The Secret Mountain

“Can we get out, Ra

“I feel as if the ground ought to bump and sway like the plane,” said Nora, with a giggle. “You know — like when we get out of a boat.”

“Well, I jolly well hope it doesn’t,” said Jack. “I don’t want an earthquake just at present.”

The sun was very hot. Pilescu got out some marvellous sun-hats for the five children and for himself and Ra

“I’m jolly thirsty,” said Mike, mopping his head. “Let’s have a drink, Ra

They all drank lemonade, sitting in the shade of the plane. The sun was now getting low, and Pilescu looked at the time.

“There’s nothing more we can do today,” he said. “Tomorrow we will find some local people and see what we can get out of them by questioning them. Ra

“Well, surely we haven’t got to go to bed already?” asked Nora in dismay. “Aren’t we going to explore a bit?”

“There won’t be time — the sun is setting already,” said Ra

“Day went into night, and there was no evening,” said Nora, looking round. “The stars are out, look! Oh, Mike — Jack — aren’t they enormous?”

So they were. They seemed far bigger and brighter than at home. The children sat and looked at them, feeling almost afraid of their strange beauty.

Then Nora yawned. It was such an enormous yawn that it set everyone else yawning too, even big Ra

“You had little sleep last night,” he said. “You must have plenty tonight. In this country we must get up very early whilst it is still cool, for we shall have to rest in the shade when the sun climbs high. So you had better go to sleep very soon after Ra

“Need we sleep inside the plane?” said Jack. “It’s so hot there. Can we sleep out here in the cool?”

“Yes,” said Ra

“What will you watch for?” asked Peggy, in surprise. “Not enemies, surely?”

“Well, Captain and Mrs. Arnold disappeared just here, didn’t they?” said Pilescu solemnly. “I don’t want to wake up in the morning and find that we have disappeared too. I should just hate to go and look for myself!”

Everyone laughed — but the children felt a little queer too. Yes — this wasn’t nice, safe old England. This was a strange, unknown country, where queer, unexpected things might happen. They moved a little closer to red-bearded Pilescu. He suddenly seemed very safe and protective as he sat there in the starlight, as firm and solid as one of the big dark rocks around!

Waiting For News

Ra

Rugs were spread around the fire, whose crackling made a very cheerful sound. The five children lay down, happy and excited. They had come to the right place — and now they were going to look for Captain and Mrs. Arnold. Adventures lay behind them, and even more exciting ones lay in front.

“I shall never go to sleep,” said Nora, sitting up. “Never! What is that fu

“Baboons in the hills,” said Ra

“And now what’s that noise?” asked Peggy.

“Only a night-bird calling,” said Ra

This was such a terrible threat that Nora lay down at once. It was a marvellous night. The little girl lay on her back looking up at the enormous, brilliant stars that hung like bright lamps in the velvet sky. All around her she heard strange bird and animal sounds. She was warm and comfortable and the fire at her feet crackled most comfortingly. She took a last look at big Ra

“The children are all asleep,” said big Ra

Pilescu grunted. He was very tired, for he had flown the plane all the way, without letting Ra

“We will see what tomorrow brings,” he said, his big red beard spreading over his chest as his head fell forward in sleep. And then another noise was added to the other night-sounds — for Pilescu snored.

He had a wonderful snore that rose and fell with his breathing. Ra

But Pilescu did not wake. He was too tired to stir. Jack awoke when he heard the new sound and sat up in alarm. He listened in amazement.

“Ra

Ra

Jack gri

Ra

A little before dawn Ra

Then Ra

The children were wild with excitement when they awoke and saw their strange surroundings. They ran round the camp, yelling and shouting, whilst Ra

“Hie, look! Here’s a kind of little lake!” shouted Jack. “Let’s wash in it. Ra

“Not unless you want to be eaten by crocodiles,” said Ra

Nora gave a scream and tore back to the camp at top speed. Ra

“This is all right,” he said. “There are no crocodiles here. All the same, you mustn’t bathe in it, for there may be slug-like things called leeches, which will fasten on to your legs and hurt you. Please remember to be very careful indeed in this strange country. Animals that you only see at the Zoo in England run wild here all over the place.”