FIVE RUN AWAY TOGETHER - by Enid Blyton

20 A RESCUE & A NEW PRISONER!

THE next day Julian was awake early and went up the rope to the cliff-top to see if the Sticks were about. He saw them coming up the steps that led from the dungeons. Mrs. Stick looked pale and worried.

"We've got to find our Edgar," she kept saying to Mr. Stick. "I tell you we've got to find our Edgar. He's not down in the dungeons. That I do know. We've yelled ourselves hoarse down there."

"And he's not on the island," said Mr. Stick. "We hunted all over it yesterday. I think whoever was here then, took our goods, caught Edgar, and made off with him and everything else in their boat. That's what I think."

"Well, they've taken him to the mainland then," said Mrs. Stick. "We'd better take our boat and go back there and ask a few questions. What I'd like to know is... who is it messing about here and interfering with our plans? It makes me scared. Just when things are going nicely Too!"

"Is it all right to leave here just now?" said Mr. Stick, doubtfully. "Suppose whoever was here yesterday is still here, they might pop down into the dungeons when we're gone."

"Well, they're not here," said Mrs. Stick, firmly. "Use your common sense, if you've got any, wouldn't our Edgar yell the place down if he was being kept prisoner on this little island, and wouldn't we hear him? I tell you he must have been taken off in a boat, together with all the other things that are gone. And I don't like it."

"All right, all right!" said Mr. Stick in a grumbling tone. "That boy's always a nuisance, always in silly trouble of some sort."

"How can you talk of poor Edgar like that?" cried Mrs. Stick. "Do you think the poor child likes being captured! Goodness knows what he's going through... feeling frightened and lonely without me."

Julian felt disgusted. Here was Mrs. Stick talking like that about old Spotty-Face, and yet she had a little girl down in the dungeons; a child much younger than Edgar! What a beast she was.

"What about Tinker?" said Mr. Stick, in a sulky tone. "Better leave him here, hadn't we, to guard the entrance to the dungeons? Not that there will be anyone here, if what you say is right."

"Oh, we'll leave Tinker," said Mrs. Stick, setting off to the boat. Julian saw them embark, leaving the dog behind. Tinker watched them rowing away, his tail well down between his legs. Then he turned and ran back to the courtyard, and lay down dolefully in the sun. He was very uneasy. His ears were cocked and he kept looking . this way and that. He didn't like this queer island and its unexpected noises.

Julian tore back to the cave and dropped down the rope, startling Edgar very much. "Come outside the cave and I'll tell you my plans," said Julian to the others. He didn't want Edgar to hear them. They all went outside.

Anne had got breakfast ready while Julian had been gone, and the kettle was boiling away merrily on the little stove.

"Listen!" said Julian. "The Sticks have gone off in their boat back to the mainland to see if they can find their precious little darling Edgar. Mrs. Stick is all hot and bothered because she thinks someone's gone off with him and she's afraid the poor boy will be feeling frightened and lonely!"

"Well!" said George. "Doesn't she think that the little kidnapped girl must be feeling much worse? What a horrid woman she is!"

"You're right," said Julian. "Well, what I propose to do is this; we'll go down into the dungeons now and rescue the little girl, and bring her here to our cave for breakfast. Then we'll take her off in our boat, go to the police, find out where her parents are, and telephone to them that she is safe."

"What shall we do with Edgar?" said Anne.

"I know!" said George at once. "We'll put Edgar into the dungeon instead of the little girl! Think how astonished the Sticks will be to find the little girl gone, and their dear Edgar shut up in the dungeon instead!"