Jack picked himself up at once in a fright. The door into the scullery opened, and Anna looked in, switching on the light. She screamed when she saw Jack, and ran back into the kitchen, shouting for Luiz.
“Luiz! Luiz! There is a burglar in the scullery!”
Jack ran to the back door and tried to open it. But it was locked and bolted and even had a chain on it, too. The boy knew quite well that by the time he had undone everything he would be caught! He was in despair. Whatever could he do? It was no use to run back up the stairs to the tower-rooms, for he would be caught there too.
And then he thought of something. Of course! He could escape down the secret passage! He had his torch with him, and he could easily see the way.
He ran to the cellar door. Fortunately that was open. He leapt down the steps into the cellar just as Mr. Diaz and Luiz came tearing into the kitchen. He heard them shouting, “Where is he? Where is he?”
Jack sped to the eighteen stone steps that led down to the door of the underground room. He ran down them, using his torch. He opened the thick door at the bottom. He ran through the large underground room there to the secret passage.
His heart was beating fast and his breath was coming in pants. He made his way down the secret passage, bending his head every now and again when he came to the narrow, low parts. Soon he came to the damp piece, and knew that he would presently come to the small cave that lay above the large shore-cave.
He came to the oak door that led into the small cave. He pushed it open and made his way to where he knew the rope hung to help him down into the big beach-cave.
“Then all I’ll have to do is to slip round the sands, up the cliff-path and into Peep-Hole,” thought the boy thankfully.
But what a dreadful shock for Jack - once more the tide was in and the water filled the big cave. He could not possibly get home that way. He would have to wait till it went out.
“I only hope that they don’t realise I’ve come down through the secret passage, and come after me,” thought Jack. “I would be properly caught then. But I don’t see how they can think anything else. After all, all the doors were locked, and I didn’t get out through the tower door or the scullery door - so they’ll know I must have come this way. And if they remember that the tide is in, they will be able to come along and catch me beautifully.”
Jack really didn’t know what to do. It was no use at all going back - and he certainly couldn’t go forward unless he wanted to struggle with the tide in the cave.
“And I don’t want to do that.” thought the boy, listening to the smack and gurgle of the big waves that swept into the large cave below. “What in the world am I to do?”
He suddenly thought that he could hear someone coming down the secret passage. He looked round the small cave in despair. Could he lock the door that led into the cave? No - the lock was broken many years ago.
He flashed his torch round the little cave. He suddenly saw a small hole in one corner. He bent down and shone his torch into it. It was a hole big enough for a small man to get through - but where did it lead?
There was no time to be lost. Jack wriggled through the hole somehow. It widened out a little in a moment or two and dipped down into the next cave. But as that was also full of swishing waves Jack could go no farther. The hole was simply a connection between the two caves, it seemed.
“Well, I simply can’t do anything but wait here.” thought Jack. So he waited - and in a minute or two he heard the sound of people in the cave he had left, and heard voices.
“He’s not here, Luiz,” said the voice of Mr. Diaz. “And he couldn’t possibly have gone down through the shore-cave, surely, or he would have been drowned.”
“Maybe he has tried, though,” said Luiz. “He might have been very frightened, and have leapt into the water and tried to swim away.”
“Well, if so, he’s gone,” said Mr. Diaz. “I can’t imagine that any one could swim down there! Listen to the water sucking in and out. It would be impossible even for a man to swim through that.”
“Well, if he didn’t go down there, where is he?” said Luiz rather sharply. “You don’t suggest that he is hiding in any of these small boxes, do you?”
“That’s enough, Luiz,” said Mr. Diaz, in an angry tone. “I can’t understand the whole thing - how did that boy get into the grounds and the house when the dogs were there? And how did he know about the secret passage? Where has he gone now? And what do you suppose he knows about the prince?”
“Well, if you really want to know what I think, I think that Anna the cook made a mistake,” said Luiz, sounding very bored. “I think maybe something fell down in the scullery, and Anna rushed in - and thought she saw a boy! And she screamed and made a fuss.”
“Well, maybe you’re right,” said Mr. Diaz. “Come on, let’s go back. He’s not here, anyway.”
Jack heard their scrambling footsteps going from the cave. For a while he caught the sound of their voices as they went up the secret passage. Then there was silence.
“My word, that was a narrow escape!” thought Jack. “Good thing I found this hole. I wonder if the tide is going out? It sounds less strong.”
He wriggled himself into a different position, and was then able to switch on his torch and see the cave below. It was the one next to the large cave, and was only small. The sea was leaving it.
“It’s safe to get down,” thought the boy, and he wriggled out of the small passage, slid down the cave wall and jumped down to the wet sand. A wave immediately ran into the cave and wetted Jack to the waist.
“You would!” said Jack to the wave. “Just waiting for me, I suppose!”
The wave ran out. Jack ran quickly to the cave entrance and looked up the beach. If he were quick, and dodged in between the big waves that ran up the sand and back, he could get up on the rocks, and climb along them to the cliff-path.
Another wave ran up and Jack ran back into the cave to escape it. It swirled around his knees and nearly knocked him over. As soon as it ran out Jack ran out after it. He jumped quickly up on the rocks at the foot of the steep cliff. Another wave swept up and wetted his legs - but Jack clung to the rock and was safe.
He climbed a bit higher on to the rocks. Now the sea could hardly reach him, and as it was going down he would soon be safe.
He clambered over the rocks, stumbling and slipping on the seaweed. He came to the cliff-path and put his feet on the steps cut out of the rock. He switched on his torch and went carefully up to the top of the cliff.
A wind was blowing there. Jack switched off his torch in case anyone saw its light, and made his way softly back to Peep-Hole. The gate creaked as he opened it. He was safe home at last!
He ran up the winding staircase and into his bedroom at the top. The others were there. And they crowded round him at once.
“Jack! Jack! What an age you’ve been! Were you nearly caught again?”
“You just listen to what happened to me to-night!” said Jack. “I have had a time, I can tell you! My word, we had plenty of adventures on our secret island last year, but to-night’s adventure was the most exciting of all!”