Theyve pulled up the ladder and made me a prisoner too, said Mike. But they dont know youre outside, Jack. Go back to the others and tell them and see if you can think of some idea to get us out. You wont be able to signal to-morrow because this window is going to be boarded up. Youll have to be jolly clever to rescue us. They are taking Paul away somewhere else on Friday and I expect theyll set me free then; but we must be rescued before or well never know where Paul has gone.
Jack listened to this long whisper in silence. He was angry with himself for having let Mike go up the ladder. He might have thought that maybe someone was waiting up there to catch one of them. All right, Mike, old chap, he said. Ill get you both out somehow. Cheer up. Im going back now.
He slipped through the bushes to the wall. He climbed up a tree, whilst the dogs whined below, sad to see him go, and then dropped on to the top of the high wall. He jumped from there to the ground, took a quick look round to see if anyone was about and then tore off in the moonlight to Peep-Hole.
The girls were waiting for him, both in tears, for they had seen all that had happened through their field-glasses.
Oh, Jack, oh, Jack! wept Nora. How can we get poor Mike back? Oh, why did you let him go up? We could see somebody waiting at the side of the window and we couldnt warn you.
It was bad luck, said Jack gloomily. I was an idiot to let him go up. Somehow I never thought of anyone lying in wait for one of us up there.
What are we going to do now? asked Peggy, wiping her eyes. Well have to get Mike back somehow. What will Dimmy say to-morrow morning when he doesnt go down to breakfast?
Cheer up, he said. After all, we do know where Mike is - and weve only got to go to the police and theyll get him back for us.
Theres only one fat old policeman here and he doesnt belong to Spiggy Holes, said Peggy. And anyway we cant get him in the middle of the night.
I want to tell Dimmy, said Nora suddenly. We will have to tell here to-morrow morning anyhow - and I want to tell her to-night. I cant go to sleep unless we tell somebody grown-up about Mike being caught.
But we cant wake Dimmy in the middle of the night! said Jack. Wed better wait till the morning. Mike will be all right to-night; theres a bed in that tower-room, I saw it through the key-hole last night.
I want to tell Dimmy, wept poor Nora. I do want to tell Dimmy.
The little girl felt that if only she could tell somebody grown-up something could be done. Grown-up people were powerful - she even had an idea that Dimmy might march up to the Old House straightaway and demand that Mike should be set free!
Well, well go and wake Dimmy and tell her now, if you feel you must let her know to-night, said Jack, who secretly felt as if he would like to tell her as soon as possible too. She may have a good idea.
So down the winding staircase of their little tower went the three children, through the tower door into the kitchen and then up the carpeted staircase to Dimmys bedroom. They knocked on the door.
Whos that? said Dimmys voice.
Its us, said Nora. Can we come in?
Of course, said Dimmy.
Is one of you ill?
The children opened the door. Dimmy lighted two candles and sat up in bed and looked at them. Her hair was in two long plaits over her shoulder, and she somehow looked different, but very kind and anxious.
Wheres Mike? she said. Is he ill?
They sat on her bed, and first one and then another of the children told her the strange story of the Old House, the secret passage from the shore to the cellars of the Old House, the prince who was a prisoner in the tower - and then how Mike had been caught at the top of the rope-ladder.
Dimmy listened in the greatest surprise and astonishment. She asked them questions, she exclaimed in amazement, she groaned with horror when she heard about Mike.
Well! she said, when the long story was finished, so that was your great secret! And a most extraordinary one too. I have wondered what those people up at the Old House were up to - I knew it was something queer and not right. Poor little Prince! What a shame to keep him prisoner like that! I read in the paper how he had disappeared, and no one knew where he was - but little did I think he was so near!
How are we to get Mike back? asked Nora, much happier now that Dimmy knew everything. And Paul too - he must be rescued before Friday.
Dimmy thought for a long time. Then she said something that set the childrens hearts beating with excitement.
My grandfather once told me that there was a secret way between Peep-Hole tower and the tower of the Old House, she said. It was often used by the old-time smugglers when they wanted to get unseen from one house to the other. If we could find it, we could reach the tower of the Old House easily, and fetch back the two boys without anyone knowing.
Oh, Dimmy! cried the three children, their eyes shining brightly. We must find it! We must, we must!
Well, we will hunt for it to-morrow, said Dimmy. And I think we must get George to help us, because it will mean using a good deal of strength to find a passage that has been unused and hidden for years. As far as I remember, my grandfather said that a great stone had to be swivelled round in the wall of our tower - and certainly none of us could do that. George is very strong, and he can keep a secret too.