The Secret Mountain

“They are like a litter of tiger-cubs,” said Ra

Prince Paul laughed excitedly. He knew that Ra

“It’s all right,” he said. “We shan’t go! Ra

For a long time that night the little camp talked over Ra

Then Pilescu looked at his watch. “It is very late!” he exclaimed. “Children, you must sleep. Ra

“Very well,” said Ra

Very soon all the camp was asleep, except Pilescu, who sat with his gun in hand, watching the moving animal-shapes that prowled some distance away, afraid to come nearer because of the fire. Pilescu loved an adventure as much as anyone, and he thought deeply about the Folk of the Secret Mountain, with their creamy-yellow skins, red hair and curious green eyes.

The big Baronian was brave and fierce, as were all the men from the far-off land of Baronia, where Paul’s father was king. He was afraid of nothing. The only thing he did not like was taking the five children into danger — but, as Ra

Morning came, and with it came the native who had seen the White Swallow come down. He was very tall, but with a sly and rather cruel face. Carrying three spears for him came a small, thin boy, with a sharp face and such a merry twinkle in his eyes that all the children liked him at once.

“Who is that boy?” asked Jack, curiously. Ra

“It’s his nephew,” said Ra

“I like the look of the boy,” said Jack. “But I don’t like the uncle at all. Ask him about the White Swallow, Ra

Ra

“He says he was hunting not far from here, keeping a good look-out for any of the Secret Mountain Folk, when he heard the sky making a strange noise,” said Ra

The children shouted with laughter at this fu

“He says the big white bird flew lower, and came down over there. He stayed behind his tree without moving. He thought the big white bird would see him and eat him.”

Again everyone laughed. The tribesman gri

“Oh my goodness!” shouted Jack in surprise. “Why shouldn’t he laugh too?”

“Children of this tribe must not laugh if their elders are present,” said Ra

The man went on with his story. He told how he had seen two people climb out of the big white bird, which amazed him very much. Then he saw something that frightened him even more than seeing the aeroplane and the pilots. He saw some of the Folk of the Secret Mountain, with their flaming red hair and pale skins!

He had been so interested in the aeroplane that he had stayed watching behind his tree — but the sight of the Secret Mountain Folk had given him such a scare that his legs had come to life and he had run back towards his village.

“So you didn’t see what happened to the White Bird people?” asked Ra

The man looked behind to see what everyone was smiling at and caught his nephew making faces. He strode over to him and knocked him down flat on the ground. The boy gave a yell, sat up and rubbed his head.

“What a horrid fellow this man is,” said Pilescu in disgust. “Ra

Ra

“He says yes, he knows the way to the mountain, but he does not know the way inside,” said Ra

“Ask him if he will take us there,” said Pilescu. “Tell him we will pay him well if he does.”

At first the man shook his head firmly when Ra

“He thinks the mirror is wonderful. He is in the mirror as well as outside it,” translated Ra

Everyone smiled to hear this. The man had never seen a mirror before, he had only caught sight of himself in pools. It seemed as if another himself was in the strange gleaming thing that the red-haired man was offering him. He stood in front of the mirror, making awful faces, and laughing.

Ra

“Tell him we will start tomorrow at dawn,” said Pilescu. “I want to make sure that we have everything we need before we set off. Also I want to look at the engines of the White Swallow and our own plane to see that they are all ready to take off, should we find Captain and Mrs. Arnold, and want to leave in a hurry!”

The children were in a great state of excitement. They hardly knew how to keep still that day, even when the great heat came down, and they had to lie in the shade, panting and thirsty. It was so exciting to think that they really were to set off the next morning to the strange Secret Mountain.

“I’m jolly glad Ra