The Secret Mountain

“Why did Ra

“Because Ra

“We don’t need looking after!” cried Mike indignantly. “We can easily look after ourselves! Why, once when we ran away to a secret island, we looked after ourselves for months and months!”

“Yes — I heard that wonderful story,” said Pilescu. “But I must have another man with me, and Ra

No one knew then how glad they were going to be that big Ra

“Isn’t it exciting to be drinking soup high up in an aeroplane in the middle of the night?” said Peggy. “And I do like these biscuits. Ra

Big Ra

The plane had been flying very steadily indeed — in fact, the children hardly noticed the movement at all — but suddenly there came a curious jerk, and the plane dropped a little. It happened two or three times, and Paul didn’t like it.

“What’s it doing?” he cried.

Mike laughed. He had been up in aeroplanes before, and he knew what was happening at that moment.

“We are only bumping into air-pockets,” he shouted to Paul. “When we get into one we drop a bit — so it feels as if the plane is bumping along. Wait till we get into a big air-pocket — you’ll feel fu

Sure enough, the plane slipped into a very big air-pocket, and down it dropped sharply. Paul nearly fell off his big armchair, and he turned quite green.

“I feel sick,” he said. Ra

“What’s this for?” asked Paul, in a weak voice, looking greener than ever. “There’s nothing in the bag.”

The other four children shouted with laughter. They felt sorry for Paul, but he really did look comical, peering into the paper bag to see if there was anything there.

“It’s for you to be sick in, if you want to be,” shouted Jack. “Didn’t you know that?”

But the paper bag wasn’t needed after all, because the plane climbed high, away from the bumpy air-pockets, and Paul felt better. “I shan’t eat so much chocolate another time,” he said cheerfully.

“I bet you will!” said Jack, who knew that Paul could eat more chocolate than any other boy he had ever met. “I say — isn’t this a gorgeous adventure? I hope we see the sun rise!”

But they didn’t, because they were all fast asleep! Nora and Peggy began to yawn at two o’clock in the morning, and Ra

“You will all go to sleep now,” he said. He got up and helped the two girls to turn their big armchairs into comfortable, soft beds. He gave them each a pillow and a very cosy warm rug.

“We don’t want to go to sleep,” said Nora in dismay. “I shan’t close my eyes. I know I shan’t.”

“Don’t then,” said Ra

Nora and Peggy and Paul found that their eyes closed themselves — they simply wouldn’t keep open. In three seconds they were all sound asleep. The other two boys did not take much longer, excited though they were.

Ra

He and Ra

The sky became full of a soft light that seemed alive. The light grew and changed colour. Both pilots watched in silence. It was a sight they had often seen and were never tired of.

Golden light filled the aeroplane when the sun showed a golden rim over the far horizon. Ra

“Blue and gold,” said Ra

“Don’t wake them, Ra

The children slept on. When they awoke it was about eight o’clock. The sun was high, and below the plane was a billowing mass of snowy whiteness, intensely blue in the shadows.

“Golly! Is it snow?” said Paul, rubbing his eyes in amazement. “Pilescu, I asked you to fly to Africa, not to the North Pole!”

“It’s fields and fields of clouds,” said Nora, looking with delight on the magnificent sight below them. “We are right above the clouds. Peggy, look — they seem almost solid enough to walk on!”

“Better not try it!” said Mike. “Ra

Ra

Then there came a break in the clouds and the five children gave shouts of joy.

“Look! We are over a desert or something. Isn’t it queer?”

The smooth-looking desert gave way to mountains, and then to plains again. It was most exciting to watch.

“Where are we?” asked Mike.

“Over Africa,” said Ra

It was a gorgeous meal, and most exciting. To think that they had their supper in London — and were having their breakfast over Africa! Marvellous!

“Do you know whereabouts our parents came down, Pilescu?” asked Mike.

“Ra

“We’ll hide all right!” said Paul, excited. “Where is that map, Ra

Ra

“Golly! It doesn’t look very far from here to where the White Swallow was found!” cried Paul, ru

Ra

So, whilst the plane circled lower to land, the five children snuggled under the rugs and luggage. They did hope they wouldn’t be found. It would be too dreadful to be sent back to London after coming so far.