“I’ll look and see when we get back to-night,” answered Jack.
Just then the children heard the sound of Dimmy’s tea-bell and they scrambled up, glad to be able to get away from the strange woman’s questions. Mike took a bundle of the rope with him, meaning to go on with the untangling of it at Peep-Hole. But Jack signalled quietly to him to leave it, so he put it down.
“Good-bye,” said the children politely, and ran over the sands at top speed.
“Jack, you were clever at answering those awkward questions of hers!” panted Mike. “I don’t know what I would have said if she had asked me if I could see the Old House from our bedroom window!”
“Jack said he’d look and see when we got back tonight!” giggled Peggy. “How did you think of that answer, Jack?”
“You know, they suspect us of knowing about their prisoner,” said Jack. “They’ll be on the look-out now, more than ever. I guess we shan’t be able to do much more signalling to the prisoner boy.”
“Why did you make me leave the bundle of rope behind?” asked Mike. “I thought if I took it with me that we could undo it and get on with the ladder here in our bedroom, after tea.”
“But, Mike, Mrs. Diaz is sure to guess we’re up to something if you go lugging bundles of rope about,” said Jack. “We’d far better go back and get it after tea.”
“You’re right as usual, Captain,” said Mike.
So after tea they went back to the boat to get the rope, and took it up to their room. The tide was in and there was nothing to do on the beach. It would be fun to make the ladder.
“What are you all doing up there?” called Dimmy, in surprise. “Aren’t you going out this evening?”
“No, Dimmy. We’ve got a secret on,” called back Nora. “You don’t mind, do you?”
“Not a bit!” said Dimmy, and went back to her washing-up. The children worked hard at the rope. Soon they had a great deal of it untangled, and they found that it was good strong rope, knotted here and there. They chose two long lengths, and then Mike went down to get the little stakes from the shed. He soon came back with them. Jack showed the others how to knot the ends of the stakes firmly to the sides of the rope-ladder. The stakes were the rungs. Soon the ladder took shape under their hands.
“Doesn’t it look fine!” cried Peggy. “I’m simply longing to use it! Do let’s use it to-night, Jack!”
“Gracious! I forgot the dogs!” said Nora in dismay. “What can we do, then?”
“The only thing to do is to make friends with the dogs,” said Jack.
The other three stared at him. None of them felt that they wanted to make friends with the two big dogs. Jack grinned.
“Don’t look so scared,” he said. “I’ll be the one to make friends. Animals are good with me. Until I met you and came to live with you I lived on a farm, and I know all about animals and their ways.”
“Oh, Jack!” said Nora. “You’re marvellous! Will you really make friends with those dogs?”
“It’s the only thing to do.” said Jack. “And I’m going to begin to-night. As soon as those dogs will let me pass in as a friend, I’ll be able to take the rope-ladder in some night and get Prince Paul down.”
“How are you going to make friends?” asked Mike.
“I’ll get some meat and biscuits from Dimmy,” said Jack.
“She will think you’re hungry all of a sudden,” said Mike with a grin.
Dimmy was surprised to hear that Jack wanted some meat and biscuits that evening. She had given the children a good supper of stewed raspberries, cream, and home-made bread and butter, and as Jack had had three helpings she really couldn’t believe that he now wanted meat and biscuits.
“I think you must be going to have a midnight feast in your room,” she said. “Well - for once in a way I’ll let you have it.”
Jack chuckled, and winked at the others. “It’s for a midnight picnic all right!” he said. “But not in my bedroom, Dimmy.”
Dimmy didn’t hear the last bit, for she had gone out of the room. She made Jack some ham sandwiches and gave him a bag of biscuits. He was pleased.
“Thank you,” he said. “That’s jolly good of you, Dimmy.”
“Well, if you feel ill to-morrow, it’ll be your own fault,” said Dimmy, with a laugh. She really was an awfully good sort.
When it got dark Jack put the sandwiches and biscuits into a bag and said good-bye to the others. They wanted to come too and wait outside the wall, but Jack wouldn’t let them.
“No,” he said. “If they smell you or hear you those dogs will bark their heads off. I must go alone. I’ll come back in about two hours.”
He slipped down the winding staircase and out into the garden without Dimmy seeing him. He set off quietly up the cliff towards the Old House, which loomed up large and dark against the night-sky. He could quite well see the round tower on one side of it, and at the top was a faint light.
“I suppose poor Prince Paul is up there trying to read or something,” said Jack to himself, feeling sorry for the little prisoner all alone in the tall tower. “How I wish we could rescue him quickly!”
He soon came to the wall. He wondered how to slip into the grounds without making the dogs bark too loudly. They were always loose at night and might come rushing at him if he went in by the gate.
And then a lucky thing happened. One of the maids came up the lane and turned in at the back gate, quite near to where Jack stood. At once the two dogs rushed up and began to bark madly at the woman.
She was used to them, however, and spoke sharply. “Don! Tinker! Be quiet! Don’t you know me yet?”
A voice called from the house. “Is that you, Anna?”
“Yes, sir,” answered the woman. “It’s only me they’re barking at.”
“That was Mr. Diaz’s voice,” said Jack to himself. “Now’s my chance. If I slip in now and the dogs go on barking, Mr. Diaz will simply think it’s because of Anna. And maybe I can make them stop barking in a little while.”
He slid in silently at the back gate like a black shadow. Both the dogs heard him and smelt him, and set up a great barking again.
“Quiet!” roared Mr. Diaz. “Quiet!”
The dogs paused in their barking. Mr. Diaz only said “Quiet!” when the visitor was a friend. The pause was enough for Jack.
“Don! Tinker!” he said in a low voice, and then he sat himself down on the ground beside a thick bush. The dogs heard their names and pricked up their ears. Don barked loudly again. Tinker looked as if he wanted to rush at Jack - but this boy was sitting down like a friend! It was strange!
Jack made no movement. He knew from his life on the farm that animals and birds are afraid of sudden quick movements, even from a friend. His heart beat loudly, for he was not at all sure that one or both of the dogs might not attack him.
Don barked again. Tinker ran up to Jack and sniffed at him. Jack sat perfectly still. The dog smelt the meat sandwiches and the biscuits and tried to get his nose in the bag. Both dogs were underfed, because Mr. Diaz thought they would be wide awake then, if they were hungry, and would not sleep well as a properly fed dog does.
“Good dog, Tinker, good dog,” said Jack in a very low voice. The dog sniffed hungrily at the bag. Jack slowly and cautiously undid it. Don, the other dog, would not come near. He stood at a distance, very suspicious, growling softly.
“Growl all you like!” thought Jack. “But don’t start that dreadful barking again. I don’t want Mr. Diaz out here looking round!”
Tinker took a ham sandwich from Jack’s hand. It was gone at a gulp, for the dog was very hungry indeed. He sniffed for another.
Jack slowly put out his hand to the dog’s head and patted it gently. The dog was not used to being kindly treated and was surprised. He gave Jack’s hand a quick lick.
“We’re getting on!” thought the boy. He gave Tinker another sandwich, and that was swallowed at once. Don smelt the meat from where he stood. He decided that if Tinker was friendly to this strange boy, he could be too - and also he badly wanted that nice-smelling meat.
So he ran up, still growling softly. But Jack knew it was a pretend-growl, and he chuckled to himself. He gave the hungry animal a sandwich, and then another. The dog swallowed them both. There were only two more left, so Jack gave the dogs one each.
Then he stood up and took a few cautious steps towards the tower. The dogs did not seem to mind. They could now smell Jack’s biscuits and they kept close to the boy as he walked. Tinker was very friendly indeed, and licked Jack’s hand when he found it near his nose. Don would not do that, but he no longer growled.
Jack walked to the foot of the tower and looked up. He gave each dog a biscuit, and wondered if by any chance the door at the foot of the tower was unlocked. If it was, dare he run up the winding stairway and try to talk to the prisoner? Maybe he could even unlock the door and get the boy out? But no - the dogs would not know Prince Paul and might bark and then they would both be caught.
He tried the door. It opened! Jack listened. No one seemed to be about at all. The dogs pressed against him, asking for another biscuit. He threw them each one a little way off and then slipped through the door leaving it open.
The dogs ate the biscuits, and then lay down by the door to wait for this unexpected friend to come back. They hoped he would have some more biscuits!
Jack stood at the bottom of the tower stairway and listened. The stone steps were dark. Not a sound was to be heard. Jack got out his torch and switched it on. Then, making no sound, the brave boy slowly went up the steps, only using his torch at the awkward parts, for he was afraid of slipping there and making a noise.
There were no lights in the rooms he passed. Only when he came to the top room did he see a streak of light under the door. He stood outside and listened. Somebody was crying inside. Jack looked for the keyhole and put his eye to it.
He could see a small boy sitting at a table with his head on his hands. He was crying quietly, and the tears fell on to a page of the book in front of him. Nobody else seemed to be in the room as far as Jack could see or hear.
Jack knocked very gently on the door. The boy inside raised his head.
“Who is there?” he asked.
“It’s Jack, one of your friends!” answered Jack in a low tone. “I’m one of the children you’ve seen waving to you in the tower. I’ve made friends with the two dogs and I’ve slipped up here to talk to you.”
“Oh!” cried the boy, in a voice of great delight. “Can you let me out? Is the door locked on the outside? See if they have left the key.”
Jack felt. He tried the door. It was locked and bolted. He could undo the bolts easily enough - but there was no key to unlock the door. It was hopeless.
“I can’t rescue you to-night,” said Jack. “But listen, please. We’ve made a rope-ladder that will reach your window. If you hear a stone rattling up one night that falls into your room, pick it up at once. It will be tied to a string. Pull the string, and some twine will come up. Pull the twine and it will bring up the rope-ladder. See? Fix the ladder to something and get down it.”
“Oh, thank you!” said the boy. He pressed his face to the door and Jack could hear him sigh. “I am so tired of being shut up here.”
“Why are you a prisoner?” asked Jack.
“It is a long story,” said the boy. “My father is King of Baronia, and he is ill. If he dies I shall be king - and my uncle does not want me to be. So he has paid some men to kidnap me and carry me away. Then, if my father dies and I am not there to become king, my uncle will seize the throne and make himself king before I can be found!”
“So you really are a prince!” said Jack. “We wondered if you were. What a wicked shame to keep you prisoner like this! Shall we tell the police, Paul?”
“Oh no,” said Paul at once. “If Mr. Diaz and Luiz think that the police know about me they might harm me in some way - and certainly they would smuggle me down that secret passage and then you would never know where I had gone. Please try to rescue me yourself. What is your name?”
“I’m Jack,” said Jack. “Look here, Prince, keep your eyes open for our letter-messages from our tower. We will let you know when we are coming at night with the rope-ladder.”
“You are very good,” said the little prince. “I was so pleased when I saw you waving.”
“I must go,” said Jack. “I think I can hear something. I mustn’t be caught. Good-bye!”
He slipped down the stairs, and tried to open the tower door - but it was now locked! Mr. Diaz had been along, found it open, and had locked it, although he had no idea that Jack was inside.
Jack stood inside the locked door, with his heart beating loudly. How could he get out? Perhaps the kitchen door could be opened without noise?
He went to the door that led from the tower to the scullery. There was no sound to be heard beyond it. Jack opened it cautiously. He stepped into the big, dark scullery, meaning to creep across to the back door, open it and escape through the grounds.
But, alas for Jack! He walked straight into a tin bath, and fell over it with a most tremendous clatter!
Jack picked himself up at once in a fright. The door into the scullery opened, and Anna looked in, switching on the light. She screamed when she saw Jack, and ran back into the kitchen, shouting for Luiz.
“Luiz! Luiz! There is a burglar in the scullery!”
Jack ran to the back door and tried to open it. But it was locked and bolted and even had a chain on it, too. The boy knew quite well that by the time he had undone everything he would be caught! He was in despair. Whatever could he do? It was no use to run back up the stairs to the tower-rooms, for he would be caught there too.
And then he thought of something. Of course! He could escape down the secret passage! He had his torch with him, and he could easily see the way.
He ran to the cellar door. Fortunately that was open. He leapt down the steps into the cellar just as Mr. Diaz and Luiz came tearing into the kitchen. He heard them shouting, “Where is he? Where is he?”
Jack sped to the eighteen stone steps that led down to the door of the underground room. He ran down them, using his torch. He opened the thick door at the bottom. He ran through the large underground room there to the secret passage.
His heart was beating fast and his breath was coming in pants. He made his way down the secret passage, bending his head every now and again when he came to the narrow, low parts. Soon he came to the damp piece, and knew that he would presently come to the small cave that lay above the large shore-cave.
He came to the oak door that led into the small cave. He pushed it open and made his way to where he knew the rope hung to help him down into the big beach-cave.
“Then all I’ll have to do is to slip round the sands, up the cliff-path and into Peep-Hole,” thought the boy thankfully.
But what a dreadful shock for Jack - once more the tide was in and the water filled the big cave. He could not possibly get home that way. He would have to wait till it went out.
“I only hope that they don’t realise I’ve come down through the secret passage, and come after me,” thought Jack. “I would be properly caught then. But I don’t see how they can think anything else. After all, all the doors were locked, and I didn’t get out through the tower door or the scullery door - so they’ll know I must have come this way. And if they remember that the tide is in, they will be able to come along and catch me beautifully.”