"Blyton, Enid - Adventure 01 - The Island of Adventure" - читать интересную книгу автора (Blyton Enid)

But alas Bill wasn't there when Philip at last arrived at the shack. Now what was he to do?


Chapter 22
A TALK WITH BILL AND A SHOCK

Philip was filled with dismay. It had never occurred to him that Bill might not be at home. How awful! Philip sat down on a stool and tried to think but he was tired out, and his brain wouldn't seem to work.
What shall I do now? What shall I do now? he thought, and could not seem to think of anything else. What shall I do now?
It was dark in the little shack. Philip still sat on the stool, his hands hanging limply between his legs. Then he became aware of something at the back of the shack, and he turned to see what it was.
To his great amazement he saw a red light there, glowing deeply. Then it disappeared. Then it came back again, went out, reappeared. It went on doing this for a few minutes, whilst Philip tried to think what it was, and why it seemed to be signalling. At last he got up and went over to the light. It came from a small bulb beside the wireless set. Philip had a look at it. He twiddled one or two knobs. Music came from the wireless when he twiddled one knob. A Morse code came from it when he twiddled another. Then by chance he saw, at the back of the wireless, a small telephone receiver, smaller than any he had seen before almost a pocket size, he thought.
He picked it up and immediately he heard a voice crackling in the receiver. He lifted it to his ear.
Y2 calling, said the voice. Y2. Y2 calling.
Philip listened in, astonished. He decided to speak to the voice.
Hallo! he said. Who are you?
There was a moment's silence. Evidently Y2, whoever he might be, was surprised. A cautious voice came over the phone again.
Who is there?
A boy called Philip Mannering, said Philip. I came to find Bill Smugs, but he isn't here.
Who did you say? said the voice.
Bill Smugs. But he's not here, repeated Philip. I say, who are you? Do you want to leave a message for Bill? I expect he'll be back sometime.
How long has he been gone? asked Y2.
Don't know, said Philip. Wait I can hear someone. Here he comes, I do believe.
Joyfully the boy put down the tiny telephone receiver. He had heard the low sound of whistling outside, and footsteps. It must be Bill.
It was. He came in, shining his torch and he was so surprised when he saw Philip there that he stood stock-still without saying a word.
Oh, Bill! said Philip joyfully. I'm so glad you've come. Quick! somebody wants you on the phone Y2 he says he is.
Did you speak to him? said Bill, his voice sounding astonished. He picked up the tiny phone and spoke curtly.
Is that Y2? L4 speaking.
The voice evidently asked him who Philip was.
Boy that lives round here, said Bill. What's the news, please?
Then all that was said by Bill was Yes. Of course. I'll let you know. Thanks. No, nothing yet. Goodbye.
He turned to Philip when he had finished talking. Look here, my boy, he said, please understand that, if you come paying calls here when I am out, you must on no account tamper with my possessions or meddle with my affairs.
Bill had never spoken so sternly before, and Philip's heart sank. What would Bill say when he knew that the children had guessed his secret? He would think they had been meddling more than ever.
Sorry, Bill, he said awkwardly. I didn't mean to interfere at all.
Why have you come at this time of night? asked Bill.
Bill is this your pencil? asked Philip, taking it out. He hoped that when Bill saw it he would remember that he had dropped it down in the copper-mines, and would guess, without Philip saying any more, that the children knew his secret. Bill stared at the yellow pencil stub.
Yes, that's mine, he said. But you didn't come here at night to give me back my pencil. What have you come for?
Oh, Bill don't be so cross, said poor Philip. You see we know your secret. We know what you are doing here. We know why you go to the island we know everything.
Bill listened to all this as if he simply could not believe his ears. He stared at Philip in the utmost amazement. His eyes grew narrow, and his mouth hardened into a thin line. For a moment he looked very frightening.
You are going to tell me exactly what you mean by all this, said Bill, in a horrid sort of voice. What is my secret? What is the ‘everything' that you know?
Well, said Philip desperately, we know that you and your friends are trying to work the copper-mines again and we know that you are here, with your boat and your car, to provide them with food and to take away any copper they find. We know you've been down the mines, visiting the men there. We know you've given us a false name. But, please, Bill, we wouldn't dream of giving you away we hope you'll get lots of copper.
Bill listened, his eyes still narrow but as Philip went on talking, the twinkle came back into them, and his mouth looked like Bill's again.
Well, well, well so you know all that, said Bill. And what else do you know? How did you get to the island? Not in my boat, I hope.
Oh, no, said Philip, relieved to see Bill looking friendly again. We took Jo-Jo's when he was out. We went right down into the mines, too that was where we found your pencil. But we don't like your friends there, Bill. They took us prisoner they're horrid and even when we mentioned your name to them and said we were friends of yours, they said they didn't know it and wouldn't let us go free.
You told them you knew Bill Smugs? said Bill. Philip nodded.
What men did you see? asked Bill. His voice had become sharp again, and he snapped out his questions in rather a frightening manner.
Two one called Jake and one Olly, said Philip. Bill made a note in his notebook. What were they like? he asked sharply.
Well but you must know them, said Philip in astonishment. Anyway, I couldn't really see much either it was dark or the light dazzled me. I just saw that Jake was tall and dark, with a patch over one eye, that's all. But you must know what they are like yourself, Bill.
See anyone or anything else? asked Bill.
Philip shook his head. No. We heard other miners at work, though a terrific clattering, banging sort of noise, you know they must have found some part of the mine that was still rich in copper. Bill, are you finding much copper there? Will it make you rich?
Look here, you didn't come here tonight to tell me all this, said Bill suddenly. What did you come for?
I came to say that although Dinah and Lucy-Ann and I managed to fool Jake and get away we had to leave Jack behind with Kiki, said Philip. And we are worried about him. You see, he might get lost for ever in those workings under the sea or those friends of yours might find him and ill-treat him because they are angry at our tricking them as we did.