They looked round the enormous hole - it was really a huge round pit. Daylight showed in the roof at one place.

'That's the opening into it,' said Guy, eagerly. 'The one I came through, on the rope.'

He limped a few steps forward to look for the rope. Harry held him by the arm, thankful that the ankle was holding up so well. Guy pointed upwards.

'Yes. I can see the rope. The men have left it there, thank goodness. They must have been certain that I couldn't get to it!'

The rope hung down from the little opening high above their heads. Julian looked round at Anne.

'Can you manage to climb up the rope, Anne?' he said, doubtfully.

'Of course!' said Anne, scornfully. 'We do rope-climbing in the gym at school often enough. Don't we, George?'

'Yes - but our gym rope is a bit thicker!' said George.

'I'll go up first,' said Harry. 'We've got a much thicker rope, Guy and I, that we use when we want to haul on very heavy stones. I'll find it, and let it down.'

'Well - we can't afford to waste any time, in case those fellows come back,' said Julian. 'I daresay the girls can manage all right. George, you go up first.'

George went up like a monkey, hand over hand, her legs twisted round the rope. She grinned down when she got to the top.'

'Easy!' she said. 'Come on up next, Anne, and show the boys how to do it!'

Before the boys could leap to the rope, Anne was on it, pulling herself up lithely. Julian laughed. He called up to George.

'George! You might have a squint round and see if there's any sign of people about. If they were going to borrow Guy's tools, they would have been back long ago, so I think probably they've had to go to Kirrin or some farm-house to borrow them.'

'They wouldn't get my tools!' said Guy, 'or Harry's. We had them stolen once, and now we always hide them where no one can possibly find them.'

'That settles it then,' said Julian. 'They've had to go a good way, I expect, to get satisfactory tools to tackle that roof-fall. They probably imagine that it's a pretty big fall! All the same, keep a watch out, George, till we're all up.

It was difficult to get Guy up, for he was feeling weak, but they managed it at last. The two dogs had to have the boys' s.h.i.+rts tied round them so that the rope would not cut them when they were hauled up. They didn't seem to mind at all. Timmy was very heavy to pull up because he appeared to think that he had to try and make his legs do a running action all the time - just to help! All that happened was that he began to spin round and round, as he went up!

Everyone was up in the open air at last, hot and perspiring. Julian had the precious bag safely under his arm. Timmy sat down panting. Then he suddenly stopped panting and p.r.i.c.ked up his ears.

'Woof,' he said warningly, and stood up.

'Quiet, Tim, quiet, Jet,' said Julian, at once aware that somebody must be about. 'Hide, everyone - quickly. It may be those fellows coming back!'

'Wuff,' began Jet, but Guy stopped him immediately. The six children separated and went into hiding at once, each choosing the best place he or she could see. There were plenty of hiding-places in the old camp!

They heard voices coming near. n.o.body dared to peep out and see who was coming - but Julian and d.i.c.k recognized the drawling voice of one of the men!

'What a time we've been!' said the man. 'Just chuck the spades and things down the hole - then we'll all climb down again. Buck up! We've wasted too much time already. Anyone might come on the scene at any moment!'

The spades and jemmies went hurtling down the hole. Then one by one the men went down the rope. The children could not hear the woman's voice. They thought she must have been left behind.

Julian gave a low whistle and all the others popped up their heads. 'We'll spring for it!' said Julian. 'Buck up!'

They all shot out of their hiding-places at once and made off - except Julian. He stayed behind for a minute or two. What could he be doing?

Julian was doing something very simple indeed! He was hauling up the rope that dangled underground! He slipped it off the rock that held it and tied it round his waist, looking suddenly very bulky.

He grinned a very wide grin and went after the others. How very, very angry those men were going to be!

Chapter Nineteen

BACK TO KIRRIN COTTAGE

Julian ran after the others. 'What were you doing?' said George. 'Calling rude names down to the men?'

'No. I hope they'll go and dig for hours if they want to!' said Julian. 'They'll soon find that when they've got through it, that roof-fall is nothing much, and they'll go on till they come to the little room - and what they'll say when they find that the bag is gone, I really don't know!'

'I wish I could be there!' said d.i.c.k.

'What are we going to do about Guy?' asked Harry. 'He really can't walk very far on that bad foot.'

'If he can walk as far as the gorse-bush where we've left our things, I've got a bike there,' said George. 'He could pedal with one foot, I should think.'

'Oh yes - I could easily do that,' said Guy, pleased. He had dreaded the thought of having to walk all the way to Kirrin - but neither did he want to be left behind!

He limped along, helped by Harry, who couldn't do enough for him. Jet ran along beside them, excited and happy at being with so many people. Timmy sometimes wuffed a little bark to him, which made Jet as proud as punch. He thought the big Timmy was wonderful!

They came to the gorse-bush, and found their things all safe. The bicycle was there, with its packages strapped to it. George unstrapped them, meaning to carry them herself, so that Guy would not have too heavy a weight to pedal with his one foot. They all started off together, Guy riding ahead on the bicycle.

'We will go to Kirrin, dump our things at the cottage, and get Aunt f.a.n.n.y to ring the police and ask them if they'll come along and collect this bag from us,' said Julian. 'I don't want to leave it at the police station - I want to see it opened in front of us!'

'I do hope it won't be empty,' said Anne 'It does feel terribly light!'

'Yes. It does,' said Julian, swinging it to and fro. 'I can't help fearing that Paul, who drew the plan that the men found so difficult to understand, may have double-crossed his friends - drawn a deliberately difficult plan - and then left the bag quite empty in the place he marked on the plan! It would be the kind of hoax that a trickster loves to play - and would give him time to get away in safety.'

'But they said he was ill,' said d.i.c.k. 'Still - perhaps he might have been pretending that too! It's a mystery!'

'How are you getting on, Guy?' called Anne, as they overtook the boy. He kept riding on by himself for a little way, and then resting, waiting for them to catch up with him before he pedalled on again with his one good foot.

'Very well indeed, thank you,' said Guy. 'This bike was a very good idea of yours. What a blessing you had it with you!'

'Your foot doesn't seem any more swollen,' said Anne. 'I expect you'll be able to walk on it properly in a day or two. Oh, dear - it does make me laugh when I think how puzzled we all were when we thought there was just one of you, not twins!'

'We met first one of you, then the other, and thought you were the same boy,' said George, with a chuckle. 'We were absolutely wild with you sometimes, you seemed so mad and contradictory!'

'Don't remind us of it,' said Harry. 'I can't bear thinking that if I'd only been with Guy, all this trouble of his would never have happened.'

'Oh well - it's an ill wind that blows n.o.body any good!' said George. 'The bad and the good have fitted together very well this time, and made a most exciting adventure!'

'Here's Carters Lane at last,' said Anne. 'What a long walk it seemed over the common. It will be much easier for you to ride that bike when you're on a proper road, Guy. It won't go b.u.mping over heather clumps now.'

They went down the long lane and came into Kirrin at last, realizing that they were all very hungry indeed. 'It must be well past dinner-time,' said George, looking at her watch. 'Good gracious - it's a quarter to two! Would you believe it! I hope there's some dinner left over for us - Mother doesn't know we're coming.'

'We'll raid Joan's larder!' said d.i.c.k. 'She never minds so long as she's there to grumble at us while we do it!'

They went in at the gate of Kirrin Cottage and up to the front door, which was open. George shouted.

'Mother! Where are you? We've come back!'

n.o.body answered. George yelled again. 'Mother! We've come home!'

The door of the study opened and her father looked out, red in the face and frowning.

'George! How many times am I to tell you not to shout when I'm working? Oh, my goodness me, who are all these?'

'Hallo, Father!' said George, mildly. 'Surely you know Anne and Julian and d.i.c.k! Don't say you've forgotten them already!'

'Of course not! But who are these?' and George's father pointed to the startled twins. 'They're as like as peas. Where did they come from? I haven't seen them before, have I?'

'No, Father. They're just friends of ours,' said George. 'Where's Mother? We've just had an adventure and we want to tell her. Oh, and we want to ring the police - and I think we ought to get a doctor to see to Guy's foot - and Father, look, Timmy's ear is healed!'

'Bless us all! There's never any peace when you are about, George,' said her father, groaning. 'Your mother's at the bottom of the garden, picking raspberries - or it might have been strawberries.'

'Oh no, Father - it's August, not June!' said George. 'You always...'

Julian thought he had better get his uncle safely back in his study before a row blew up between him and George. Uncle Quentin did not like being disturbed in his complicated work!

'Let's go and find Aunt f.a.n.n.y,' he said, 'we can tell her everything out in the garden. Come on!'

'Wuff-wuff!' said Jet.

'Good gracious - that's not another dog, is it?' said George's father, scowling. 'How many times have I said that...'

'We won't disturb you any more, Uncle,' said Julian, hurriedly, seeing Guy's scared face. 'We'll go and find Aunt f.a.n.n.y.'

They all went thankfully out in the garden, hearing the house echo to the slam of Uncle Quentin's study door. George shouted.

'Mother! Where are you?'

'Shut up, George - we don't want to make your father leap out of the window after us!' said d.i.c.k. 'Ah - there's Aunt f.a.n.n.y!'

His aunt was very surprised to see him and the others advancing on her. She went to greet them, a basket of raspberries on her arm.

'Well! I thought you wanted to stay away for longer than this!'

'We did - but an adventure descended on us!' said d.i.c.k. 'We'll tell you all about it in detail later on, Aunt f.a.n.n.y.'

'But just now we want two things - can we ring the police - or will you - and ask them to come here?' said Julian, very grown-up all of a sudden. 'There's something that might be very important for them to know. And also do you think we should let a doctor see Guy's foot - he's sprained his ankle, I think?'

'Oh dear!' said Aunt f.a.n.n.y, distressed to see the boy's swollen foot. 'Yes - he ought to have that seen to properly. Who is he? Dear me - there's another of them! Aren't they alike?'

'Twins,' said George. 'I don't know how I shall be able to tell one from t'other when Guy's bad foot is better.'

'I'm going to ring the police,' said Julian, seeing that his aunt could now only think of Guy's swollen foot. He went off indoors, and they heard him speaking on the telephone. He put it down and came out again.

'The Inspector himself is coming,' said Julian. 'Shall I ring the doctor now, Aunt f.a.n.n.y?'

'Oh yes. His number is 042,' said his aunt. 'How did you get such an ankle, Guy?'

'Mother, you don't seem at all interested in our adventure,' complained George.

'Oh, I am, dear,' said her mother. 'But you do have such a lot, you know. What have you been up to this time?'

But before George could do more than begin, a black police car drew up at the front gate, and the inspector of police got out and marched up to the front door. He knocked extremely loudly on the knocker.

Which, of course, had the immediate result of bringing George's father hotfoot out of his study in another rage! He flung open the front door.

'Hammering at the door like what! What's the matter? I've a good mind to report you to the police! Oh - er - h'm - good afternoon, Inspector. Do come in. Are we expecting you?'

Smiling broadly, the Inspector came in. By this time Julian had come back in the house again, and greeted him. His uncle went back into his study, rather red in the face, and actually closed the door quietly!

'You wanted me to come along at once, because of something important?' said the Inspector. 'What is it?'

The others came into the room now, with Julian's aunt behind them. Julian nodded round at them. 'They're all in this, sir - except my aunt, of course. We've brought something we think may be important, sir. Quite a lot of people were looking for it - but we managed to get hold of it first!'

He put the brown bag on the table. The Inspector's eyes went to it at once. 'What is it? What's inside? Stolen goods?'

'Yes, sir - blue-prints of some kind, I think. But I don't know what of, of course.'

'Open the bag, my boy! I'll examine them,' said the Inspector.

'I can't open it,' said Julian. 'It's locked - and there's no key!'

'Well - we'll soon manage that!' said the Inspector, and took out a small, strong-looking tool. He forced the lock, and the bag opened. Everyone leaned forward eagerly, even Timmy. What was in the bag?

There was nothing there! Absolutely nothing! Julian groaned in bitter disappointment.

'No wonder it felt so light. It's empty after all. Would you believe it!'