FIVE RUN AWAY TOGETHER - by Enid Blyton

21 A VISIT TO THE POLICE STATION

ANNE liked Jennifer very much, and gave her a hug and a kiss. Jennifer looked round the well-furnished cave in amazement and wonder, and then she gave-a scream of surprise and joy. She pointed to Anne's neatly-made bed, on which sat a number of beautiful dolls, and a large teddy-bear.

''My dolls!" she said. "Oh, and Teddy, too! Oh, oh, where did you get them? I've missed them so! Oh Josephine and Angela and Rosebud and Marigold, have you missed me?"

She flung herself on the dolls. Anne was very interested to hear their names. "I've looked after them well," she told Jennifer. "They're quite all right."

"Oh, thank you," said the little girl, happily. "I do think you're all nice. Oh, I say, what a lovely breakfast!"

It was. Anne had opened a tin of salmon, two tins of peaches, a tin of milk, cut some bread and butter, and made a big jug of cocoa. Jennifer sat down and began to eat. She was very hungry, and as she ate, she began to lose her paleness and look rosy and happy. .

The children talked busily as they ate. Jennifer told them about herself.

"I was playing in the garden with my nurse," she said, "and suddenly, when nurse had gone indoors to fetch something, a man climbed over the wall, threw a shawl round my head, and took me away. We live by the sea, you know, and I soon heard the sound of the waves splashing on the shore, and I knew I was being put into a boat. I was taken to a big ship, and locked down in a cabin for two days: Then I suppose I was brought here one night. I was so frightened that I screamed."

"That was the scream we heard," said George. "It was lucky we heard it. We had thought there was smuggling going on here, in our island, we didn't guess it was a case of kidnapping, till we heard you scream, though we had found your trunk with your clothes and toys."

"I don't know how the man got those," said Jennifer. "Maybe one of our maids helped him. There was one I didn't like at all. She was called Sarah Stick."

"Ah!" said Julian, at once. "That's the one, then! It was Mr. and Mrs. Stick who brought you here. Sarah Stick, your maid, must be some relation of theirs. They must have been in the pay of someone else, I should think, someone who had a ship, and could bring you here to hide you."

"Jolly good hiding-place, too," said George. "No one but us would ever have found it out."

They ate all their breakfast, made some more cocoa, and discussed their future plans.

"We'll take our boat and go to the mainland this morning," said Julian. "We'll go straight to the police-station with Jennifer. I expect the newspapers are full of her disappearance, and the police will recognise her at once."

"I hope they catch the Sticks," said George. "I hope they won't disappear into thin air as soon as they hear that Jennifer is found."

"Yes, we must warn the police of that," said Julian, thoughtfully. "Better not spread the news abroad till the Sticks are caught. I wonder where they are."

"Let's get the boat now," said Dick. "There's no point in waiting about. Jennifer's parents will be thrilled to know she is safe."

"I don't really want to leave this lovely cave," said Jennifer, who was thoroughly enjoying herself now. "I wish I lived here, too. Are you going to come back to the island and live here, Julian?"

"Well, we shall come back for a few days more, I expect," said Julian. "You see, our aunt's home is empty at the moment because she is away ill and our uncle is with her. So we might as well stay on our island till they come back."

"Oh, could I come back with you?" begged Jennifer, her small round face alight with joy at the thought of living in a cave on an island with these nice children and their lovely dog. "Oh, do let me! I would so like it. And I do so love .Timmy."