Free Five Run Away Together by Enid Blyton Page B

firmly on some rocks.
    They stood on the wall and looked for the wreck, but it was not where they had expected it. "It's moved," said Julian, in surprise. "There it is, look, on those rocks—
    nearer to the shore than it was before. Poor old wreck! It's been battered about a good bit this last winter, hasn't it? It looks much more of a real wreck than it did last summer."
    "I don't believe we shall be able to sleep there," said Dick. "It's dreadfully battered.
    We might be able to store food there, though. Do you know, I believe we could get to it from those rocks that run out from the island."
    "Yes, I believe we could," said George. "We could only reach it safely by boat last summer—but when the tide is down, I think we could climb out over the line of rocks, right to the wreck itself."
    "We'll try in about an hour," said Julian, feeling excited. "The tide will be off the rocks by then."
    "Let's go and have a look at the old well," said Dick, and they made their way back to the courtyard of the castle. Here, the summer before, they had found the entrance to the well-shaft that ran deep down through the rock, past the dungeons below, lower than the level of the sea, to fresh water.
    The children looked about for the well, and came to the old wooden cover. They drew it back.
    "There are the rungs of the old iron ladder I went down last year," said Dick, peering in. "Now let's find the entrance to the dungeon. The steps down into it are somewhere near here."
    They found the entrance, but to their surprise some enormous stones had been pulled across it. "Who did that?" said George, frowning. "We didn't! Someone has been here!"
    "Trippers, I suppose," said Julian. "Do you remember that we thought we saw a spire of smoke here the other day? I bet it was trippers. You know, the story of Kirrin Island, and its old castle and dungeons, and the treasure we found in it last year, was all in the newspapers. I expect one of the fishermen has been making money by taking trippers and landing them on our island."
    "How dare they?" said George, looking very fierce. "I shall put up a board that says
    "Trespassers will be sent to prison." I won't have strangers on our island."
    "Well, don't worry about the stones" pulled across the dungeon entrance," said Julian.
    "I don't think any of us want to go down there. Look at poor old Timmy! He's gazing at those rabbits most unhappily. Isn't he funny?"
    Timothy was sitting down behind the children, looking most mournfully at the ring of rabbits all round the weed grown courtyard. He looked at the rabbits and then he looked at George, then he looked back at—the rabbits.
    "No good, Timmy," said George, firmly. "I'm not going to change my mind about rabbits. You're not to chase them on our island."
    "I expect he thinks you're most unfair to him," said Anne. "After all, you said he might share your quarter of the island with you—and so he thinks he ought to have his share of your rabbits too!"
    Everyone laughed. Timmy wagged his tail and looked hopefully at George. They all walked across the courtyard—and then Julian suddenly came to a stop.
    "Look!" he said in surprise, pointing to something on the ground. "Look! Someone has been here! This is where they built a fire!"
    Everyone gazed at the ground. There was a heap of wood-ash there, quite evidently left from a fire. Stamped into the ground was a cigarette end, too. There was absolutely no doubt about it—someone had been on the island!
    "If trippers come here I'll set Timmy on to them!" cried George, in a fury. "This is our own place, it doesn't belong to anybody else at all. Timothy, you mustn't chase rabbits here, but you can chase anybody on two legs, except us! See?"
    Timmy wagged his tail at once. "Woof!" he said, quite agreeing. He looked all round as if he hoped to see somebody appearing that he could chase. But there was no one.
    "I should think the tide is about off those rocks by now," said Julian. "Let's go and see. If it is we'll