“Come on back to Peep-Hole, Dad,” said Mike. “We’ll tell you everything there!”
So they all went back to Peep-Hole, and, sitting in the front room, they talked at the tops of their voices. All that Captain and Mrs. Arnold had heard was that the children had rescued somebody and taken him off to their secret island. Dimmy had sent them a long telegram because they had moved from place to place in Ireland, and she could not get hold of them to telephone the news.
Then they had tried to telephone Dimmy but had got no answer, so they had got into their aeroplane and flown straight over to Spiggy Holes to find out what was the matter.
“And here we are!” said Captain Arnold. “What about some food? I’m famished! We’ve got a hamper in the plane - go and get it, Jack and Mike.”
The boys tore off to get it - but as they went across the lane to the field, they heard the sound of a big car coming down the road. They stopped and looked. Peep-Hole was at the end of the lane - the road stopped just there, so whoever came down the lane must go to Peep-Hole. Who was coming?
The car was full of men. There were at least five. Mike caught hold of Jack’s arm and they fled back to Peep-Hole. “They might be coming to take Paul away!” he yelled. “Quick, come back and we’ll lock the doors. Thank goodness Dad and Mummy are there!”
They shot back into the house and locked the front door. The car stopped outside with a screech of brakes, and four men got out. They were all in some kind of uniform and looked rather grand. They walked up the path and thundered on the knocker.
“Who’s that?” said Captain Arnold in astonishment.
“We don’t know,” said Mike. “But we’ve locked them out in case they’ve come for Paul.”
“My dear boy, nobody can take Paul now I’m here,” said Captain Arnold. “Open the door.”
But somebody else opened the door. Paul had been looking out of the window - and he suddenly gave a most ear-piercing yell, shouted something in a foreign language, and tore to the front door. He struggled with the bolts, yelling all the time.
“He’s gone mad!” said Jack in surprise. “Here, let me help you, Paul, since you’re determined to open the door!”
The door opened. Paul flew through it, flung himself at the front man, and wept tears all down his chest! The man stroked him and patted him, whilst every one looked on in the greatest astonishment.
The man put down Paul and bowed most politely to Captain and Mrs. Arnold.
“I am Paul’s father, the King of Baronia,” he said.
“But we thought you were very ill, and nearly dying!” cried Mike, in surprise.
“Yes. I have been ill, but now I am better, much to the grief of my enemies,” said the king, in a grim sort of voice. “Paul was made prisoner and taken away whilst I lay ill, and we did not know where he was. Then your Miss Dimity informed your good English police, and they sent the message to me that you children had rescued my boy, and had taken him to your secret island.”
“Then is that blue and silver aeroplane yours?” cried Mike. “Paul said he thought it belonged to his country.”
“Yes, we flew over in it, I and my four friends,” said the king. “We came to see Miss Dimity, that brave and good woman, and she and your friend George told us all that had happened.”
“But where is Dimmy?” asked Nora, almost in tears, for she really felt very anxious about Dimmy.
“Miss Dimity is coming in another car,” said the king. “She and George and ourselves all had to go to the police to explain what had happened. She will soon be here.”
And even as he spoke another car drew up outside, and out leapt George to help Miss Dimity. She got out, looking rather pale and tired, but just the same cheerful old Dimmy. She couldn’t believe her eyes when the children rushed to greet her.
“I thought you were safely on your secret island!” she said. “What made you leave it?”
“Oh, Dimmy, it’s a long story!” said Mike. “Come along in - look who’s here!”
“Your father and mother!” said Dimmy, in amazement. “So the second aeroplane is theirs, I suppose. Captain Arnold, I am glad to see you! I couldn’t seem to find out where you were in Ireland. What a meeting this is - Paul’s father and friends, and you too, and the children!”
The little front room was too small to hold them all, so they went into the garden. George brought out seats for everybody, and it was a very gay, noisy party that sat out there and talked and talked.
“If only I could get my hands on Diaz and Luiz, the traitors!” said Paul’s father angrily, as Paul told him how he had been kept prisoner.
“Well, you can if you want to,” said Mike, with a grin. “We’ve made them prisoners now! You can catch them as soon as you please!”
“Where are they then?” cried Dimmy.
“On our secret island without a boat!” laughed Mike. “And there they’ll stay till somebody goes over and catches them!”
Everybody laughed in delight. It was very funny to think of the two bad men being caught like that.
“To-morrow morning I and the policemen will go over in a boat,” said the king grimly. “Diaz and Luiz will be most surprised to see us! They meant to prevent my son Paul from being king after me if I died - and now that I am very much alive, they will be sorry they ever thought of such a plan!”
“Will you take Paul back with you?” said Mike, feeling sorry that they were to lose a boy he liked very much.
“Yes,” said the king. “But next term he is to come to school in your good, safe country of England, and maybe he could go to your school, Jack and Mike?”
“Oh, good!” said the two boys, pleased. “We’ll look after him!”
“I’m sure you will!” said Paul’s father, clapping both boys on the back. “You’ve looked after him marvellously so far!”
“Well, what are we all going to do to-night?” said Dimmy. “I’d like to ask you all to stay with me, but Peep-Hole is too small! I could put Captain and Mrs. Arnold into my spare room, but there’s no other room, I’m afraid.”
“We shall go to the nearest town and stay at the hotel there,” said the king. “Paul must go with us, for I feel I cannot let him out of my sight! To-morrow we will come again, Miss Dimity. Thank you a thousand times for all you have done!”
The king and Prince Paul, and the four men in uniform said good-bye and went to their big car. It started up, and, with a terrific noise, shot up the lane.
“We’ve forgotten all about the hamper of food,” said Jack suddenly. “Let’s go and get it now, Mike. I feel as if I could eat my hat!”
“I’d like to see you!” said Mike. The two of them set off to the aeroplane. They climbed into the cock-pit and found a large hamper there. They carried it between them to Peep-Hole.
They all had a picnic in the garden - George too. How they enjoyed it! They told their stories again and again.
“Mr. Diaz, Mrs. Diaz, and Luiz all came to Peep-Hole in a furious rage the night you went to the secret island,” said Dimmy. “Luckily by the time they got here, George was back, so between the two of us we sent them off. They were quite sure that the prince was here with you.”
“They must have found out somehow about our island, and where it was,” said Mike. “Well, it’s a story that everybody knows, so that wouldn’t have been very difficult. Oh, wouldn’t I like to see the faces of those two on the island to-morrow, when the king and the police go to fetch them!”
And, indeed, Mr. Diaz and Luiz did get a dreadful shock when a boat, full of English policemen, arrived at the secret island the next day! The two men were busy working at making a rough raft to paddle across to the mainland and they did not hear the boat arriving. They looked up from their work to see the King of Baronia walking towards them, with five men behind him!
The children heard all about it the next day. “That finishes Mr. Diaz and his plots,” said Jack, pleased. “What a good thing we came to Spiggy Holes for our holidays! Young Paul would still have been a prisoner, and we wouldn’t have had all these adventures.”
That evening George came running in, in a state of great excitement. “Come and see,“ he cried. “Come and see!”
The children and Dimmy ran out into the road - and there, coming down the lane, drawn on an enormous trailer, was the finest little motor-boat that anybody could wish for!
“It’s coming to Peep-Hole!” cried Jack.
So it was! It was a present to the four children from the King of Baronia for all their help to his son. The children could hardly believe their eyes!
“What a wonderful present!” they cried. “Oh, George, let’s launch it this evening!”
It was impossible to get the motor-boat down to the beach. It had to be taken to Longrigg and unshipped there. George’s brother helped. It was launched on the calm, evening waters, and everyone got in, Dimmy too. It was so easy to drive that Mike and Jack could take it in turns.
The motor started up with a lovely whirring sound. The little boat leapt forward. Mike swung her out to sea, feeling as proud as could be. A motor-boat of their own! How lucky they were!
Now they’re off, all the way back to Peep-Hole. Good-bye, Mike - good-bye, Jack! Good-bye, Nora and Peggy! You deserve your good luck, and we loved all your adventures. Maybe we’ll hear more of them another day. Good-bye, good-bye!