FIVE RUN AWAY TOGETHER - by Enid Blyton

15 WHO IS ON THE ISLAND?

"Sh!" said Julian, at once. "Get down behind this bush, quick, everyone!"

They had left the cove and were walking towards the castle when Timmy growled. Now they all crouched behind a mass of brambles, their hearts beating fast.

"Don't growl, Timmy," said George, in Timothy's nearest ear. He stopped at once, but he stood stiff and quivering, on the watch.

Julian peeped through the bush, parting the brambles and scratching his hands. He could just see somebody in the courtyard; one person,... two persons,... maybe three. He strained his eyes to try and see, but even as he looked, they disappeared.

"I believe they've moved those big stones over the entrance to the dungeons, and have gone down there," he whispered. "Stay here, and I'll creep out a bit and see. I won't let anyone spot me."

He came back and nodded. "Yes... they've gone down the dungeons. Do you think they can be the smugglers? Do you suppose they are storing their smuggled goods down there? It would be a marvellous place, of course."

"Let's get back to the cave while they are underground," said George. "I'm so afraid Timmy will give the game away by barking. He's just bursting himself trying not to make some sort of noise."

"Come on, then!" said Julian. "Don't go across the courtyard... make for the shore and we'll scramble round it till we get to the cave. Then one of us can pop up through the hole and hide behind that big gorse-bush there to see who the smugglers are. They must have come in by boat either from the wreck, or by rowing cleverly through the rocks off-shore."

They got to the cave at last and went in. But no sooner had Julian shinned up the rope, helped by the others, than Timothy disappeared! He ran out of the cave while the others" backs were turned, and when George turned round there was no Timmy to be seen!

"Timmy!" she called in a low voice. "Timmy! Where are you?"

But no answer came! Timmy had gone off on his own. If only the smugglers didn't see him! What a bad dog he was to do that!

But Timmy had smelt something exciting-he had smelt a smell he knew... a dog-smell - and he meant to find the owner of it and bite off his ears and tail! "Gr-r-r-r-r-r!" Timmy was not going to allow dogs on his island!

Julian sat close beside the gorse-bush, watching all round. There was nothing to be seen on the" wreck, and there was no ship out to sea. Probably the boat that had brought the strangers to the island was hidden down below among the rocks. Julian looked behind him, towards the castle, and even as he looked, he saw an astonishing sight!

A dog was sniffing about the bushes not far away, and creeping up behind him, all his hackles up, was Timothy! Timothy was stalking the dog as if he were a cat stalking a rabbit! The other dog suddenly heard him and leapt round, facing Timothy. Timmy flung himself on the dog with a blood-curdling howl, and the dog howled in fright.

Julian watched in horror, not knowing what to do. The two dogs made a fearful noise, especially the other dog whose howls of terror and yelps of rage resounded everywhere.

"This will bring the smugglers "up, and they will see Timmy and know there's someone on the island," thought Julian. "Oh, blow you, Timmy!... why didn't you stay with George and keep quiet?"

From the walls of the ruined castle came three figures, running pell-mell to see what was happening to their dog, and Julian stared at them in the very greatest amazement.- for the three people were no other than Mr. Stick, Mrs. Stick and Edgar!

"Golly!" said Julian, crawling round the bush to get to the hole quickly. "They've come after us! They've guessed we've gone here and they've come to look for us, the beasts, to make us go back! Well, they won't find us! But oh, what a pity Timmy's given the show away!"