"It's a match that hasn't very long been struck," said Andy. "And it is lying on sand that has been covered and uncovered by the tide since we've been working on the boat this morning. Well—has any of us struck a match and thrown it down? No—we haven't! Then who has?"
"Oh, Andy—surely you are mistaken," said Jill, looking ready to cry. "Nobody else has been here. We should have seen them."
"I'm wondering if anyone has been here whilst we were fetching the rugs and the food," said Andy, looking all round. "I don't like it—and, oh golly—look at that set of footprints in the sand over there! They are not our footprints!"
The four children gazed at the set of large footprints. Whoever made them had been wearing nailed boots—and the children all wore rubber shoes.
The girls were frightened. Yes—someone had been on the. beach whilst they had left it to get rugs and food. But Who? And where was he?
"Well—let's get the boat launched and hope to get away before we're stopped," said Andy. "Come on—we'll do without the sail."
They ran to the boat and took hold of the rope to drag it down to the sea—but even as they took hold of it, a loud voice shouted to them from round the corner of the cliff.
"Stop! Halt!"
The children stopped hauling the boat and stared round. They saw the enemy—four of them! One of them was the man who spoke English, and it was he who was shouting.
The children stared in fright at the four men, who came quickly over the beach. They spoke to one another in a foreign language. Then the first man spoke again.