She knew that the others would feel certain she would never sign herself that— and she hoped it would warn them that something queer was up.
The man took the note and fastened it to Tim's collar.
The dog growled all the time, but George kept telling him not to bite.
"Now tell him to go and find your friends," said the man.
"Find Dick and Anne," commanded George.
"Go on, Tim. Find Dick and Anne. Give them the note."
Tim did not want to leave George, but there was something very urgent in her voice.
He took one last look at his mistress, gave her hand a lick and sped off down the passage.
He knew the way now.
Up the rocky steps he bounded and into the open air. He stopped in the old yard, sniffing.
Where were Dick and Anne?
He smelt their footsteps and ran off, his nose to the ground.
He soon found the two children out on the rocks.
Dick was feeling better now and was sitting up.
His cheek had almost stopped bleeding.
"Hallo," he said in surprise, when he saw Tim.
"Here's Timothy!
Why, Tim, old chap, why have you come to see us?
Did you get tired of being underground in the dark?"
"Look, Dick— he's got something twisted into his collar," said Anne, her sharp eyes seeing the paper there.
"It's a note. I expect it's from the others, telling us to go down.
Isn't Tim clever to bring it?"
Dick took the paper from Tim's collar. He undid it and read it.
"Dear Dick and Anne," he read out aloud,
"We've found the gold.
Come on down at once and see it.
Georgina."
"Oooh!" said Anne, her eyes shining.
"They've found it.
Oh Dick— are you well enough to come now?
Let's hurry."
But Dick did not get up from the rocks.
He sat and stared at the note, puzzled.
"What's the matter?" said Anne, impatiently.
"Well, don't you think it's funny that George should suddenly sign herself
‘Georgina’?" said Dick, slowly.
"You know how she hates being a girl, and having a girl's name.
You know how she will never answer if anyone calls her Georgina.
And yet in this note she signs herself by the name she hates.
It does seem a bit funny to me.
Almost as if it's a kind of warning that there's something wrong."
"Oh, don't be so silly, Dick," said Anne.
"What could be wrong?
Do come on."
"Anne, I'd like to pop over to that inlet of ours to make sure there's no one else come to the island," said Dick.
"You stay here."
But Anne didn't want to stay there alone.
She ran round the coast with Dick, telling him all the time that she thought he was very silly.
But when they came to the little harbour, they saw that there was another boat there, as well as their own. It was a motor-boat!
Someone else was on the island!