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."But the sea was too strong, and however hard Wake-Robin and Colin rowed, they could get nowhere.The coast was lost in a haze of rain."Hold on!" said Darach, as the tiny boat was pitched mercilessly from wave to wave."It's just a squall!" he assured them."Squall, my foot," shouted Colin above the wind."It's practically a force nine gale."On and on they were swept by the wind and water, until at last, after almost an hour of tossing and whirling, the sea subsided and the wind died down.The coast was now a distant line on the horizon – an unfamiliar line."Drat it," said Darach."We've been blown too far North.Where on earth are we, Wake-Robin?" The little man shrugged."Oh that's a blow," said Darach."If he doesn't know, who does? Well we'd better make for the land and try and find someone to tell us."A few minutes later they had landed on a sandy beach, with a fly- infested line of seaweed stinking in the sun.The cloud was still directly inland, so they set off over the dunes towards it, leaving the battered boat on the sand.The wind whistled in the grass as they walked, and hares bounded up in front of them."I'm hungry," said Graham, after a while."I'm starving," said Colin."Me too," agreed Gwen."I must admit I'm rather peckish myself," said Darach, "but I'm afraid -" He stopped."What on earth -"Rising up over the next dune was a vast green and yellow shape, undulating and flapping."What's that?" asked Colin."It's like a huge jellyfish," said Graham.They stood and watched the thing grow bigger and bigger, becoming rounder all the time.Then Colin began to laugh."It's a balloon," he said."It's a hot air balloon."He ran up the dune and sure enough, not a hundred yards ahead of him was a large green and yellow painted balloon, being inflated by means of a fire.Two men were trying to control its antics as it swelled, but they were quickly losing their mastery over the monster."Marius," cried one, "I can't hold her!""Nor I, Montgomery, she's going," the other replied."Quickly," said Colin to Graham, who had by now joined him on the top of the dune."Let's give them a hand."They sprinted across the sand to where the men battled with the balloon."Can we help?" asked Colin."Good man," came the breathless answer."Grab a line and fasten it to one of the mooring pegs.And you too, sir."With a great deal of struggle they tamed the bucking creature, which was by now fully inflated.While one of the men extinguished the fire that had provided the hot air to inflate the balloon, and roped up the basket, the other thanked Colin and Graham profusely."I'm Marius, by the way," he said, "and that's my brother Montgomery."The brothers were almost identical, both tall and skinny, with slightly vacant expressions and weak chins, each with a long scarf wrapped around his neck, blowing in the wind."We're explorers," Montgomery explained."Hopping here and there," said the other."Free as a bird.""Devil may care.""Catch us if you can."Darach had joined them towards the end of the conversation."Can you tell us where we are?" he asked hurriedly."I believe I can, sir," said Marius."I'm very much afraid this is the Northern Marches, the realm of the Black Wolf.We landed, you understand, to make a few repairs, and have no intention of staying.They'll have seen us land, of course.""We're rather conspicuous," said Montgomery."Quite.""So we'll have to be off." Darach turned to the children."So will we.It's as I feared.We've come too far north for safety.Back to the boat!""But why?" said Gwen."The Black Wolf is in league with the Cloud.He'll be on the lookout for us – the horsemen will have warned him.Come on!"Suddenly there was a shout."Halt!""Whoops a daisy!" said Marius."Surrounded," said Montgomery."On all sides," added the other.Soldiers appeared from over the dunes, dozens of them.Each of them bore the design of a wolf's head upon his chest."What now?" hissed Colin."The balloon," whispered Darach."Back off towards the balloon." Slowly they edged towards the balloon.The soldiers advanced."Don't make a move if you want to live!" the leader of the soldiers ordered."You're a fine catch.I think the Wolf'll be pleased with you lot.""Now!" yelled Darach, and bundled the children into the basket."The ropes, Robin! Cut the ropes!"Wake-Robin slipped a knife from his belt and cut the nearest of the four ropes.The soldiers rushed down the dunes, but the dry, loose sand gave way under their heavy boots and many of them fell flat on their faces.Marius and Montgomery ran around in circles shouting: "Stop thieves! Our balloon! What are you doing? Stop it!"The second rope was cut.The basket lurched, and the balloon pulled at the remaining ropes, sensing freedom.The third rope was cut.Graham nearly fell out of the basket.Robin began sawing at the final rope.A soldier ran towards him, his sword slicing the wind."Stand away from that rope," he shouted.Robin took no notice.Darach looked on, helpless.Suddenly he remembered something.He rummaged in his pocket and, yelling "Catch!" to the children, threw a white object into the air.Colin leaned out of the lurching basket and caught it.It was the candle.At that moment the soldier swung his sword at Robin's head.The little man ducked between the soldier's legs and his sword blade slashed through the final mooring rope.The balloon surged upwards
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