It was a dreadful business getting Timmy down. George stood below, anxiously waiting. Jo found it very difficult to tie Timmy safely. He was big and heavy, and didn’t like being tied up at all, though he really seemed hardly to know what was going on. At last Jo had got the knots well and securely tied, and called out to the others.

“Here he comes. Watch out that the rope doesn’t break. Oh, dear — I wish he wouldn’t struggle — now he’s bumped himself against the cliff!”

It was not at all a nice experience for poor Timmy. He swung to and fro on the rope as he was slowly let down, and was amazed to find that he was suspended in mid air. Above him Jo panted and puffed.

“Oh, he’s so awfully heavy! I hope I shan’t have to let go. Look out for him!” she screamed.

The weight was too much for her just at the last, and the rope was let out with rather a rush. Fortunately Timmy was only about six feet up then, and Julian and George managed to catch him as he suddenly descended.

“I’m coming now,” called Jo, and without even holding the rope, or looking at it, she climbed down like a monkey, seeming to find handholds and footholds by magic. The others watched her admiringly. Soon she was standing beside them. George was untying Timmy.

“Thanks awfully, Jo,” said George, looking up gratefully at Jo. “You’re a wonder. Tim must have been frightfully heavy.”

“He was,” said Jo, giving him a pat. “I nearly dropped him. Well — what’s the next move?”

“We’ll hunt round this queer little cove a bit and see if there’s any place we can hide,” said Julian. “You go that way, George, and we’ll go this.”

They parted, and began to hunt for a hiding-place. As far as Julian and Dick could see there was none at all, at least on the side they were exploring. The sea swept into the cove, swelling and subsiding — and just outside the great waves battered on to the rocks. There was certainly no chance of swimming out.

There was suddenly an excited shriek from George. “JU! Come here. Look what I’ve found!”

They all rushed round to where George was standing, behind a big ledge of rock. She pointed to a great mass of something draped with seaweed.

“A boat! It’s covered with seaweed — but it’s a boat!”

“It’s your boat!” yelled Dick, suddenly, and began to pull the fronds of seaweed madly off the hidden boat. “Markhoff didn’t smash it! It’s here, perfectly all right. He couldn’t find it — it was hidden so well with seaweed — so he just came back to Red and told him a lie.”

“He didn’t smash it!” shouted Jo, and she, too, began to pull away the seaweed. “It’s quite all right — there’s nothing wrong with it. He didn’t smash it!”

The four children were so tremendously surprised and joyful that they thumped each other ridiculously on the back, and leapt about like mad things. They had their boat after all — George’s good, sound boat. They could escape, hip hip hurrah!