16 Rescue of the prisoner
　　Some while after Jack¹ and Philip had got back to the cave, Lucy-Ann, who was looking outbetween the fern fronds², gave a cry. ‘I say, there’s a man down there! – look, by the waterfall!
　　Two men – no, three!’
　　Jack pulled the string which tied back the fronds and let them swing together to hide the cave.
　　Then, parting the fronds carefully, he looked through.
　　‘I might have guessed they would come back this way, to have another hunt for us here,’ hesaid. ‘Blow them! One – two – three of them. Where’s the prisoner?’
　　‘Fallen by the way, I should think, poor fellow,’ said Philip, peering out too. ‘He looked terriblyfeeble.’
　　The children watched the three men eagerly to see what they meant to do. It was soon clear.
　　Luis and Juan were to go back to their hut, but Pepi was to be left to keep watch on the waterfall,to see who went in and out, and to try and discover the way that was used. The children could nothear what was said, but it was all plain enough.
　　Luis and Juan departed. Where the prisoner was nobody could guess. Pepi sat down on a rockthat overlooked the waterfall, just about the level of the ledge³ where the girls had stood the daybefore.
　　‘Blow!’ said Jack. ‘How can we get in and out without being seen? It’s true he’s got his back tous, but he might turn round at any time.’
　　Lucy-Ann began to worry about the prisoner. ‘Suppose he has fallen down on the way, and themen have left him there,’ she said. ‘He’d die, wouldn’t he?’
　　‘I suppose so,’ said Jack, feeling anxious too.
　　‘But Jack, we can’t leave him to die,’ said Lucy-Ann, her eyes big with horror. ‘You know wecan’t. I shan’t rest till I know what’s happened to him.’
　　‘I feel rather like that too,’ said Jack, and the others nodded. ‘There was something awful aboutthe hopeless way he sat. I’m sure he was ill.’
　　‘But how can we find out what’s happened to him, whilst that fellow down there is guardingthis place?’ said Philip gloomily.
　　Everyone fell silent. It was a puzzler. Then Lucy- Ann brightened up. ‘I know,’ she said.
　　‘There’s one certain way of making sure Pepi doesn’t see anyone creeping out of this cave.’

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