This was rather an alarming idea to the two girls. They did a very hasty wash indeed, but the three boys splashed vigorously. The air was cool and delicious, and every one of the children felt as if they could run for miles. But they only ran to the camp beside the plane, for they were so hungry, and breakfast smelt so good. The hot coffee sent its smell out, and the frying bacon sizzled and crackled in the pan.
“What’s the plan for today, Pilescu?” asked Jack. “Do we find someone and ask if they know anything of the White Swallow and its pilots?”
“We are in such a remote part of Africa, that the people round here might never have seen a plane before. But Ranni is going to the nearest village to try and get news,” said Pilescu, ladling out hot bacon on to the plates.
“But how does he know where the next village is?” asked Mike in wonder, looking round. “I can’t see a thing.”
“You haven’t used your eyes,” said Ranni, with a smile. “Look over there.”
The children looked in the direction to which he was pointing, where low hills lay. And they all saw at once what Ranni meant.
“A spire of smoke!” said Mike. “Yes — that means a fire — and fire means people. So that’s where you are going, Ranni? Be careful, won’t you?”
“My gun and I will look after one another,” said big Ranni with a grin, and he tapped his pocket. “I shall not be back till nightfall, so be good whilst I am gone!”
Ranni set off soon after breakfast, carrying food with him. He wore his sun-hat, for the sun was now getting hot. The children watched him go.
“I do wish we could have gone with him,” said Jack longingly. “I hope he will have some news when he comes back.”
“Come, you children can wash these dishes in water from the pool,” called Pilescu. “Soon it will be too hot to do anything. Before it is, we must also find some firewood ready for tonight.”
Pilescu kept the children busy until the sun rose higher. Then when its rays beat down like fire, he made them get into the shade of the plane. Paul did not want to, for he enjoyed the heat, but Pilescu ordered him to go with the others.
“Pilescu, it is not for you to order me,” said the little Prince, sticking his chin into the air.
“Little Paul, I am in command now,” said the big Baronian, gently but sternly. “You are my lord, but I am your captain in this adventure. Do as I say.”
“Paul, don’t be an idiot, or I’ll come and get you into the shade by the scruff of your neck,” called Mike. “If you get sunstroke, you’ll be ill and will have to be flown back to London at once.”
Paul trotted into the shade like a lamb. He lay down by the others. Soon they were so thirsty that Pilescu found himself continually getting in and out of the plane with supplies of cool lemonade from the little refrigerator there.
The children slept in the midday heat. Pilescu was sleepy too, but he kept guard on the little company, wondering how big Ranni was getting on. When the sun began to slip down the coppery sky, he mopped his brow and awoke the children.
“There is some tinned fruit in the plane,” he told Nora. “Get it, and open the tins. It will be delicious to eat whilst we wait for the day to cool.”
Ranni did not come back until the sun had set with the same suddenness as the day before. The children watched and waited impatiently for him, and lighted the bonfire early to guide him.
Pilescu was not worried, for he knew that, although the spire of smoke had looked fairly near, it was really far away — and he knew also that Ranni would not be able to walk far when the midday heat fell on the land like flames from a furnace.
The little company sat round the fire, and above them hung the big bright stars. They all watched for Ranni to return.
“I do wonder if he will have any news,” said Nora impatiently. “Oh, Ranni, do hurry! I simply can’t wait!”
But she had to wait and so did everyone else. It was late before they heard the big Baronian shouting loudly to them. They all leapt up and trained their eyes to see him.
“There he is!” shouted Jack, who had eyes like a cat’s in the dark. “Look — see that moving shadow among those rocks?”
The shadow gave a shout and everyone yelled back in delight.
“Ranni! Hurrah! He’s back!”
“What news, Ranni?”
“Hurry, Ranni, do hurry!”
The big Baronian came up to the fire. He was tired and hot. He dropped down to the rugs and wiped his hot forehead. Pilescu gave him a jug of lemonade and he drank it all in one gulp.
“Have you news, Ranni?” asked Pilescu.
“Yes — I have. And strange news it is too,” said Ranni. “Give me some more sandwiches or biscuits, Pilescu, and I will tell my tale. Are you all safe and well?”
“Perfectly,” said Pilescu. “Now speak, Ranni. What is this strange news you bring?”
Big Ranni Tells A Queer Tale
Ranni lighted his pipe and puffed at it. Everyone waited for him to begin, wondering what he had to tell them.
“I found a small camp,” said Ranni. “Not more than four or five men were there. They had been out hunting. When they saw me coming they all hid behind the rocks in terror.”
“But why were they so afraid?” asked Nora in wonder.
“Well, I soon found out,” said Ranni. “I can speak their language a little, because I have hunted round about this country before, as you know. It seems that they thought I was one of the strange folk from the Secret Mountain.”
“From the Secret Mountain!” cried Mike. “What do you mean? What secret mountain?”
“Be patient and listen,” said Pilescu, who was listening closely. “Go on, Ranni.”
“Somewhere not far from here is a strange mountain,” said Ranni. “It is called the Secret Mountain because for years a secret and strange tribe of people have made their home in the centre of it. They are not like the people round about at all.”
“What are they like then?” asked Jack.
“As far as I can make out their skins are a queer creamy-yellow, and their beards and hair are red, like Pilescu’s and mine. They are thin and tall, and their eyes are green. No one belonging to any other tribe is allowed to mix with them, and no one has ever found out the entrance into the Secret Mountain.”
“Ranni! This is a most wonderful story!” cried Prince Paul, his eyes shining with excitement. “Is it really true? Oh, do let’s go and find the secret mountain at once, this very minute!”
“Don’t be an idiot, Paul,” said Mike, giving him a push. The little Prince was very excitable, and Mike and Jack often had to stop him when he wanted to rush off at once and do something. “Be quiet and listen to Ranni.”
“All the people that live anywhere near are afraid of the Folk of the Secret Mountain,” said Ranni. “They think that they are very fierce, and they do not come this way if they can possibly help it. When they saw me, with my red hair, they really thought I was a man from the Secret Mountain, and they were too terrified even to run away.”
“Did you ask them if they knew anything about Daddy and Mummy?” asked Peggy eagerly.
“Of course,” said Ranni. “They knew nothing — but tomorrow a man is coming to our camp here, who saw the White Swallow come down, and who may be able to tell us something. But I think, children, that there is no doubt that Captain and Mrs. Arnold were captured by the Folk of the Secret Mountain. We don’t know why — but I am sure they are there.”
“We cannot search for them, then,” said Pilescu. “We must fly to the nearest town and bring a proper search party back here.”
“No, no, Pilescu,” cried everyone in dismay.
“We are going to look for our parents,” said Mike proudly. “Pilescu, this is the third great adventure we children have had, and I tell you we are all plucky and daring. We will not fly away and leave others to follow this adventure.”
All the children vowed and declared that they would not go with Ranni and Pilescu, and the two men looked at one another over the camp fire.
“They are like a litter of tiger-cubs,” said Ranni in his own language to Pilescu.
Prince Paul laughed excitedly. He knew that Ranni wanted to follow the adventure himself, and that this meant that Paul too would be with him, for he would not leave his little master now. Paul turned to the other children.
“It’s all right,” he said. “We shan’t go! Ranni means to help us.”
For a long time that night the little camp talked over Ranni’s strange tale. Where was the Secret Mountain? Who were the strange red-haired people who lived there? Why had they captured Captain and Mrs. Arnold? How in the world were the searchers to find the way into the mountain if not even the people round about know it? For a long time all these questions were discussed again and again.
Then Pilescu looked at his watch. “It is very late!” he exclaimed. “Children, you must sleep. Ranni, I will keep watch tonight, for you must be very tired.”
“Very well,” said Ranni. “You shall take the first half of the night and I will take the other. We can do nothing but wait until tomorrow, when the man who saw the White Swallow will come to talk to us.”
Very soon all the camp was asleep, except Pilescu, who sat with his gun in hand, watching the moving animal-shapes that prowled some distance away, afraid to come nearer because of the fire. Pilescu loved an adventure as much as anyone, and he thought deeply about the Folk of the Secret Mountain, with their creamy-yellow skins, red hair and curious green eyes.
The big Baronian was brave and fierce, as were all the men from the far-off land of Baronia, where Paul’s father was king. He was afraid of nothing. The only thing he did not like was taking the five children into danger — but, as Ranni had said, they were like tiger-cubs, fierce and daring, and had already been through some astonishing adventures by themselves.
Morning came, and with it came the native who had seen the White Swallow come down. He was very tall, but with a sly and rather cruel face. Carrying three spears for him came a small, thin boy, with a sharp face and such a merry twinkle in his eyes that all the children liked him at once.
“Who is that boy?” asked Jack, curiously. Ranni asked the man, and he replied, making a scornful face.
“It’s his nephew,” said Ranni. “He is the naughty boy of the family, and is always running away, exploring the country by himself. Children of this tribe are not allowed to do this — they have to go with the hunters and be properly trained. This little chap is disobedient and wild, so his uncle has taken him in hand, as you see.”
“I like the look of the boy,” said Jack. “But I don’t like the uncle at all. Ask him about the White Swallow, Ranni. See if he knows anything about Captain and Mrs. Arnold.”
Ranni did not speak the man’s language very well, but he could understand it better. The man spoke a lot, waving his arms about, and almost acting the whole thing so that the children could nearly understand his story without understanding his words.
“He says he was hunting not far from here, keeping a good look-out for any of the Secret Mountain Folk, when he heard the sky making a strange noise,” said Ranni. “He looked up, and saw a great white bird that said ‘r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r,’ as loudly as a thunderstorm.”
The children shouted with laughter at this funny description of an aeroplane. Ranni could not help grinning, even though he knew the man had probably never seen a plane before, and went on with his translation.
“He says the big white bird flew lower, and came down over there. He stayed behind his tree without moving. He thought the big white bird would see him and eat him.”
Again everyone laughed. The tribesman grinned too, showing two rows of flashing white teeth. The little boy behind joined in the laughter, but stopped very suddenly when his uncle turned round and hit him hard on the side of the head.
“Oh my goodness!” shouted Jack in surprise. “Why shouldn’t he laugh too?”
“Children of this tribe must not laugh if their elders are present,” said Ranni. “This man’s nephew must often get into serious trouble, I should think! He looks as if he is on the point of giggling every minute!”
The man went on with his story. He told how he had seen two people climb out of the big white bird, which amazed him very much. Then he saw something that frightened him even more than seeing the aeroplane and the pilots. He saw some of the Folk of the Secret Mountain, with their flaming red hair and pale skins!
He had been so interested in the aeroplane that he had stayed watching behind his tree — but the sight of the Secret Mountain Folk had given him such a scare that his legs had come to life and he had run back towards his village.
“So you didn’t see what happened to the White Bird people?” asked Ranni, deeply disappointed. The man shook his head. The small boy watching, imitated him so perfectly that all the children laughed, disappointed though they were.
The man looked behind to see what everyone was smiling at and caught his nephew making faces. He strode over to him and knocked him down flat on the ground. The boy gave a yell, sat up and rubbed his head.
“What a horrid fellow this man is,” said Pilescu in disgust. “Ranni, ask him if he can tell us the way to the Secret Mountain.”
Ranni asked him. The man showed signs of fear as he answered.
“He says yes, he knows the way to the mountain, but he does not know the way inside,” said Ranni.
“Ask him if he will take us there,” said Pilescu. “Tell him we will pay him well if he does.”
At first the man shook his head firmly when Ranni asked him. But when Pilescu took a mirror from the cabin of the plane, and showed the man himself in it, making signs to him that he would give it to him as well, the man was tempted.
“He thinks the mirror is wonderful. He is in the mirror as well as outside it,” translated Ranni with a grin. “He says it would be a good thing to have it, because then if he is hurt or wounded, it will not matter — the man inside the mirror, which is himself too, will be all right, and he will be him instead.”
Everyone smiled to hear this. The man had never seen a mirror before, he had only caught sight of himself in pools. It seemed as if another himself was in the strange gleaming thing that the red-haired man was offering him. He stood in front of the mirror, making awful faces, and laughing.
Ranni asked him again if he would show them the way to the Secret Mountain if he gave him the mirror. The man nodded. The mirror was too much for him. Why, he had never seen anything like it before.
“Tell him we will start tomorrow at dawn,” said Pilescu. “I want to make sure that we have everything we need before we set off. Also I want to look at the engines of the White Swallow and our own plane to see that they are all ready to take off, should we find Captain and Mrs. Arnold, and want to leave in a hurry!”
The children were in a great state of excitement. They hardly knew how to keep still that day, even when the great heat came down, and they had to lie in the shade, panting and thirsty. It was so exciting to think that they really were to set off the next morning to the strange Secret Mountain.
“I’m jolly glad Ranni and Pilescu are coming with us,” said Nora. “I do love adventures — but I can’t help feeling a little bit funny in the middle of me when I think of those strange folk that live in the middle of a forgotten mountain.