Chapter 3
Ella fell down onto the sand when they reached the cove. The huge figure stared at her and pulled off his hood and scarf. Ella gasped. It was a boy, about Fin's age, but with the strength and body of a man. She must be careful.
"Get up," he said, pulling her over the rocks towards the sea. She looked across the cove to Dad's big new motorboat and Mr Meade's little sailing boat. Was she seeing them for the last time? Was he going to drown her? He stopped suddenly, untied her hands and took off the gag.
"Walk on," he pointed over the rocks. "That way."
"Please don't kill me," she said, and began walking towards the sea.
Would he hit her over the head first, or just hold her down in the water until she drowned? They stopped at the water's edge. She closed her eyes and waited for death.
"Move to the side," came his voice. She opened her eyes. He was pulling a small rowing boat over the rocks to the water's edge. She hadn't seen it and didn't recognize it.
"Get in," he ordered. She got in, and he pushed the boat off.
The sea was rough, but the boy was very strong. Slowly he pulled away from the land. Where were they going? thought Ella. There were only three little islands near the Pengrig headland where the old lighthouse stood. Surely he wasn't taking her there? She wondered where he got the strength to fight against is the high waves. Then she gasped.
He was taking her to Pengrig itself! The rowing boat was getting closer to the cliffs. What was he doing? Everyone knew that the cliffs weren't safe. Huge falls of rock from the headland had left the old lighthouse - it wasn't used now - on the edge of the cliff. There were warning notices everywhere...
The sea was rougher now they were close to the rocks. Then Ella remembered the cave. He was taking her there. She couldn't believe it. Nobody went there after the last big fall of rock - it was too dangerous even in good weather. In this storm, they would both be killed!
"Don't take me there!" she yelled. "We'll die! We’ll both die!"
He went on rowing. The mouth of the cave appeared through the rain. Somehow he got the boat through the opening. It was darker now, and the noise of the sea was louder, more frightening. She could just see the tunnel and the flat rock which the smugglers had once used.
"Get ready to jump out!" the boy shouted above the noise. "Onto the flat rock - when I say 'jump'!"
The boat was moving up and down so much that Ella didn't think she would dare to jump. But when the boy moved the boat closer to the rock and shouted "Now!" she jumped - and landed safely on the flat rock. She got up and stood by the tunnel that led to the upper part of the cave, wondering how the boy would land.
But he was not going to land. He was already rowing back out of the cave!
"Don't leave me here!" she yelled. But he could not hear her now. He was concentrating hard on his almost impossible task. She watched, and again said: "Please don't leave me!" But her voice was much quieter now. It took him a long time to reach the open sea, and Ella watched his huge figure in the small boat until she could no longer see it.