15 A disappointment for the men
　　Tins were opened once more, and Kiki gave a delighted chortle at the sight of her favouritepineapple. Lucy-Ann pressed close to Jack¹.
　　‘What happened to you? I can’t wait to hear. Tell me quickly.’
　　‘Let me have a bite first,’ said Jack irritatingly, knowing quite well that all the others werelonging to hear his news. But as he was longing² just as much to tell it as they were to hear it, hesoon began his story.
　　‘So the plane’s back!’ exclaimed Philip, as Jack began to tell everything. ‘Both men back too?’
　　Jack told of the four men. Lucy-Ann was distressed³ to hear about the poor prisoner.
　　‘I’m beginning to see daylight,’ said Philip at last. ‘Somewhere in this valley is hidden treasure– maybe stuff belonging to the people whose houses have been burnt. Those two men heard aboutit, and somehow managed to get a map that showed them the hiding place. But they can’t find it bythat map, so they’ve got hold of somebody who knows the way.’
　　‘That’s it,’ said Jack. ‘He’s foreign. Maybe he once belonged to this valley, and even hid thethings himself. They’ve captured him and mean to make him show them the hiding-place. They’renot giving him anything to eat or drink till he shows them what they want to know’
　　‘Brutes!’ said Dinah, and the others agreed with her.
　　‘Do you think he will show them?’ asked Lucy-Ann.
　　‘I hope he will for his own sake,’ said Jack. ‘And I’ll tell you what I propose. I propose thatsomehow or other one or more of us follow them, and see where this hiding place is. The mencan’t possibly take everything away at once. We might be able to get help, and save the rest of thestuff being stolen by the men. It can’t belong to them.’
　　‘What do you think the stuff can be?’ asked Lucy-Ann, visions of gold bars and beautiful jewelsfloating in her mind.
　　‘Can’t tell you,’ said Jack. ‘I think we’re somewhere in the depths of Europe, where war hasbeen, and as you know, plenty of treasure of all kinds was hidden in odd places by many, manypeople, good and bad. My guess is that it’s something of that kind these men are after. They speakEnglish, but they’re not English. Perhaps from South America? Goodness knows.’

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