Chapter 19 JO IS VERY SURPRISING
　　'Jo!' said the boys together, and their spirits lifted at once. 'Come on!'
　　There was no one about in the yard. Jo skipped lightly across from the doorway¹ and slipped insidethe shed.
　　'There's a knife in my back pocket,' said Julian. 'Get it out. It would be quicker to cut these ropes thanto untie² them. My word, Jo - I was never so pleased to see anyone in my life!'
　　Jo grinned as she hauled out Julian's sturdy pocketknife. She opened it and ran her thumb lightly overthe blade. It was beautifully sharp. She set to work to saw the blade across the thick rope. It cut easilythrough the fibres.
　　'I waited behind,' she said, rapidly. 'Then I followed when it was safe. But it was very dark and Ididn't like it. Then I came to that door and peeped out. I was glad when I saw you.'
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　　'Good thing the men didn't guess you were there,' said Dick. 'Good old Jo! I take back any nasty thingI've ever said about you!'
　　Jo beamed. She cut the last bit of rope that bound Julian, and he swung himself away from the ironloop and began to rub his stiff, aching wrists. Jo set to work on Dick's bonds. She soon had those cutthrough, too.
　　'Where's George?' she asked, after she had helped Dick to rub his wrists and arms.
　　'Up in that tower,' said Julian. 'If we dared to go out in that yard you could look up and see her.
　　And there's poor old Tim, look - half-doped - lying in that summerhouse place over there.'
　　'I shan't let him be shot,' said Jo. 'He's a nice dog. I shall go and drag him down into those cavesunderground.'
　　'Not now!' said Julian, horrified³. 'If you're seen now, you'll spoil everything. We'll all be tied up then!'
　　But Jo had already darted⁴ over to the summer-house and was fondling poor old Timmy.
　　The slam of a door made the boys jump and sent Jo into the shadows at the back of the summerhouseat once. It was Red, coming across the yard!
　　'Quick! He's coming over here!' said Dick, in a panic. 'Let's get back to the iron loops and put ourhands behind us so that he thinks we're still bound.'
　　So, when Red came over to the door of the shed, it looked exactly as if the boys still had their handstied behind them. He laughed.
　　'You can stay here till the police come!' he said. Then he shut the shed door and locked it. He strolledover to the helicopter and examined it

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