commander walker was just in time to catch Jim as he tried to climb into the Goblin.
'he's had a bit of a shock,'said Daddy.'leave him alone.Don't ask questions.'And then Daddy himself asked Jim the most important question of all.
'does my wife know?'
Jim looked at them all.at first it seemed that he hadn't understood the question.but then his lips moved...'I couldn't tell her,'he said slowly.'they put me in hospital.
I only got away this morning.'
immediately,John and Susan and the younger children felt better.they knew that Mother would be worried about them,but at least she didn't know what had really happened.
by now they were in the middle of Harwich harbour.the customs man came and talked to them,and checked the ship's papers,and then it was time to go to Pin Mill and meet mother.
'look here,'said Daddy.'the tide's turning.we can't sail up the river against the tide.let 's get everything really tidy,and then we'll use the engine to take us up river.we want everything to look good when we meet your mother.'
everyone,except jim,got to work and soon they were ready to go.
'susan,'said Daddy,'what about inviting mother and Bridget to eat aboard the Goblin?can you get us a meal ready?'
'I got a meal ready for you all last night,'said susan proudly,'out in the middle of the north sea.I think I can manage to get one ready on the river.'
'of course you can,'replied Daddy.
As they sailed up the river to Pin Mill,susan got the meal ready while Daddy spoke to Jim Brading in the cabin and John was again the captain of the Goblin.but when they got near Pin Mill,jim came up out of the cabin.
'I'm going to take her in,'he said.
'there's mother and Bridget,'shouted Roger.
suddenly Daddy hid below the cabin top.'look,'he said,'I don't want to give her too many surprises at once.can you manage without me?'
'I'll take her in,'said Jim Brading,'and John can catch
the buoy-he knows what to do.but I don't know what I'm going to say to Mrs Walker.'
the Goblin came quietly and slowly up to her buoy.John reached down,caught the buoy and tied the rope to fix the Goblin safely to her mooring.Jim disappeared back down into the cabin.
'mother's got a dinghy,'cried Titty.'she's coming to meet us.'
'don't try to tell her everything at once,'said Daddy from his hiding-place in the cabin.
As mother came nearer,the four children were thinking of everything they had to tell her.it was a good thing she hadn't known that they had been to sea alone,and that jim had been in hospital.but she would have to know now.
how could theytell her?they had all promised not to go to sea.And they had all promised to be back in time for tea yesterday.
Mrs Walker stopped her dinghy before she reached the Goblin.she spoke very quietly,but they all knew at once that she was very angry.