SECRET SEVEN WIN THROUGH by Enid Blyton

CHAPTER 14 WHAT AN EXCITEMENT!

Peter, Janet, and all the others threw down their spades and trowels and raced to the cave at top speed. 'What is it?' cried Peter.

Then he saw Susie and Jeff and stopped. 'Clear out,' he cried. 'This is our cave, not yours.'

'Wait, Peter,' said Jack. 'Susie's just told me something queer.' He told the others what Susie had said... how she and Jeff had buried themselves all but their noses in the empty cave, and then someone had come from the back and walked out!

'So there is some way into this cave from the back,' he said. 'I know we've looked and looked,  but there must be! Susie, did you hear anything at all before this fellow walked out of the cave?'

'Yes,' said Susie. 'I heard a kind of thud, so did Jeff.'

'As if someone had leapt down to the sandy floor,' said Jeff. 'Like this!' He jumped into the air and came down, making a soft thud.

'Then the way in from the back must be from somewhere up near the roof,' said Peter. 'Anyone got a torch?'

'Here's mine,' said Jack. 'I found it on the ledge where I'd left it.'

Peter took it. 'Come on,' he said. 'We're jolly well going to solve this mystery. Wait though... Colin, keep guard at the front of the cave, in case that fellow comes back. Take a good look at him if he does.'

'Right,' said Colin, and limped to the front of the cave, though he would dearly have liked to be with the others.

There was quite a crowd at the back of the cave. Peter shone his torch on to the roof there. It was fairly high. He saw a rocky ledge jutting out and thought he would climb up to it. 'Give me a hand,' he said to Jack. 'Hold the torch for a minute, Janet.'

He was soon up on the ledge, and then shone the torch on to the roof again. He gave a sudden exclamation.

'What is it?' shouted everyone, almost dancing with excitement.

'There's a round hole here, you can't see it from where you are,' said Peter. 'And there's a rope-end hanging down. I can just reach it.'

The others craned their necks to see what Peter saw, but they couldn't. The hole was hidden by a jutting-out piece of rock, and it was only because He stuffed the torch into his pocket. 'I can get hold of the rope,' he called down, 'and I think I can pull myself up by it. I'll try anyway.'

He caught the rope in both hands, and then by means of treading on first one narrow ledge of rock and then another, he managed to get right into the hole. He let go of the ledges with his feet and swung on the rope with his hands. He climbed up it as he did at gym, and came to a broad ledge, where he rested for a moment or two.

Then he stood on the ledge, putting his head up through the hole that still went upwards, and found that he was looking out of the hole into another cave above! He shone his torch around.

He gave a yell to the others down below, but to them his voice sounded curiously muffled and hollow. They were quite startled to hear it.

'I say \ There's another cave here, a much smaller one! And some of our food's here, and all our cushions and books and magazines! And there's a bag too; a small mail-bag that looks full of something!'

'What? What do you say?' yelled the others, almost overcome with excitement at all this shouting, and not being able to make out a word.

"Peter! What have you found?' cried Janet.

Peter came down the rope, found the ledge he needed to climb down from, and leapt to the ground. He pushed the others away as they crowded round him, and went to get some air at the front of the cave.

Tell us! What did you find?' said Jack. 'We heard you yelling.'

'There's a cave up there with all our things in it. That fellow Albert used the cushions to lie on, because the floor is of hard rock, not soft sand,' said Peter. ''And there's a bag, a mail-bag, I think. Probably full of registered envelopes! Goodness knows how long it was buried beneath our scarecrow.'

'My word, that's a find!' said Janet, her eyes shining. 'Now we know how our mysterious visitor got into the cave without passing through the front entrance, when he wanted to steal our things. How thrilled he must have been to find food and cushions and books!'

'Now listen,' said Peter. 'He may come back at any minute, but he won't dare to come into the cave while people are there. I'm going to tell Dad, and he'll phone the police. You stay here, all of you, till I come back, then Albert won't be able to remove the stolen mail-bag! I'll leave Scamper with you too.'

'Right,' said Jack, taking charge. 'We'll make a good bit of noise too, shall we, to scare him off if he comes! My word, fancy finding that cave above, Peter. You are clever!'

'Well, I really put you on to it,' said Susie. 'Goodness, I was glad to see you, Jack.'

'You were wrong to come to our cave, but for once in a way you were right to tell me what you'd seen,' said Jack sternly. 'Now, if you want to stay with us, behave yourself, Susie. Do you hear?'

'Yes, teacher,' said Susie demurely. Til be a good, good girl. I'll-----'

'Be quiet,' said Jack, 'or out you both go, you and Jeff!'

Susie looked at Jack's face and was suddenly quiet. They all were for a minute or two, thinking over the startling happenings of the last few minutes. Then they remembered that Peter wanted them to make a noise, so that Albert would not come to the cave to try to get that mail-bag! They began to talk and laugh.

Peter ran at top speed to find his father. 'Dad!' he called, seeing him by the bam. 'I say, dad! Quick, I want you!'