Hours went by, and Jack did not come back. The others waited for him, wondering why he had gone off alone and why he had not come back.
“Do you think he’s gone to the village again to get anything?” asked Peggy at last. “Nora says she couldn’t see his boat anywhere on the lake when she looked - and if he was fishing anywhere near, we should easily see him!”
“Oh, dear!” said Mike, worried. “If he goes to that village he’ll be caught again!”
But Jack hadn’t been caught. Something else had happened - something very extraordinary!
Jack Has a Great Surprise
We must go back to Jack and find out what had been happening to him. He had been such a long time away from the island - far longer than he would have been if he had just gone shopping. What could have kept him?
Well, he had got safely in the boat to the far end of the lake, and had tied the boat up to a tree. Then he had slipped through the wood, and taken the road that led to the distant village, five miles away. It would take him nearly an hour and a half to get there, but what fun it would be to do a bit of shopping again!
The boy padded along the wintry road. It was muddy and cold, but he was as warm as toast. He jingled his money in his pocket and wondered if he could buy all he wanted to. He did badly want to get a doll for Nora, for he knew how much she would love it!
He carried the food Peggy had given him, and, when he got near the village, he sat up on a gate and ate it. Then off he went again. He did not think anyone would know him to be one of the runaways, for surely people had forgotten all about them by now! lt was half a year since they had first run off to the island! But he was keeping a sharp look out in case he saw anyone looking at him too closely!
He went into the village. It was a big, straggling one, with a small High Street running down the middle. There were about six shops there. Jack went to look at them. He left the toy and sweet shop till last. He looked at the turkeys in the butcher’s shop, some with red ribbons on. He looked into the draper’s shop and admired the gay streamers that floated all about it to decorate it for Christmas. It was fun to see shops again.