Now to find the others. She felt sure they must be down in the caves. How pleased they would be with the food in her bag!

She half-fell down the steep steps, and made her way as quickly as she could down the slanting passage. She had no torch and had to feel her way in the dark. She wasn’t in the least afraid. Only when she trod on a sharp stone with her bare foot did she make a sound.

The other three — Julian, Dick and George — were still sitting crouched together with Timmy in the centre. Julian had been once up to the door that led into the yard and had cautiously peered out to see what was to be seen — but had seen nothing at all except for an old woman hanging out some clothes on a line.

The three had decided to wait till night before they did anything. They thought maybe Timmy might have recovered a little then, and would be of some help in protecting them against Red or Markhoff. They half-dozed, sitting together for warmth, enjoying the heat of Timmy’s big body.

Timmy growled! Yes, he actually growled — a thing he hadn’t done at all so far. George put a warning hand on him. They all sat up, listening. A voice came to them.

“Julian! Dick! Where are you? I’ve lost my way!”

“It’s Jo!” cried Dick, and switched on his torch at once. “Here we are, Jo! How did you escape? What’s happened?”

“Heaps,” said Jo, and came gladly over to them. “My, it was dark up in those passages without a torch. Somehow I went the wrong way. That’s why I yelled. But I hadn’t gone far wrong. Have a sausage roll?”

“What?” cried three hungry voices, and even Timmy lifted his head and began to sniff at the rush basket that Jo carried.

Jo laughed and opened the basket. She handed out all the food and the three of them fell on it like wolves. “Jo, you’re the eighth wonder of the world,” said Dick. “Is there anything left in the basket?”

“Yes,” said Jo, and took out the enormous key. “This, look! I locked Red and Jake and Simmy into that tower room, and here’s the key. What do you think of that?”

Chapter Twenty-Three

Markhoff goes hunting

George took the big key and looked at it with awe. “Jo! Is this really the key — and you’ve locked them all in? Honestly, I think you’re a marvel.”

“She is,” said Dick, and to Jo’s enormous delight he gave her a sudden quick hug. “I never knew such a girl in my life. Never. She’s got the pluck of twenty!”

“It was easy, really,” said Jo, her eyes shining joyfully in the light of the torch. “You trust me now, Dick, don’t you? You won’t be mean to me any more, any of you, will you?”