The Aeroplane of Adventure

©2009 David Marlor

This novel is based on the characters created by Enid Bylton in the Adventure Series. In this regard, it is the ninth adventure and follows The River of Adventure.

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Chapter 6: The Other Side of the Hill

The children stumbled on as fast as they could go with their heavy load. The path wound up the hill, getting quite steep in places. Philip thought they should leave the path and push into the trees. He set his compass and they went in a more or less straight line away from the path for some time.

"I'm tired," said poor Lucy-Ann. "Can't we rest here?" They had come to a small clearing with a stream running though it, surrounded by bushes and trees.

"Well, let's see if we're safe," said Jack. He looked around and found a tall tree. He climbed up the wide branches quickly and found he had a great view down the hillside. He could see the aeroplane and the grassy stretch they'd crossed earlier.

As he watched, he could see one of the men emerge from the hole and walk on the grassy stretch. He was looking around. The man set off up the path. Then he stopped, looked up in the sky and then ran back the way he'd come and popped back down the hole. Jack swept the sky with his field glasses and saw a small plane. He watched the men below as they ran to the hut, which from up here looked like a big bush. Jack realised the men had hidden it like the aeroplane.

The aeroplane flew low over the island. It circled a few times and then went back the way it had come. Jack watched a few more minutes and thought he could detect a movement below the tunnel. "It must be the man going back," thought the boy, "so we're safe for now." He climbed down the tree and told the others what had happened.

"So," said Dinah, "they don't want to be seen. Do you think that plane was on our side or not?"

"It's hard to tell," said Philip, watching it fly off in the distance. "I somehow don't think anybody would be out searching for us yet. Though I suppose we could build a fire, just in case. Let's get some moss and make our beds for the night. I'm tired."

So were the others. Soon they had made up their beds with some moss and heather. Lucy-Ann curled up in her bed and munched on some biscuits from a tin Dinah had opened. The children decided not to light a fire in case the smoke was seen by the men below. Until the children knew more, they did not particularly want to be caught.

"They may be up to nothing, other than stealing Bill's aeroplane to get here," said Philip, "but I have a feeling they won't be happy to see us."

The children were all tired and very soon fast asleep, dreaming of crawling through fields while aeroplanes circled above them. Kiki stayed awake a little longer and watched as an owl hooted near by. She hooted back and then put her head under her wing.

Lucy-Ann awoke first the next morning. She couldn't think where she was for a minute. Then it all came back to her. She yawned and stretched. It had been fine last night and the children had slept outside under the bright stars. Kiki saw that Lucy-Ann was awake and flew down from her perch and landed on Lucy-Arm's shoulder. Unfortunately, Kiki dug her talons in as she landed. Lucy-Ann gave an indignant yell.

The others woke at once, wondering what was wrong. Philip jumped up so fast he tripped on a root and fell head first into the stream.

"Oh, Philip, are you all right?" asked Dinah, trying not to laugh and half worried that her brother might have hurt himself.

Philip sat up, spluttering. "Brr, it's cold," he said shivering. "Well, I'm awake. What was that yell? Honestly, you scared me out of my skin."

"Oh, Philip," said Lucy-Ann horrified, "I'm so sorry. Kiki dug her sharp talons in."

"What a pity. What a pity," said Kiki, flying over Philip and trying to land on his bare shoulder.

"Yes, it is a pity," said Philip, splashing the bird. "Get away, Kiki, you're not digging your talons into me."

Philip changed out of his wet things while Dinah, Jack and Lucy-Ann washed themselves in the stream. Then they opened some tins for breakfast. They had a tin of tuna and some chocolate biscuits. Finally, Dinah opened a tin of peaches.

"So, what are we going to do today?" asked Dinah as they finished the last of the peaches. It was a beautiful sunny morning and looked like it would be a hot day.

"Well," said Jack, "I vote we try to find out where we are and get word back to Bill and Aunt Allie that we're safe."

It was agreed that they would continue up the hill and see if they could spot a town or village from which to get help. While Philip and the girls cleared up after breakfast, Jack climbed up a tree and checked on the men far down below them on the flat airstrip.

"Nothing to report," said Jack as he came back down. "There's a small spire of smoke from that hut, so they must be having breakfast."

"Let's go," said Dinah, impatient to find out where they where.

"Do we have everything?" asked Jack. "Nothing to indicate we were here, is there?" They all looked around. Dinah had picked up the moss and heather and had scattered it in the trees. The ground looked a bit flat, but it was already starting to spring back.

Philip, using his compass, led the way back to the path they were on the day before. They made better time today, partly because they weren't so tired and partly because the path wasn't as rocky or as steep. The path wound through a copse of trees and then across openings with colourful bushes and plants that the children had never seen before. They were well out of sight of the aeroplane and airstrip now, so they didn't have to be so cautious. After an hour of hiking they came to a steep rocky bit.

"Just up this rocky bit now," said Philip who was leading the expedition, "and we should have a wonderful view of the countryside around here." Philip pulled himself up a rather difficult rock and found himself in a small rocky clearing on top of the hill. He turned and helped the girls up. Jack passed up his duffel bag and then climbed up beside the other children. They all turned to gaze out over the countryside – and got a terrible shock.

"Oh my gosh," said Lucy-Ann in a trembling voice. "We're on a small island."

Continues tomorrow...

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