1

Chapter 25

   PHILIP'S ASTONISHING PLAN

   THE old couple looked panic-stricken when four of the statues apparently talked and came alive. But when the children took off their borrowed draperies and carefully gave them back to the right statues again, the old couple saw who they were.

   Elsa came running to Lucy-Ann and fondled her. The old man stood trembling.

   "What did he say to you?" demanded Jack.

   "He said he was going to make us prisoners here, and that he was bringing others back with him to remove all our treasure," said the old man. Tears suddenly poured down his cheeks. "He is a bad man. Have I guarded these beautiful things all this time to let them fall into the hands of a man so bad?"

   "It's sickening," said Jack. "We simply can't do a thing! We shall just have to stand by and watch those rogues take away everything, pack them into crates and fly off with them!"

   "Let's go out to that sunny ledge," said Dinah. "I can't bear this gloom any more. I shall feel better when we are out there. Ask the old man to tell his wife to bring a picnic meal out there, Jack. You and Philip can help her to bring it. I can't think properly down here in the dark, with all those statues trying to listen."

   "All right," said Jack, seeing that Dinah was on the point of tears. "You go off with Lucy-Ann and Kiki. We'll soon come. You'll feel better in the sunshine."

   "Wasn't Kiki clever to lead the man away from us?" said Lucy-Ann. "He was scared when she suddenly spoke to him. So should I have been! I should have thought it was one of the statues speaking."

   She and Dinah made their way to the sunny ledge. Dinah threw herself down there thankfully.

   "I don't like this adventure any more, Dinah, do you?" asked Lucy-Ann. "It's not so bad if there's something we can do — but we seem to be helpless here."

   "I like to make adventures go the way I want them to," said Dinah rather sulkily. "I don't like them to make me do things I don't like. Don't talk to me, Lucy-Ann. I shall snap at you. I feel cross."

   "It's only because of the strain we went through whilst we were pretending to be statues," said Lucy-Ann.

   "Don't sound so grown-up," snapped Dinah. "It's not that. I just feel bad-tempered because I want to get out of this valley and I can't."

   Lucy-Ann said nothing more. She settled down in the sun, waiting for the picnic that Jack and Philip would soon be bringing out with Elsa. Kiki sat murmuring to herself nearby. Martha the hen arrived and began pecking about companionably. Kiki talked to her, and she clucked back.

   Dinah forgot her bad temper when the others came out with a picnic meal. They had a good feast and then discussed all the morning's happenings once more. In the middle of the discussion they heard the sound of the plane again, and this time saw it rising high into the sky.

   "Why, they're off again!" said Jack in surprise. "Why?"

   "Probably to get other men along to help in removing everything, now they really do know where the treasure is," said Philip. "And as you suggested, Jack — they might even bring more planes."

   It was hateful feeling that they were complete prisoners. Jack and Philip went desperately to the bolted door once and tried to move it — but it was hopeless of course. The bolts were old but still very strong.

   There was nothing to do, and they felt bored. They went to examine the statues more closely and to look at the old pictures and the musty old books.

   The statues were loaded with magnificent jewels. Some of the figures were really beautifully made and dressed, but others were crude and garish. All, however, were adorned with jewels, though the children were not able to tell if all the gleaming brooches, dazzling ear-rings and necklaces, glittering bracelets, belts and rings were really valuable or not. Probably some were, and others were only semi-precious.

   "I expect the men will strip the statues of their jewellery, and take only that, leaving the figures behind," said Jack. "They will crate the pictures and books."

   "Why couldn't we strip the jewels off and hide them away somewhere so that the men wouldn't get them?" suddenly said Dinah. "I don't see why wicked men like that should have them."

   "Good idea!" said Jack. "Come on — we'll take the jewellery now and hide it somewhere!"

   But as soon as they began to remove it, the old couple flew at them in horror.

   "Not do that! Ah, bad boy!" cried the old man, removing a brooch from Jack's hand.

   "We only want to hide the things from those men," protested Jack. "They'll be back and steal these things soon."

   "They belong to these," said the old man, waving his hand towards the statues. "They must not be removed by anyone. It is against the law of the Church."

   The children did not try again. It was plain that Elsa and the old man would fly into a rage if they attempted to. They seemed to think that it was a very wicked and unholy act to take away any of the adornments belonging to the figures.

   The long day passed at last. Nobody slept very well that night. They were worried about what was going to happen. It was horrid to feel they were at the mercy of rogues like Juan.

   They were all out on the sunny ledge the next morning, early, having breakfast there. They had no meals in the caves now, if they could help it.

   "Listen," said Dinah suddenly. "I can hear the plane coming back."

   They all listened, the old couple too. The noise grew louder. It became very loud indeed. Then Jack leapt to his feet.

   "It's not just one plane! It's many! Look, there's one! — circling down — and another over there! — and here comes another! Gracious! Juan's got quite a fleet of planes!"

   There were four altogether. Evidently Juan meant to do the job properly now. The children pictured the planes landing one by one on the long wide strip of grass at the bottom of the valley.

   "Now we can expect things to happen," said Jack. "The whole of the treasure will be gone soon."

   "What a shame!" said Dinah. "And we can't do a thing to stop it!"

   "If only we could get word to Bill!" said Jack desperately. "But there's no way out of the valley except in one of those planes."

   Philip stared at Jack a moment. Then he said something so exciting that the others could hardly believe their ears.

   "Yes — that's the only way out. And I'm going to take it."

   There was a silence. Then Jack spoke, astonished. "Whatever do you mean? You can't fly a plane."

   "Of course not. But I can hide in one!" said Philip. "Didn't we hide, all of us, in a plane, coming here? Well, why shouldn't I hide in one leaving here? I bet I could hide unseen — and slip out when I had a chance, and get word to Bill about everything."

   "Philip! It's a grand idea!" said Jack. "But I'll go, not you."

   "You jolly well won't!" said Philip. "It's my idea! Nobody else is going to pinch such a gorgeous idea. I'm going, see?"

   "I don't want either of you to go," said Lucy-Ann, her lips trembling. "You might be seen. Something awful might happen to you. Don't leave us."

   "Jack will be with you," said Philip. "And the old couple. You'll be all right. I tell you, it's the only way to get help — to fly off in one of the planes, when the men go on their next trip. They'll have to come back two or three times to take all these things — and, if only I can get word to Bill, he can catch the men actually doing the stealing!"

   "It sounds too good to be true," said Dinah. "I don't believe you can do it. Anyway — how are you even going to get to the plane? You know we're bolted in. Nobody can get out."

   "I shall watch my chance and slip out through that door when the men are going to and fro," said Philip, enjoying his planning. "Then I shall hide in the cave of stalactites and go up the passage to the hole as soon as I can. Then I'll get along back to the planes, and choose one to hop into. I don't reckon they will have left anyone on guard there, as they think we're all well and truly imprisoned."

   "It sounds easy, but it won't be," said Jack. "Better let me do it, Tufty."

   "Think again!" said Philip. "This is my own pet adventure, see?"

   "You might even be able to squeeze into a crate," said Dinah thoughtfully. "Nobody would think of looking into a packed crate."

   "Good idea!" said Philip. "In fact, jolly good!"

   "Well, we can expect quite a horde of men here today," said Jack. "It will surprise the poor old couple. They will be in a dreadful state when they see their well-guarded treasure going."

   "Philip, we won't pretend that we are any of the statues today when the men come," said Dinah. "Only you. The men are sure to have a hunt round for us if they can't find us today, so we'd better all be found, except you. You can be a statue again, and wait your chance to rush out of that door."

   "Yes. I think I will," said Philip. "It may not work, but it's the only thing to do. Now — when will those men be along? It will take them about an hour and a half to get here. It's half an hour since we saw the planes. I mustn't leave it to the last minute to put myself in place."

   "Better go now," said Lucy-Ann, who was on pins and needles about the whole thing. "We'll come with you and see that you're in a good place and really look like a statue."

   They all went down the passage, and made their way through the various caves to the one in which the statues stood. Martha the hen came too. She had attached herself to Jack now, and followed him wherever he went. She had laid an egg that morning, and the old woman had made Lucy-Ann have it for breakfast.

   "Look! — there's a half-hidden ledge here not far from the door," said Dinah eagerly. "If you stood there you would hardly be seen, it's so dark there. And you would be near the door to creep out if you got a chance."

   "Yes, that does seem the best place," said Philip. "It really does. Now what about a shawl or something to drape over my head? I don't want my short hair to give me away."

   They found a very big shawl and draped it carefully round him. He went to stand on the little ledge, and everyone agreed that it was a splendid place.

   "You can hardly be seen," said Jack. "Well, good luck, Tufty. We'll go now, and we shan't hide. We shall let the men see us and hope they'll think there's nobody else in the caves at all. If you can't escape we shall know, because you'll still be about tonight."

   "Good-bye," said Philip, looking exactly like a statue. "Don't worry about me. I'll be off and away soon, and I'll get word to Bill and Mother. We'll soon rescue you, don't you worry!"

 2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

36

37

38

39

40

41

42

43

44

45

46

47

48

49

50

51

52

53

54

55

56

57

58

59

60

61

62

63

64

65

66

67

68

69

70

71

72

73

74

75

76

77

78

79

80

81

82

83

84

85

86

87

88

89

90

91

92

93

94

95

96

97

98

99

100

101

102

103

104

105

106

107

108

109

110

111

112

113

114

115

116

117

118

119

120

121

123

124

125

126

127

128

129

130

131

132

133

134

135

136

137

138

139

140

141

142

143

144

145

146

147

148

149

150

151

152

153

154

155

156

157

158

159

160

161

162

163

164

165

166

167

168

169

170

171

172

173

174

175

176

177

178

179

180

181

182

183

184

185

186

187

188

189

190

191

192

193

194

195

196

197

198

199

200

201

202

203

204

205

206

207

208

209

210

211

212

213

214

215

216

217

218

219

220

221

222

223

224

225

226

227

228

229

230

231

232

233

234

235

236

237

238

239

240

241

242

243

244

245

246

247

248

249

250

251

252

253

254

255

256

257

258

259

260

261

262

263

264

265

266

267

268

269

270

271

272

273

274

275

276

277

278

279

280

281

282

283

284

285

286

287

288

289

290

291

292

293

294

295

296

297

298

299

300