“Well, you see, they couldn’t,” said George. “I found their boat, untied it, and set it adrift on the tide. It’s probably half a mile away by now!”

The boys were so astonished that they couldn’t even laugh at first. But then, when they thought of the two men marooned on Kirrin Island, their boat gone goodness knows where, they laughed till tears came into their eyes!

“George, I don’t know how you can think of doing such things!” said Julian. “Weren’t the men furious?”

“I don’t know,” said George. “I didn’t tell them about their boat. I pretended that I’d take them to where I’d hidden the papers — and then when we got on to a nice high ridge overlooking the sea, they looked over it to see if their boat was all right, and I gave Mr Wooh a jolly good push, and Timmy leapt at the man with him — and in they went — SPLASH! SPLASH!”

Julian really had to sit down and have another bout of laughing till the stitch in his side grew so bad that he was forced to get up and walk about. George suddenly saw the funny side of it all too, and she began to laugh as heartily as Julian. Dick joined in as well, and Timmy barked madly, enjoying the fun.

“Oh dear!” said Julian, feeling weak with laughter, “And then I suppose you said a polite farewell and left them to their fate?”

“Well, actually I yelled out to tell them I’d send the police to rescue them in the morning,” said George. “I’m afraid they’ll both spend a very uncomfortable night — they were soaking wet, you see!”

“George — I’m beginning to think it was a good thing you went with the papers to the island, and not me, after all,” said Julian. “I should never have thought of doing all the things you did — pushing the men into the sea — really, how could you and Timmy dare to do such things? And setting their boat loose! What on earth will the police say when we tell them?”

“I don’t think we’d better tell them, had we?” said George. “I mean — they might think I’d gone too far. Anyway, why not let the two men kick their heels on the island all night, and we’ll decide what to do about the police in the morning. It’s funny — I suddenly feel awfully tired.”

“I bet you do!” said Dick. “Come on, let’s get our bikes. Oh, and those precious papers — where are they?”

“Under the tarpaulin in Fisherman Connell’s boat,” said George, and suddenly gave the most enormous yawn. “I hid them there.”

“I’ll get them,” said Julian. “Then off we go back to Big Hollow House. The others will be getting awfully worried by now!”

He found the papers in the fishing-boat and then the three of them rode off quickly along the road from Kirrin to Big Hollow, Timmy running behind them, Julian kept laughing to himself. George should have been a boy not a girl — the things she did! Fancy tackling those two fellows like that — pushing them into the water, and setting their boat adrift. Julian was sure he would never have thought of doing such daring things himself!