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.

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Chapter 10: The Raft

"You know," said Jack, "I've been thinking about this ever since we found that black notebook. You know, the one we can't read and with all those diagrams? I really think we might be in grave danger if we're ever found. And, we haven't done anything to try to get off this island yet."

"Go on," said Philip, sensing that Jack had an idea.

"I think we should take those cylinders to a safe spot along the beach, near to our treehouse We could use those as floats and, using the vines and driftwood, we could build a fairly good raft."

"But what good will that do?" asked Dinah. "We don't know where to go."

"I know," said Jack. "It was just a feeling I had, that's all. We could build it and then only use it if we really had to."

"Let's do it," said Philip. The others looked at him in surprise. "I mean, let's build a raft. Why not? We've got nothing else to do, so we might as well do something. We can always sail to that island over there and see if we can get help if nobody comes for us soon. You realise we've been here almost a week now."

Lucy-Ann and Dinah agreed that building the raft would be a good idea. On the way back, they tried to carry the cylinders over the rocks, but found they could only carry one at a time between them. Dinah found a secluded spot under an overhanging cliff not too far from their treehouse.

"Perfect," said Jack. They put the cylinders down out of reach of the waves and went back for the other one. Before leaving them there for the night, the children draped seaweed over them.

"There," said Dinah looking at their handiwork. "Now, unless somebody actually climbs on them, they'll never be found."

The children spent a busy three days in the hot sun building their raft. Every day they went down to the beach and built a bit more of the raft. Philip and Jack showed the girls how to strip the vines and use them to tie driftwood and tree branches to the cylinders.

On the first day, the children managed to secure two large straight branches, almost like logs, to the cylinders. It took all four of them to do it, but they managed it at last.

"Whew," said Jack mopping his forehead. "I thought we'd never get those branches tied down."

That evening the children gathered wood that would be useful in building the raft. The next day they lashed smaller pieces of driftwood and branches to the two supporting beams they put on yesterday. On the third day, Philip and Jack pulled some boards off the treehouse and used those as decking on the raft.

Philip found some flint stone and used some vines and driftwood to make a crude axe. He used this to chop down a small sapling that would make a splendid mast. Philip and Jack erected the mast and held it while the girls tied it tightly to the raft. The children stood back and studied their handiwork. It looked rough, but the children were proud of it.

"Do you think it will float?" asked Lucy-Ann doubtfully.

"Of course it will," said Philip. "Look, those cylinders are empty and water tight. It'll float. Now all we need is a sail."

That night, the children gathered their old clothes and spent the evening sewing them together with Dinah's little sewing kit. They made quite a large sail. Philip tied some vines to the ends so they could control the sail when they were out on the water. In the morning, the children worked until noon, building a boom out of driftwood and vines to hold the sail. Then the children put the sail up and tied it down to the raft. Philip was pleased.

"It should get us to the other island we saw the other day," he said. "Come on, let's store the sail safely under the raft.

After they had done that, the children draped seaweed over the raft to hide it. Then Jack suggested that they really ought to do something about the food.

"What we have won't last long." he said to the others.

"You know," said Phili,. "I really think Jack and I should go tomorrow and get that big sack of food and bring it back here. I should hate to starve."

The girls were a little doubtful, but neither of them wanted to climb back over that hill again. The boys decided they would leave early the next morning and hoped to be back before dark.

The girls got up early the next day and helped the boys pack what they would need.

"Where are my field glasses?" asked Jack. "Oh, there they are. Good. Okay, Philip, got everything? Right, we're off girls. Here, Lucy-Ann, you take Kiki."

Philip gave Dinah Morris the mynah. Dinah found the she quite liked the mynah bird and it would sit on her shoulder for ages. So the boys said goodbye to the girls and climbed down the vine ladder to the pool. A mist was rising off the sea and the boys could tell it was going to be another hot day. They went up by the waterfall and followed the stream until they found the first mark of their trail. They followed their marks easily, although they almost went wrong in one spot. They reached the cleared space at the top of the hill, happy to be there but tired and hot.

After resting, and eating some of the food they'd brought, they set off down the path on the other side. When they reached the grassy area, they became vary cautious. Jack clutched at Philip and silently pointed. Next to Bill's aeroplane sat another, much bigger, aeroplane. It too was covered with netting.

Continues tomorrow...

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