The Mystery of the Secret Caves

By Gerald Holt

When eleven year old Tony and his older brother, Jack are on the ferry to Galiano Island at the start of their summer holiday, Tony sees a pickpocket steal a wallet. The pickpocket, a girl about Tonys age is caught but the wallet cannot be found. The girl makes a daring escape when the ferry docks at the island. Tony thinks she is part of a gang of young thieves led by an older man and a woman.
Tony and Jack set up camp overlooking a popular pleasure boat harbour close to the home of their parents friends from Africa. Their sister Meg is staying with these friends who have a daughter named Sam. Sam believes she has discovered an ancient tunnel and the four children decide to investigate.
Anchored in the harbour is a large motor launch.Tony sees the girl pickpocket on deck. He also sees the man and woman who were on the ferry. On a shopping trip with Sam and her mother Tony and Jack see the gang of thieves stealing wallets and purses and they discover how the gang conceals the stolen items.
Finally, the secret of the ancient tunnel is revealed and leads to an exciting escape and the capture of the gang of thieves.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Nov 19, 2012
• ISBN: 9781479745982

Gerald Holt

Gerald grew up in war-torn Britain during WWII. He watched the RAF spitfires fight the Battle of Britain in the skies overhead and was directly affected by the fighting when the family home was bombed and they had to move, only to find the move ultimately brought them in the direct path of the V-bombs aimed at London. When the war was over he attended the two oldest schools in England. Gerald was in the British army before moving to Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) where he was a Detective Inspector in the police. He moved his family to Canada in 1967 and in 1970 they moved from Montreal to White Rock a small community south of Vancouver where he still lives today.

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Copyright © 2012 by Gerald Holt.

ISBN:             Softcover         978-1-4797-4597-5

                       Ebook               978-1-4797-4598-2

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

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Contents

CHAPTER 1 Almost no Billy

CHAPTER 2 Strange Beginnings

CHAPTER 3 A Daring Escape

CHAPTER 4 Setting up Camp

CHAPTER 5 The Gray Launch

CHAPTER 6 The Girls Investigate

CHAPTER 7 Deep in the Caves

CHAPTER 8 Winkles and a Diver

CHAPTER 9 The Secret Discovered

CHAPTER 10 The Inner Harbour

CHAPTER 11 To Tell or not To Tell

CHAPTER 12 Knife and Paper

CHAPTER 13 Rescue by Moonlight

CHAPTER 14 The Tide comes in

CHAPTER 15 Into the Unknown

CHAPTER 16 A Tight Squeeze

CHAPTER 17 Pancakes and Syrup

CHAPTER 18 The Mod Squad

CHAPTER 1

Almost no Billy

Get out! The voice was angry, high pitched and shrill. Get out!

Tony stopped polishing the dark green frame of his mountain bike and turned in dismay. The angry shouting from across the road could mean only one thing. Jack had done it again. Tony threw down the polishing rag angrily. This could ruin everything.

Behind Tony the kitchen door opened. What’s going on? Mrs. Perry looked down at Tony and then stared up the driveway. Tony! What’s happening?

Tony sighed and pushed his unruly fair hair away from his eyes. He’d never forgive Jack if Billy wasn’t allowed to come.

Tony! I asked you a question, said Mrs. Perry.

Tony was about to answer when the high pitched shouting started again. I want that beast out of here this minute! Do you hear? Out! Out!

Oh, no! Not again. Mrs. Perry glared down at Tony. Who left the gate open?

Tony stared up at his mother. He didn’t know what to say. Mum looked really fierce, her blue eyes blazing angrily. People always said that when Tony was angry he looked just like her. But, before he could open his mouth, Mum continued:

I see. Well, you don’t have to tell me. It must be that scatterbrained brother of yours, always in too much of a hurry to shut anything properly. Anyone would think he was the younger brother.

Tony sighed. It was true. Jack was twelve, a year older than he was, but no matter how many times he was told about slamming doors or making sure the gate was shut properly, he always seemed to forget. The trouble was he was always in too much of a hurry, always in a rush, and he always got caught, well pretty near always, because most of the time the doors in the old farmhouse didn’t shut when he slammed them.

There was Jack now, holding Billy by his collar, and pulling him across the road. Behind him, with a broom raised above her head was Mrs. Tandy. Mrs. Tandy could be quite friendly, but whenever Billy got out of the yard he would race across the road and into Mrs. Tandy’s vegetable garden. Once, as Mrs. Tandy was bending over, weeding, Billy had butted her so hard he’d sent her sprawling face down in a bed of cabbages.

And keep that wretched animal off my property! The old lady waved the broom threateningly as Jack finally managed to pull Billy into the driveway. Wretched animal! she shouted. She turned and stalked off, muttering.

Tony watched as his brother shut the gate and released Billy. Then Jack picked up his bike, which had been lying in the grass near the hedge, and started to run down the driveway. Billy trotted behind.

Jack Perry! I’ve a good mind to tell your father not to let you take that goat with you, said Mum.

Tony groaned. This was just what he’d been worried about. It wasn’t Billy’s fault, Mum.

I know that, Tony. We both know whose fault it was. She glared at Jack. But who knows what problems you’ll get into if Billy goes along with you. Mum shook her head. I’m worried enough about this holiday as it is.

You’re not going to tell Dad, are you, Mum?

I don’t know Tony. I’ll have to see. You two boys are always getting into enough trouble without that goat causing more.

Tony came quickly to his pet’s defense. But it was Billy that helped us capture the drug smugglers, Mum.

That’s just what I mean, said Mrs. Perry. You’re always poking your noses into things that don’t concern you and seeing mysteries where there’s nothing mysterious at all.

Tony decided not to pursue this. He couldn’t agree with Mum, because if he and Jack hadn’t followed the drug smugglers to the Serpentine Fen the drug gang would not have been captured. But he knew Mum didn’t see it that way. It was best to leave it alone.

Why did you do that, Jack? Tony asked his brother after supper. The two boys were wandering through the orchard to the old farm shed they used as a clubhouse. We almost couldn’t take Billy with us.

Sorry, Tony, but the stupid catch on the gate doesn’t work.

That’s because you keep banging it shut. Tony shook his head. Dad’s always telling you to get off your bike and shut it properly. He’s getting really mad having to repair it all the time.

Jack nodded. I know. Anyway, he said, "we can take Billy with us, so it doesn’t matter, does it?"

Billy came trotting up from the stream and Tony offered him a piece of burnt toast. The goat sniffed and then pulled back his lips in a grin.

Come on, Billy! Take it! I’m not going to hold it all night.

Billy took the toast and walked beside Tony, munching happily. Tony was excited. Tomorrow they’d take the early ferry to Galiano Island to begin the summer holiday. Mum and Dad couldn’t stay with them for the first two weeks. Dad had a report to finish and Mum had some designs to complete for a client. So the boys would be camping by themselves for the first time. Megan would be close by, staying with the Liang family, friends of Dad’s from Africa. The Liangs had moved to Canada a year ago, after visiting British Columbia the year before. Tony had met them only once. There was a girl. He could remember her face framed with short, straight black hair, and her black, gently slanting eyes. But what was her name?

What are you thinking about, Tony? You’re not still mad are you?

Tony shook his head. No. I’m trying to remember that girl’s name.

Jack looked puzzled. What girl?

The one Megan’s going to stay with.

Oh, her! So you like her, do you? Jack grinned and started to laugh.

I do not! I just can’t remember her name, that’s all.

Jack stopped laughing. It’s Samantha. But she likes to be called Sam.

Tony glanced sideways at his brother. I think you’re the one who likes her. You seem to know all about her. He ducked and started running as Jack made a grab for him. Jack likes Samantha! Jack likes Samantha! he chanted.

Jack gave chase. Billy followed. Jack was thin and wiry, and a head taller than Tony. He gained on his brother quickly but, just as he reached out to grab Tony’s shoulder, Billy butted him gently behind the knees. Jack went sprawling and lay in the grass as the goat licked his face.

Quit that, Billy! Quit it!

Tony turned back and helped Jack up. Come on, Jack! We have to get the outboard motor onto the boat and then Dad can hitch her onto the SUV.

Okay, Tony. Jack dusted himself off. But don’t go around saying I like Sam. I only remember her name because I heard Dad telling Meg that Sam’s a good sailor. She’s got her own boat and she’s going to teach Meg.

Oh, I see. Tony smiled as he opened the shed door. Come on. Let’s get this stuff loaded.

CHAPTER 2

Strange Beginnings

Do you have everything? Mr. Perry stood at the back door. "If not