The Secret of Killimooin - - Страница 27

“Hurry! Hurry! The roof has fallen in and the cave is nothing but swirling water!” panted Ranni. “It will find its way up this passage, before it can get its own level and drain away downwards. Hurry, Paul; hurry, Mike!”

The five in front of him, frightened by the fear in his voice, hurried on as swiftly as they could, stumbling over the rough, rocky way. Beowald was terrified. He was afraid of falling, afraid of the unknown, afraid of the roaring of the water behind him.

The water had found the narrow passage and was making its way up there too. Ranni felt sure he could hear it lapping behind him! He pushed the others on, shouting and yelling, and they, full of panic, went staggering through the dark and winding passage.

“Thank goodness the passage goes upwards all the way,” thought Ranni, thankfully, as he came to a steep piece. “Now we are safe! The water cannot reach us here. We are too high. Never will anyone be able to get down into the cave of the waterfall again. There will always be water there now that the roof has fallen in.”

They came out into the cave below the temple at last. All of them sank down on the floor, trembling in every limb. Surely there had never been such a narrow escape.

“If Beowald had not come when he did, we should all have been drowned by now,” said Paul, in a choking voice. “Oh, Beowald — however was it you came down there just at that moment?”

Far away, down the passage, the muffled roar of the water could still be heard. Beowald’s voice rose clearly above it:

“The search party went down to this cave and to the waterfall cave, but they could not find you. They are seeking for you still out on the mountain. I was anxious, and when I came into the temple-cave, I felt that I must come down by myself, though I was afraid. That is how I found you.”

“We have had such adventures!” said Mike, beginning to feel quite a hero. “We’ve been to the Secret Forest, Beowald!”

“That is marvellous,” said the blind goatherd. “Surely no man has even set foot there before!”

“Oh, yes!” said Paul. “The robbers live there, Beowald. They must have lived there for years and years. Ranni, will the robbers ever be able to come up the mountain river now, climbing along that ledge, to get to Killimooin this side?”

“Never,” said Ranni. “We are well rid of them!”

Little by little the boys stopped trembling from their exertions, and their hearts beat less fast. They began to feel able to stand. Mike got up and found that he was quite all right again.

“I want to get back to the castle,” he said. “I want to see the girls and tell them all that has happened to us. My word, won’t they be jealous of our adventures!”

“I want something to eat,” said Paul. “I’m terribly hungry. I shall ask Yamen to give me the very nicest, most delicious food she’s got.”

The thought of food made everyone eager to set out again. Ranni got up and pulled Paul to his feet. “Well, come along then,” he said. “We shall soon be home now!”

One by one they hauled themselves up the rope that led to the temple-cave. Their feet found the rough places to help them, as they went up, and at last all six of them were standing in the big temple-cave.

It seemed dark there, darker than it should have been. Ranni looked towards the entrance.

“We can’t go home!” he said in disappointment. “Look at that mist! It is like a thick fog. We could not see our hands in front of our faces if we went out in that. We should be completely lost in two minutes.”

“Well, we must stay here till the mist clears,” said Pilescu. “I am afraid it will not clear for some hours. When the mountain mists are as thick as this one, they last a long time.”

“Oh, Pilescu! We must get back now we’re so near home!” said Paul, almost in tears. “We must! I’m so hungry I can’t stay here one more minute.”

Jack looked at the blind goatherd, who was standing, quietly listening.

“Beowald can guide us back,” said Jack. “You know your way by night, or in the thickest mist, don’t you, Beowald?”

Beowald nodded. “It is all the same to me,” he said. “If you wish, I will take you back to Killimooin Castle. My feet know the way! Is the mist very thick? I can feel that there is one, but I do not know how thick.”

“It’s the thickest one I’ve ever seen,” said Pilescu, peering out. “I’m not at all sure I like to trust myself even to you, Beowald!”

“You are safe with me on the mountain-side,” said the goatherd. He took out his little flute and played one of his queer tunes on it. An enormous horned head suddenly appeared at the entrance of the cave, and everyone jumped in fright.

“Ha, old one, you are there!” cried Beowald, as he heard the patter of the big goat’s hooves. “Keep by me, old one, and together we will lead these friends of ours safely down our mountain-side!”

“Take hands,” ordered Ranni. “Don’t let go, whatever you do. If anything happens, and you have to let go, shout and keep on shouting so that we keep in touch with one another. We have had enough narrow escapes for one day!”

Everyone took hands. Beowald went out of the cave, playing his flute, his left hand firmly clasped in Ranni’s big one. Behind Ranni came Paul, then Mike, then Jack, then Pilescu, all firmly holding hands.

“I feel as if we’re going to play ‘Ring-a-ring-of-roses’!” said Jack, with a laugh.

“Well, don’t let’s play the ‘all-fall-down’ part,” said Mike at once. “It wouldn’t be at all a good thing to do on a steep mountain-side like this.”

They felt light-hearted at the idea of going home at last. With Beowald’s music sounding plaintively through the mist, they stumbled along down the steep mountain-path. Two or three times one or other of the boys fell, and broke hands. They shouted at once, and the party stopped and joined together again.

It was slow work walking in the thick mist. They could barely see the person in front. Only Beowald walked steadily and surely. He could see with his feet!

“Don’t go too fast, Beowald,” said Ranni, as he felt the little prince dragging behind him. “Remember, we cannot see anything — not even our own feet.”

“Neither can Beowald!” thought Mike. “How marvellous he is! Whatever should we have done without him?”

They stumbled downwards slowly for more than an hour and a half. Then Ranni gave a shout.

“We’re almost there! I can hear the hens clucking at the back of the castle, and a dog barking. Bear up, Paul, we are nearly home!”

They came to the flight of steps, and stumbled up them, tired out. Beowald slipped away with the big goat. The others hardly saw him go. They were so excited at getting back in safety. Killimooin Castle at last! They hammered on the big iron-studded door impatiently.

The End of the Adventure

The door flew open — and there stood Yamen with Nora and Peggy close behind her. With screams of excitement and delight the two girls flung themselves on the boys. Yamen beamed in joy. The lost ones were home again! They were dragged indoors, and Yamen ran up the-big stone staircase, shouting at the top of her voice:

“Majesty! They’re back! The little prince is safe! He is safe!”

The whole household gathered to hear the story of the returned wanderers. Servants peered round the door. The smaller children, clinging to the hands of their nurses, gazed open-eyed at the untidy, dirty boys and the two big Baronians. Tooku, his arm still bound up, came running up from the kitchen. What an excitement there was!

“We’ve been to the Secret Forest!” announced Paul, grandly. He had forgotten his tiredness and his hunger. He was the Prince of Baronia, back from rescuing his men.

“The Secret Forest!” repeated Yamen, with awe in her voice, and all the servants sighed and nodded to one another. Truly their prince was a prince!

“No, Paul, no — you cannot have been there!” said his mother. She glanced at Ranni and Pilescu, who nodded, smiling.