There were the rest of the little boats, still upturned. Nobody was about at all. As far as Andy could see, the stolen boat had not been missed. Good!
Andy let the rest of the children look down to the beach. Tom was pleased. "As long as our boat isn't missed we are all right," he said. "I should think the enemy feel they are so safe here that it just doesn't enter their heads that a boat might be taken. I don't believe they'll ever miss it."
"I hope you're right," said Andy. "But it doesn't do to think the enemy is careless or stupid. We must think they are smart and clever, and try to be the same ourselves. Now let's wriggle along to the next bit of cliff—and you girls can see the submarines. That will be a sight for you!"
Going very slowly and cautiously indeed the four of them made their way under bushes and bracken to the top of the next cliff. They all lay on their tummies and peeped between the tall bracken. The girls drew a long breath of surprise.
"Golly!" said Jill. "One—two—three—four—five-six—seven—however many submarines are there! And all of them marked with the crooked cross."
"An enemy submarine base so near our own land!" said Mary. "And nobody knows it!"
"Where's your camera, Tom?" whispered Andy, Tom had it round his shoulder. Carefully he took it out of its waterproof case and set it for taking distant pictures.
"It's got the seaplane on the first two negatives," said the boy in a low tone. "I'll fill up the rest of the film with photos of the submarines. The pictures can easily be made larger when we get home. Then nobody can disbelieve us, or say we made it all up!"
Click! went the camera. "One picture taken," said Tom. "I got in those two big submarines together, just over there."
Click! Click! Click! Click! Tom was as careful as he could be to take good photographs. Soon the whole film was used. "I'll wait till I get back to the hut and then in wind off the film in a dark comer," said the boy. "That's a spot of good work done!"