The Aeroplane of Adventure

©2009 David Marlor

This novel is based on the characters created by Enid Bylton in the Adventure Series. In this regard, it is the ninth adventure and follows The River of Adventure.

Back | Index | Next

Chapter 1: Eagle Grange and a Shock

Lucy-Ann sat on the station wall swinging her legs in excitement. Her friend, Dinah was also excited, but not so much as Lucy-Ann.

"Oh, I do wish that train would hurry up," said Lucy-Ann, willing the signal to go down, announcing the arrival of the train.

It was a hot sunny summer day. Lucy-Ann and Dinah had arrived at Eagle Grange, their home for the summer, yesterday. The boys' school broke-up later than the girls' and they were now on their way to Eagle Grange by train. With a clang the signal went down and almost immediately a puff of smoke appeared as the train struggled up the hill. As the train slid into the station, Lucy-Ann could see Philip and Jack leaning out of the door of the one and only carriage.

"There they are," yelled Lucy-Ann. "Jack, Jack – hi, we're here! Oh, goodness, Kiki you scared me." Kiki the parrot had flown out of the train window and was now nuzzling up against Lucy-Ann's cheek.

"Naughty boy, naughty boy," said Kiki lovingly. Jack reached out and opened the door as the train slid to a halt. He and Philip jumped down from the train and grinned at the girls.

"Hi, Dinah, hi, Lucy-Ann," said Philip as he gave his sister an affectionate hug. "My, you've grown since we last saw you." Dinah pulled away as quickly as she could because she was never sure what strange pets Philip would have on him. Philip was as year older than Dinah, who had just turned thirteen. Lucy-Ann, the youngest, was twelve. Her brother Jack, who was mad about birds, was the same age as Philip.

"Where's Mother and Bill?" asked Philip looking around.

"Mother's at the house," said Dinah, as they walked out of the station and into the forecourt. "Mother has a little workshop set against the cliff behind the main house. She says that she can do some work and take it once a week to the village. I think she has a big order or something because she was working really hard when we left this morning. Bill's not here yet. Mother said that he has been delayed by some hush-hush job he's on. I don't know when he'll get here." Both boys were disappointed to hear that Bill wasn't there yet.

They had had some fine adventures with Bill and had grown very fond of him now. He had introduced himself to the children as Bill Smugs when they first found him hiding out on a job in a tumble down shack near Craggy-Tops. Since then, he had rescued them a few times from danger and they had rescued him a few times. The children were delighted, when one summer after a cruise through the Aegean sea, Bill had married Dinah and Philip's mother. Dinah and Philip's mother adopted Lucy-Ann and Jack years before. So they were all one big family now. But nobody called Bill "Father" – it didn't sound right. He would always be Bill Smugs to them. Always.

"l say, this is a remote place," said Philip, looking around approvingly. "We had to wait ages for a train to this station. It's a funny little train too for it stopped at every station and the guard dropped off the post or milk and picked up messages and gossip. I thought we'd never get here."

"Yes," said Dinah as she took the reins of the pony and trap. "It's a little old-fashioned around here, but Mother says that it's the perfect place to spend the summer holidays."

It was true. Eagle Grange, the house Mrs. Cunningham had taken, was in a lonely part of England. She knew how much the children enjoyed rambling about the countryside and watching birds and animals. Dinah and Lucy-Ann had been a bit doubtful at first, but after exploring for a day, they soon found that it was great fun. There was no car. The only means of transportation was an old piebald pony and a rickety old trap. The train came twice a day to the lonely little station. But other than that, they were all alone. There was no postal service, there was no milk delivery, there was no maid service. If they wanted anything, they had to take the train twenty miles to the nearest village. Luckily, the house was well stocked.

Dinah made a clicking sound with her tongue and the pony obediently set off at a brisk trot up the narrow country lane. Eagle Grange was set on the hillside overlooking the valley, about two miles from the station.

It really was a beautiful day to start their holidays. Philip leaned against the side of the old trap enjoying the June sunshine. Coming down the lane towards them was a fair haired girl with plaits riding on a pony. She smiled at them as she rode by and they in turn waved back. The children and the girl heard the sound of a Pewit off to the side of the road. The girl stopped her pony and listened. As the children rounded a bend in the lane, they saw a boy crossing a stile. He called a cheerful good morning to them, whistled the call of the Pewit again and then ran towards the girl on the Pony. "Hi Peter," he said, and the rest of his words were lost due to the sound of a waterfall at the side of the road.

Kiki left Jack's shoulder and flew up to meet a young gull that was circling them, hoping for some left over food from Lucy-Ann's chocolate bar.

"Open your book at page six," announced Kiki in a solemn tone to the startled gull. The gull kept its distance, not sure what to think of Kiki. Jack laughed and called Kiki back to him. She came at once and settled on his shoulder, crackling her beak lovingly. Jack stroked the bird's poll and gazed around at the lovely countryside. They were on a steep lane, climbing out of the valley and winding along the side of a steep wooded hill.

"What's that?" asked Jack, suddenly pointing up the valley.

Everybody squinted their eyes. In the distance was a black cloud piling up against the deep blue sky.

"It looks like smoke," said Dinah at last, "but, there's nothing up there but... Oh, no, it can't be." But as they rounded the corner, they could see the flames burning bright orange through the roof of Eagle Grange. Jack and Philip jumped off the trap and started running up the lane. Dinah pushed the pony to go as fast it as it could. Lucy-Ann look scared. "Oh, goodness, I hope Aunt Allie is all right," she kept repeating to herself.

Jack and Philip ran as fast as they could up the steep lane. They could smell the smoke now as it drifted down the valley. The sound of the fire crackling and beams snapping came horribly on the quiet summer air. They both had one thought on their minds – Aunt Allie was she all right? Kiki, sensing the urgency, give a screech and flew off Jack's shoulder and towards the burning house.

Dinah and Lucy-Ann soon caught up to the two boys, who by now were panting and almost doubled over. Lucy-Ann looked at the little window in the roof off the house, which until recently was her room. She felt tears in her eyes at the sight of the beautiful old house being demolished by fire.

They got as close as they could to the house. Shielding their face from the heat, the boys ran around the side of the building, between the house and the cliff.

"Mother!" yelled Philip. "Mother, where are you?"

"Aunt Allie," shouted Jack, his face burning from the heat of the flames. Jack thought he heard a faint shout coming from the back of the house. He nudged Philip. "This way, come on."

In the back of the house, the flames didn't seem as big. Smoke poured out of several windows. Jack could hear another faint cry. That sounded like "help," thought the boy. Philip grabbed Jack's arm and pointed up to a second floor window. There was less smoke coming out of that window than the others. Kiki, perched on the ledge near a window, yelled "Fire!, Fire!" for all she was worth. When she saw Jack, she flew down to him, screeching. She flapped around his head and then back up to the window as if to say, "Up here, hurry, hurry!"

Jack looked around in a panic. In a corner of the yard he found a wooden ladder. He ran over and dragged it, with Philip's help and placed it under the window. Then he tore off his shirt and soaked it in a pail of water standing near the shed. Then he wrapped it around his face. Philip realised what he was doing and quickly did the same. Dinah and Lucy-Ann ran into the yard.

"Dinah, we think Mother's in the room up there. Run down to the station and get help. There must be a telephone there. Lucy-Ann, go out front and wait there for us," ordered Philip, urgently, the words tumbling over themselves. Philip was breathless and beside himself with anxiety. Dinah and Lucy-Ann turned and ran. Jack was already up the ladder and peering into the room.

"Jack! What can you see?"

"She's there, Philip. She's there on the floor. Aunt Allie, Aunt Allie, can you hear me? Philip, hold the ladder, I'm going in." Just as he said that, there came a huge splintering crash as part of the roof collapsed. A rush of hot air almost blew Jack back off the ladder, He managed to hold on. He pulled away some of the broken glass and then carefully crawled through the window and into the room. He flopped on the floor right beside Aunt Allie. Jack looked at her carefully. She was breathing, but seemed to be unconscious. Jack wasn't sure if he could lift her.

Smoke was stating to fill the room faster now and Jack knew he didn't have much time. He grabbed Aunt Allie by her arms and dragged her closer to the window.

"Philip, I've got her, but I need your help." Philip was up the ladder in seconds and between the two of them they managed to get his unconscious mother over his shoulder. Philip went down the ladder cautiously. Jack waited anxiously, watching as Philip made his way down. When Philip was down, Jack climbed out and joined Philip on the ground. Between the two of them, they carried Aunt Allie around the front of the house and away from the fire.

"Lucy-Ann, bring the pony and trap over," said Jack. Lucy-Ann took the reins and led the pony over. Soon they had Aunt Allie laying down as comfortably as possible in the trap. Jack took the reins and clicked the pony into a fast trot down the steep lane, away from the burning ruin of Eagle Grange. As they set off towards the station, Mrs Cunningham started to come around. "What... fire?" she whispered shakily.

"Shush," said Philip, relieved his mother was conscious. "Don't speak. You're safe. Dinah's gone for help."

Mrs Cunningham was soon feeling much better and insisted on sitting up. "Oh my," she moaned as she looked back at the house. She looked at the boys, wide-eyed. "I just... I don't know what happened. I went into the library to get a book and then I suddenly smelt smoke. It happened so quickly. Oh, my."

Philip sensed that his mother was in shock. He held her tightly and looked over her head at a worried Jack. As Jack stared back at Philip, his eye caught something glinting on the hillside opposite, over Philip's right shoulder. Jack wondered what it was. He looked around for his field glasses, but they'd left them behind at Eagle Grange when they rescued Aunt Allie. He didn't say anything to Philip.

They met Dinah running back up from the station. "I called and an ambulance is on the way, we can meet it at the station. It has to come that way anyway – there's no other way through." They went on in silence, each one thinking the same thing. Thank goodness Aunt Allie is all right, but now where were they going to spend their holidays.

Continues tomorrow...

Back | Index | Next