I hadn’t seen anybody around the citadel and thought maybe the Japanese were going to take them by surprise—and I was right, as I found out later. Plunk had been on watch, and because he was all tired out he had gone to sleep for a few minutes. My yell woke him up, and the rest of them, too. After that things moved fast.
I got to shore and made a dash for some clothes. I wanted more on than a towel if there was going to be a fight. Pants and a shirt aren’t exactly armor, but fighting with nothing on at all does make you feel sort of exposed. I ducked up the stairs, and as I went I happened to look across to the other side of the island. There came wallowing another raft with two Japanese on it. We were being attacked from two sides.
I gave another yell. Mark came rushing out and saw what was going on.
“G-g-git into your clothes quick,” says he; and I did.
When I came out both rafts were near the shore and Mark and Plunk and Binney were shooting at them with their slingshots, but their attention was divided. I joined in with Plunk, but in a jiffy we saw a third raft coming for the end of our island with The Man Who Will Come on it. Three sides to defend!
“Ho, Mark!” I yelled. “Here comes another detachment.”
He just took one look. “Make for the citadel,” says he. “Up-stairs, quick, and p-p-pull the stairs after you.”
My, but he was excited! and the way he stuttered sounded like hail falling on a tin roof.
We didn’t lose a minute, but made for the stairs and hauled them up. When we were safe on the second floor Plunk says:
“What’s this for? Now they can land all they want to.”