"I'll stay here and keep watch, and you and the girls can go and get your dinner," said Andy. "Don't light a fire, whatever you do—the enemy will see the smoke. Use the stove if you want to cook anything. Bring me something to eat and drink later."
"Right," said Tom, and he and the girls wriggled off the high ledge. They stood upright as soon as they were out of sight of the seaplane and tore to their shack.
They ate a hurried meal, and did not cook anything at all. They made up a dinner-packet for Andy and set off to take it to him.
But half-way there they heard a noise. R-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r! R-r-r-r-r-r-r-r! R-r-r-r-r-r-r! They stopped at once and listened.
"It's the seaplane going off!" cried Tom—and then the sound came again, more loudly than ever. R-R-R-R-R-R-R.
"Look—it's there!" cried Jill. "Drop flat to the ground or we'll be seen!"
Jill had seen the seaplane just rising into the air over the cliff. The three children dropped flat to the ground and lay there perfectly still. The seaplane roared over their island, rose higher and higher, and at last was nothing but a speck in the sky.
"What a narrow escape!" said Tom, sitting up and wiping his forehead. "Golly! My heart did go bump I I've split the water I was carrying for Andy. I'll have to get some more!"
"It was a shock to see that enormous plane coming!" said Jill. "Oh dear—if we have many more shocks, my hair will turn grey!"