examined the cave well. No Lucy-Ann. Oh, goodness, now what had happened to her and Kiki?
She heard another yell, sounding rather muffled and distant. She went to the back of the cave and discovered the hidden space. She fetched another torch from the ledge and shone it up and down. She stared in amazement when she saw two shoes sticking out of a round hole about as high as her shoulder.
She tugged at Lucy-Ann’s ankles and yelled at her. ‘Lucy-Ann! What do you think you’re doing? What’s up that hole?’
Lucy-Ann yelled back. ‘I don’t know, Dinah. I found it by accident. I think Kiki must have gone up it. Shall I go up and see if I can find her? You come too.’
‘All right,’ called Dinah. ‘Go on up.’
Lucy-Ann wriggled further up the narrow pipe-like tunnel. It suddenly widened out, and by the light of her torch she saw below her another cave – but a vast one this time.
She managed to get out of the hole, and had a look round at the cave. It was more like an underground hall. Its roof was very high indeed. From somewhere in its dim vastness came a mournful voice.
‘What a pity, what a pity!’
‘Kiki! So you are here!’ cried Lucy-Ann, and then listened in astonishment to the echo that sounded immediately. ‘Here, here, here, are here, and here!’ cried the echoes, repeating themselves in a weird and strange manner.
‘Hurry up, Dinah!’ called Lucy-Ann, not liking the echoes at all.
‘Up, Dinah, Dinah, Dinah!’ called the echoes at once. Kiki flew over to Lucy-Ann, frightened. So many voices! Whatever could they all be?
‘Poor Kiki!’ said the parrot, in a fright. ‘Poor Kiki!’
‘Kiki, Kiki, Kiki!’ called the echoes. The parrot shivered and gazed all round, trying to see who called her. She suddenly gave a loud and defiant squawk.
At once a score of squawks sounded all round, as if the cave was filled with hundred of parrots. Kiki was simply astounded. Could there be so many birds there that she couldn’t see?
Dinah crawled out of the hole and stood by Lucy-Ann. ‘What an enormous place!’ she said.
‘Place!’ shouted the echoes.
‘Everything we say is repeated,’ said Lucy-Ann. ‘It’s weird.’
‘Weird, it’s weird,’ said the echoes.
‘Well, let’s whisper then,’ said Dinah, whispering herself. The cave was at once filled with mysterious whispers, which scared the girls even more than the repeated shouts they had heard. They clutched one another. Then Dinah recovered herself.
‘It’s only the echoes,’ she said. ‘You often get them in enormous caves like this. I wonder if anyone has ever been here before.’
‘Never, I should think,’ said Lucy-Ann, flashing her torch all round. ‘Fancy! We may be treading in a place that no one else has ever trodden in before!’
‘Let’s explore the cave a bit,’ said Dinah. ‘Not that there seems much to see, but we might as well do something whilst we’re waiting for the boys.’
So they walked slowly round the great dark cave, their footsteps repeated a hundred times by the echoes. Once, when Dinah sneezed, the girls were really frightened by the enormous explosive noises that came from all round them. The echoes certainly enjoyed themselves then.
‘Oh, don’t sneeze again, Dinah,’ begged Lucy-Ann. ‘It’s really awful to hear the echoes sneezing. Worse than hearing them squawk like Kiki.’
They had gone almost all the way round the cave when they came to a passage leading out of it – a high, narrow passage, between two walls of rocks.
‘Look at that!’ said Dinah, surprised. ‘A passage! Do you suppose it leads anywhere?’
‘It might,’ said Lucy-Ann, and her eyes gleamed. ‘Don’t forget, Dinah, that those men are after treasure. We don’t know what kind – but it’s just possible
it might be hidden somewhere in these mountains.’
‘Let’s follow the passage then,’ said Dinah. ‘Kiki! Come along. We don’t want to leave you behind.’
Kiki flew to her shoulder. In silence the two girls entered the narrow, rocky passage, their torches gleaming in front of them. What were they going to find?
12
Behind the waterfall
The passage was a very winding one. It led a little downwards, and the floor was very uneven to the feet. The girls tripped and stumbled very often. Once the roof came down so low that they had to crawl under it. But it grew high again almost at once.
After a while they heard a noise. They couldn’t imagine what it was. It was a deep and continous roar that never stopped even for a second.
‘What’s that?’ said Dinah. ‘Are we getting into the heart of the mountain, do you think, Lucy-Ann? That’s not the roar of a mighty fire, is it? What can it be? What is there that could make that noise in the middle of a mountain?’
‘I don’t know,’ said Lucy-Ann, and immediately wanted to go back. A fire in the heart of a mountain, a fire that roared like that? She didn’t in the least want to see it. She felt hot and breathless at the thought.
But Dinah wasn’t going back now that they had come so far.
‘What, go back before we’ve found out where this passage goes to?’ she said. ‘Of course not! The boys would laugh like anything when we told them. We don’t often get the chance of discovering something before they do. Why, we might even happen on the treasure, whatever it is, Lucy-Ann.’
Lucy-Ann felt that she didn’t care at all about the treasure. All she wanted was to get back to the safety of the cave with the green fern curtains.
‘Well, you go back then,’ said Dinah unkindly. ‘I’m going on!’
It was more frightening to think of going back to the cave of echoes by herself than to go on with Dinah. So poor Lucy-Ann chose unwillingly to go on. With that peculiar, muffled roar in her ears she pressed on down the winding passage, keeping close to Dinah. The roar became louder.