Chapter Seven

The end of the adventure!

Julian and Dick raced towards the sound and stopped suddenly, their tracks cut off by a large mining area, sharp stones protruding through the ground. Julian pierced the gloom with his eyes and tried to spot George. A small cry came from below them. It was a sob. "GEORGE? IS THAT YOU?" Shouted Julian.

A muffled voice travelled up to them. "Yes. Please help! I'm stuck down a hole and I've injured myself. Timmy is here, he'll guide your way." George replied, sounding weak.

A bark echoed through the night and Timmy bounded up to them. Dick cried out in surprise and the two boys followed sure-footed Timmy down the steep, stony hill. Finally Timmy stopped and whined. Julian bent down and could see George, lying down with a leg stuck in a small hole, painfully twisted. Dick and Julian gave an exclamation. "Oh poor George! Quickly, lets get you out!"

But no matter how they tried, George was well and truly stuck. And it hurt her every time she moved. They didn't know what to do. "We'll have to get Uncle Quentin to come." Decided Julian.

Dick agreed and they decided that one should stay with George. "I'll go back to the house, you stay here, Dick." Said Julian.

Julian rushed back up the hill, scratching himself on the sharp stones. He finally got to the top and rushed back to Kirrin Cottage.

George and Dick sat, or laid in George's case, in silence. Timmy kept licking George's tear stained face. Yes, although she was shamed to admit it, George had been crying. The pain in her leg was too much even for her! It seemed like years when they heard Julian's voice. "UNCLE QUENTIN IS HERE WITH A POLICEMAN. STAY PUT!" he shouted.

A sound of shouting and stumbling was to be heard and then a policeman and Uncle Quentin appeared in front of them. "Oh father, please get me out!" George cried.

"Don't worry George, just calm down." Quentin said.

The policeman turned on a powerful torch and George was carefully eased out of the hole. She cried in relief and in pain and the policeman called an ambulance. The wailing sound of its siren was to be heard in the night and George was placed on a stretcher and taken away in the ambulance with her father all too quickly. Julian and Dick stared after the ambulance with Timmy. The policeman broke the silence. "I'll escort you back to Kirrin Cottage." He said.

"Thank you." Replied Julian.

Back at Kirrin Cottage, Anne and Aunt Fanny were shocked to hear the news. "Poor, poor George! I hope she's ok!" said Aunt Fanny, really worried.

Julian went to comfort his aunt. "She will be. She's in safe hands now." He said. Fanny smiled.
"I'll get you some hot chocolate." She turned to the policeman, "Would you like a cup of tea?"

The policeman shook his head. "I'll be on my way now. Thank you, anyway." He said.

The children called their thanks and watched as he drove away. "What a busy night." Said Julian, sinking down into an armchair in the living room, "Anne found, George injured. Whatever next?"

"Well, it's certainly been an adventure." Said Dick, sitting in another armchair.

The week passed and at last George came back from hospital with Quentin. Her leg was in plaster, but she looked very happy. "George!" cried Anne in delight, "We missed you so much! How are you?"

George grinned. "My legs badly broken, but the plaster will heal it. I'll have to hobble around in a cast at school now!" she replied.

Julian and Dick clapped her on the back.

"Good old George, brave as any boy." They said, pleased to have such a cousin.

"What happened to you that night, George?" asked Anne.

George sat down with a cup of tea and began to tell them. "I waited for Timmy at the gorse bush but he didn't come. I found an small opening of another tunnel, not nearly big enough for me to climb into, near by and followed it down to the quarry. Timmy was stuck inside the hole and I pulled him out. But my leg twisted when I put it down and I slipped. Then my leg got stuck in a hole. I got all panicky because the pain was so bad and I couldn't move. When I heard Dick and Julian's voice I was so relieved."

The others listened in horror.

"How horrible! You are such a brave soul, George."

"You should have come back and asked us to help you find Timmy!"

"Poor old George. Lets hope your leg gets better!"

Came the exclamations. George smiled weakly. "Well, as Dick said. It certainly has been an adventure!" Julian said.

"Yes, not one of the nicest though," replied Anne.

"Oh, it was probably one of the hardest ones, with all that clue solving and everything. But I enjoyed it. I want more adventures, don't you?" Dick said, looking at George.

George grinned. "I do hope we have more adventures, though not when my legs still in plaster!"