Swallows and Amazons Page #5

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[John:
] We'll go back.

She'll be worried.

[Peggy:
] Look.

What's that?

[Nancy:
] It's a lighthouse.

Very thoughtful of them.

- Stand by to jibe.

- Aye aye, sir.

[Owl hoot]

[Owl hoot]

[Hoots]

- Are you cold, Roger?

- Rather.

[John:
] Thank goodness

we can sail at last.

I'm going to raise the sail and reef.

Even Father said not to be ashamed

to reef a small boat in the dark.

[Hoots]

[Hoots]

Almost exactly southeast.

Now we'll have to tack

all the way back,

but short tacks

so as not to hit the shore.

But how are we going to know

how far we've gone?

I'll count 100 on each tack.

Susan, you'd better

snuggle down now.

I'll take the main sheet.

I'll need your help

among the islands off Rio.

One,

two,

three.

Six,

seven,

eight.

[Nancy:
]

Watch the boom, Peggy.

Jolly good idea of theirs

to put lights on the marks.

What beats me

is how they got here before us.

[Peggy:
] But they went up the river.

They must have rowed like smoke.

- It's unbelievable.

- Hey! Why isn't Swallow in the harbour?

They must have left her

in the landing place,

lit the lights

and then scooted off to camp.

I bet they'll pretend

they've been there for hours and hours.

Come on, let's give them a fright.

Ahoy, Swallows!

Swallows, ahoy!

[Owl hoot]

- Ahoy there, Swallows!

- Swallows, ahoy!

Swallows, ahoy!

Ahoy!

Swallows, ahoy!

Where on earth are they?

She must have drifted.

- You can't have beached her properly.

- Me?

She can't have drifted

against the wind.

Then we've been done.

They've outwitted us.

- The Swallows?

- Who else, you chump-headed galoot?

What are we going to do?

We should be in bed.

- If we don't go to breakfast in the morning.

- Oh, shut up, Peggy.

98,

99,

Ready, about.

One,

two.

[Roger:
] Wouldn't Titty have liked this?

Liked what?

Sailing like this in the dark.

[John:
] Five,

six,

seven,

eight,

nine.

[John:
]

57,

58,

59,

60,

[Wind blowing]

What's the matter?

Can't you hear it?

The wind in the trees.

We must be near the bank.

Quick Susan, lower the sail.

Roger catch the yard,

it comes down.

[Susan:
]

Ow!

[John:
]

Give me the painter.

It's a landing stage, thank goodness.

What are we going to do now?

Stay here till first light.

What about Titty?

She's at the camp. She'll be all right.

She's got a tent.

[Indistinct man's voice]

[Man:
]

We must be near it now.

[2nd man:
]

Not yet.

Look at the light.

Those kids are on the other island.

Another 100 yards at least.

- Damn! Blast!

Give us a hand.

I don't see why

we couldn't have taken it with us.

Ugh! Damn.

That motorbike,

we'll bring a car next week.

Blast it. Why didn't you bring a chisel

to smash it open?

- It'll take more than a chisel.

- Yeah. I just hope it'll be worth it.

It's heavy enough.

Whatever he keeps in there

must be worth having.

Come on, then.

Let's get away from here.

[John:
] It's Amazon.

[Susan:
] She's adrift.

[John:
]

No, she's at anchor.

[Roger:
] It's Amazon! It's Amazon!

[John:
] Shh.

They must be asleep.

[Roger:
]

It's Titty! It's Titty!

I've got her! I've got her!

[Susan:
] Hooray! Well done!

[John:
] Well done, Titty!

Hooray, we've won the war!

[Orchestral music]

Ahoy, Swallows!

Ahoy!

Look!

[Nancy and Peggy:]

Ahoy, Swallows!

What are they doing?

[Titty:
] Nancy looks

as if she's dancing with rage.

What's that thing fluttering there?

[Nancy and Peggy:]

Swallows, ahoy!

[Susan:
]

It's one of our blankets.

They're surrendering!

It's a white flag.

lt doesn't look very white to me.

Swallows! Swallows!

[John:
]

Ready, about.

Hurry up.

Do you surrender?

We jolly well do.

But hurry up.

[John:
] No trickery.

- Honest pirate.

Honest Indian too?

Honest Indian.

Honest anything you like, but hurry up.

We're supposed to be in bed.

[John:
] Captain Nancy,

which ship is the flagship?

Swallow is.

Yours was a great plan.

lt was luck, really.

[John:
]

Titty was the real hero.

By thunder, Able Seaman,

I wish you were in my crew.

Nancy, we must be going.

Goodness, I forgot.

We'll see you later.

Mother says we can come

and camp here tonight.

- Bye.

- Bye.

Roger, time you were in bed.

But it's tomorrow.

I don't care if it's the day

before yesterday. Quick march.

Mother?

I think I ought to talk to you.

I'll say you should.

Why were you back so late last night?

You know, after I left Titty

I spent a long time on the lookout for you.

We didn't get back till morning.

Oh, the Blacketts

made you spend the night.

Poor Titty.

lt wasn't poor Titty at all.

She did better than the rest of us.

She captured the Amazon

all by herself.

Where were the Blacketts?

On Wildcat Island.

And where were you?

Well, we were up the Amazon River,

where they live,

and it got too dark.

We had to wait

until it was light enough to see again.

Don't you think,

that was very nearly like being duffers?

Well, it was rather,

but it was war and our only chance.

I promise

we won't stay out at night again.

Anyway, there's no need.

The war's over and we've won.

And nobody caught a cold or anything.

All right.

But no more sailing at night

and no more scrapes of any kind.

We've only got two days left

and I don't want to hear of any of you

getting into any more trouble.

[Man:
]

Names and addresses, please.

My name is John Walker.

Name,

Walker.

- Address?

- Here.

- Where?

- Here.

Now, that won't do.

Where do you live?

In these tents.

- Now, look here, stop this nonsense.

You've gone too far this time,

I've had enough.

Enough of what, Uncle Jim?

What the devil

are you two doing here?

What is going on?

Now, then, Miss Nancy, your uncle's

houseboat was burgled last night.

He thinks these children done it.

What rot.

They never had anything to do with it.

- They weren't even here last night.

- We never did anything.

The charcoal burners

told us to warn you.

And we rowed over to tell you.

And you wouldn't listen.

Well, what about that firework

burning Mr Turner's roof, then, eh?

- That was us, not the Swallows.

- You deserved it.

You haven't spoken to us all summer

because of your stupid book.

They tried to warn you,

but you wouldn't listen.

An now you've been burgled,

it serves you right.

You've been an awful pig to John.

Young man, erm...

it's altogether my fault.

I should have known

you were telling the truth.

Anyhow,

I should have listened to you.

I'm very sorry.

It's all right now.

What a cross-grained,

curmudgeonly idiot.

If I'd listened to John.

My boat looked as if half a hundred

wildcats had had a scrimmage in it.

And of course

they took my cabin trunk.

- Was it a heavy one?

- lt was, rather.

Did it have gold ingots in it?

Afraid not.

Typewriter, diaries, old log books.

And worst of all,

the book I've been writing.

About your pirate past?

Ah, well.

[Titty:
] Was it a very good book?

- I doubt it.

Now I might just as well

not have written it.

And been more friendly all summer.

Don't rub it in.

I didn't only come to warn you.

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