June 2000

1 June 2000 : Still here in UK LPRL Office. I might just hang in here for a couple of days to see all the Liliputz Miniaturez are homed before I head of for The Land Of Lilliput again.  ONLY 12  9 to go!! There is some urgent business to take care of in Lilliput with regard to the crooked men working in the Excise Office. Our team of helpers there have requested me to be a court witness to try to get the Excise men arrested and put away for their part in illegally trading in the sale of Miniature dogz, which are sold on as delicacy food to some inhabitants. Although there is a culling order on the dogz which means lots of them could be put down, this is no excuse for the despicable habit of eating them for a delicacy!! If we can round up the little dogz before the Excise men can get their hands on them, at least we can export them to the UK where they can be found  new homes. (btw - I see that pesky Boris the spider is still hanging around up there! - just ignore him!)

2 June 2000 : I need to look into the rumours concerning the Miniature Catz  in Lilliput, and I will call at Lillipo Minor to see Rebecca and the Giant Sheepiez there. This time I will fly straight in by plane, landing at Lillipo Minor air strip. This way I will be able to secretly take a boat to Lilliput. Hopefully my arrival in Lilliput may put us at an advantage if we can keep it quiet from the Excise men -  especially if I can do a little bit of private investigating for a couple of days. One of our Lilliput dogz from consignment ONE was returned today. Natts @ Border Crossing had adopted Rob in April but somehow he just couldn't seem to be happy however much Natts loved and cared for him. We think perhaps he may be pining for a 'lost love' who was left in Lilliput....( or something?? ) I think I will take Rob with me on the next trip out - he will make a good guide and protector!!............ heehee.

3 June 2000 : I think this was Rob's way of telling us he was pleased about going back to Lilliput. He must have a very good reason because not many of the other Lilliput Miniatures would want to return there!! I expect we will find out eventually what the big secret is that he holds, and just why he could not settle in an adopted home just yet.( btw -his adopted show name was 'But I've Got A Big Heart' and that suits him well!!) A..well a..well a.. there are only a few Miniaturez left in the second consignment so it won't be long before we are winging our way back to the Lilliputian hemisphere. Some interesting days ahead!! We have saved 113 little dogz already. Now I will be able to leave all those adopted dogz in the good hands of their new owners and press on with some new adventures. 

4 June 2000 : Started packing a few things for my 3rd journey to Lilliput. Tomorrow seems as good a day as any to make a start. I sent encoded e-mails to Rebecca at Lillipot Minor and the guyz at LPRL H.Q in Lilliput telling them to expect me in the next few days. Explained it would be necessary to keep it top secret! There will be a lot of things to do on this trip but I look forward to meeting everyone again.

5 June 2000 : Rob and I caught the 7:05 flight out of Hedgerow Airport - Nice flight and arrived Lillipot Minor early evening. Rebecca and Jim Bean met us and took us straight out to the  uplands where we met lots our Giant Sheepie friends. They all seem to be very happy here. Rob had insisted on bringing a couple of the toys from home and thought it was absolutely brill to see the Giantz again - in fact he played games most of the day with Rupert - one of the Giant Sheepie Pups.  (click the pics to see them). I explained that we would only be able to stay here for a day or perhaps two, and our friends understood that we had much to do in Lilliput. I must get a boat to take me into Liliput Harbour. Then unseen, I can row Rob and I inshore on a small dingy. I think we should arrive by night to have a better chance of being undetected by the crooked Excise and Customs men.
6 June 2000 : I decided to make a move today. (Click on Lilliput Map)We boarded the boat which Jim Bean arranged for us and steamed down to Lilliput Harbour. A few hundred yards from shore we climbed overboard and into the rubber dingy. As I rowed  toward the shore, Rob was acting very excited. It was dark and the night was still. We could see a few lights above the harbour walls and I knew that the Excise Office also lay along that road. At this time of night only a couple of the men would be on duty so this would allow us to have a 'nose around' without too much worry of getting caught. Rob sprung from the dingy to the bank and stood there wagging his tail - while I rowed in the final few feet and hid the dingy under an old dilapidated peer. Making our way up the Harbour wall steps, I could hear men laughing in the distance, but  all else was dark and quiet. Slipping from shadow to shadow we slowly approached the Excise Office, and three men sat in the dimly-lit office swigging something from glass tumblers. They were laughing, and one man pointed to a crate down in the corner. Another joined in and I heard him say 'Stupid little mutts!  We've been getting away with this racket for years now and no one can prove anything against us.' OF COURSE!! They had got some Lilliput Miniaturez locked up in there waiting to sell them off to the dog eaterz !! I knew they would soon have to go down to the landing peer to meet the boat we had just sailed down on. The captain had agreed to wait 30 minutes to give us a chance to get ashore before he pulled into the quay. The Customs and Excise men would have to go down to meet it to carry out their checking duty's. The boat's horn blew 3 low blasts to inform the Harbour Personnel that they were ready to dock. It was 1:35 am, and the men inside the office began to leave. Hiding behind a stack of crates, and making sure Rob kept quiet, we watched them saunter off into the distance and the bearded one was saying, ' Right, when we get back, we'll do the deal on the muttz - take our usual cut in the money and then off home to bed'. This was my chance, could we rescue the dogz who were destined to be someone's dinners - AND get some evidence.......

7 June 2000 : Now we were alone. From my rucksack I took my digital camera, and radio mic'. Rob was jumping up at the office door waiting for me. Was this something to do with why he wanted to come back to Lilliput? Don't know at this point - got things to do. I slowly turned the door handle and to my amazement the heavy door just opened in!! They hadn't bothered to lock it. Rob got to the crate first. He was jumping all over it and the poor little Lilliputz inside began to cry out to him. When I took the lid off the box, I told Rob to stand back while I took a couple of photo's of the crate and then two more of the surrounding office. The Miniaturez all scampered out from the crate and were running around the office excitedly wagging their tails and licking both Rob and myself. They still weren't quite sure if we were rescuing them or buying them!! I placed the radio microphone inside a desk drawer and replaced the lid back on the crate. We couldn't leave any trace of our being here. Time was getting on and we could hear the Excise men returning. I grabbed two of the Liliputz and we made a hasty exit - Rob leading the other two. Quickly we collected the rucksack and hid in the darkness behind the large crates behind the office. Minutes later the Excise men were all back. Then a truck pulled up at the front of the Office, and a large track suited woman slammed the truck door as she jumped out. ' Come for the delicacies boys ' she was shouting. I thought this was a good time to get away.... just hope the radio mic' batteries hold out in the desk drawer. Once the woman was inside of the Office I turned on the digital recorder and placed it between some crates.
Within 30 minutes we arrived at the LPRL H.Q. I was glad to get there and we handed over the 4 Lilliputz to the duty vet. The rest of the day was spent at LPRL where I would not be seen, but it was nice to take some time out with the staff and about 10 other rescued Liliputz. Tomorrow I must try to recover the digital recorder from the Harbour Office.

8 June 2000 : Woke up at 7a.m - no sign of Rob. Oh well, I will just have to go down to the Harbour on my own. I borrowed some old clothes and a long wig - filled an old carrier bag with some bits and pieces and wore a pair of dirty ol' shoes. Wow - looked just like a down and out old woman!!. Then I headed off to the Harbour. One or two people looked down their noses as I went by, but in general most folk just ignored me. ' Hoy!! Private property here old woman...' someone yelled as I approached the Excise Office area. 'Come to meet the next boat my deary - my son told me to wait near the Office' I replied. There were different men on duty this morning, and one just said ' OK, but keep out of mischief old woman. Just sit there and wait'. Brill, I only needed a couple of minutes. When no one was looking I slipped behind the office and slid my hand between the crates to get the digital recorder. I fumbled, nothing there!! Where had it gone?  I heard shuffling footsteps approaching - Panic set in - who had got the recorder and who was coming....... Holy Mosez!!

9 June 2000 : As we sat round the breakfast table everyone was curled up in laughter. ' It's OK for you lot to laugh!' I told them. 'If you had been in my position behind the Excise Office you all would have been panicking too!' Then the breakfast room exploded with even more hysterical laughter when I described how the shuffling footsteps got closer, and I was ready to dive into the dock to escape. Just as I was ready to spring into a headlong dive towards the water I took one look back! There standing in front of me was Rob. He had the digital recorder in his mouth and his big wide eyes just looking so innocent! We just ran out of that place like greased lightening. Someone said... ' Just look at that ol' woman go!' Oh well. Today we will see what was captured  on the recorder. Lost my radio mic' but let's hope it was worth it.

10 June 2000 : A meeting was held at LPRL H.Q today. The local chief of Police was there and the President of the International Society for the Prevention of cruelty to Petz (ISPCP). A member of the VSDL (Voluntary Society of Dogz Loverz) spoke first. She told the meeting how she had heard about the illegal trading of selling dogz for human consumption. There was a rumour that the Excise men were selling them to a woman who supplied them to the people who ate them as delicacies, but up to now they had been unable to prove it because anyone who knew the facts were afraid to come forward to give evidence. The Chief of Police stated that unless he had sufficient evidence, he could make no arrests and he would be powerless to prosecute! I then spoke up and told the meeting that I would be prepared to give evidence in court. The Head Officer of the Excise and Customs then said he had been informed by his Investigatorz that it was ME who was trading in the illegal export of the petz, and was it also ME who was selling them to the unknown woman. He further informed the committee that his Investigatorz were issuing a warrant for my arrest!! OH NO!! Not this cover-up again. I said no more about the evidence we had got a couple of days ago, and agreed to 'turn myself in'. A court hearing would be arranged for Monday 12th June.....

11 June 2000 : I woke up in a prison cell at the local Jailhouse. Rays of sunlight streaked across the bare floor from a barred window, and I peered out of it to glance at the activity outside. To my amazement Rob was curled up beside a TabbyCat - under an old wheel barrow just below my window. They were both fast asleep. What was he up to now? Then both stirred, and when they woke up, they scampered away up the Main Street. At first I thought he was outside to keep me company, but no, he had other business to occupy his mind today!! Just what had made him want to return to Lilliput? A guard then arrived with a pitiful breakfast and slid it to me under the barred door, said nothing, and disappeared again. About mid-day Bill Blowers arrived to brief me about tomorrow's Court hearing. He was the acting lawyer for LPRL, and said I must be ready for the hearing at 2.30p.m. Some Officers from the Excise Office had prepared a case against me and if I could not disprove it I could finish up with a long 'stretch' in prison for Illegal Exporting and Selling animals for Illegal human consumption!!

12 June 2000 : Everyone stood as the Judge walked into the courtroom. He took his position and looked straight at me. 'You are charged here today with illegally exporting our native Lilliput Miniaturez - how do you plead ?' I had been advised to plead guilty because in reality that is exactly what I had done! 'And how do you plead on the charge of illegally selling the creaturez?' - Not guilty your worship!! Then the barrister for the Excise Office spoke - 'I have 3 witnesses who swear that they caught this person red handed selling the dogz for illegal consumption.' Then I turned  and saw the three men who were in the Office the night we rescued the 4 Miniaturez at the harbour. On the strength of that statement the Judge adjourned the hearing until 2.30pm tomorrow, requesting defence and prosecution council to prepare their cases for a full hearing.... .

13 June 2000 : Today I noticed Rob again in the street outside my prison cell. He was among a trail of catz heading up a back alley, and they all seemed in somewhat of a hurry. Then I realised .... these were no ordinary catz!! They were all SMALL just like him. This must have been what he was so eager to get back to Lilliput for. At 2:30 I was called back to the courtroom and Rob slipped from my mind. After the initial questions and formalities the Judge announce that I was being prosecuted on two counts. One for illegal exportation of live petz, and secondly for selling them for human consumption!! Surely I was not going to take the rap for those evil men who had concocted false evidence against me!! One by one they were called as witnesses and each agreed with the other that they had seen me selling the dogz to an unknown woman. It seemed like an open and shut case against me. I could spend 6 months in jail for this. But now it was our turn, and the Excise men all sat in the court with smirks on their faces. When the Judge asked me what I had to say in my defence, I replied 'Very little your honour, but we would ask the court to hear a recording which was made in the early hours of 7th June 2000, in the Office of the Customs and Excise'.  'Most irregular he told the jury, Most irregular!' However, the LPRL lawyer had a quiet word with the Judge, and he agreed to hear the recording. The court listened in silence at our recorded evidence - it began: ' .... 'As I said boys... come for the delicacies!!' ... 'Oh hiya Bertha, we got 'em in the crate as usual .. 4 little Liiiput Miniature Dogz for you this time.... They'll make good eating!!' It was the bearded man talking now, ' Jo and Mick will load them onto your truck for you. You can stay a while and have a swig or two with me, and that'll be 120 Lilliput Dollars to pay. A nice round 40 Dollars each for the three of us. The woman's voice replied, ' Nah, can't stop for a drink Fred, but here's the doh, gotta get on my way, it's getting late now.' Then the door could be heard slamming as the woman walked off to her truck with Jo and Mick. Everyone was stunned!! Then we produced the photo's I had taken inside the Excise Office. The Judge announced that the hearing would be adjourned again - until tomorrow afternoon.

14 June 2000 : This was my fourth day in the prison cell, but today was a much nicer day!! In court this afternoon the crooked Excise men broke down under questioning, and  had to admit to telling lies about me. They also admitted that they had been been involved in selling the Lilliputz to the Bertha woman, but would not give any details of her to the court. It did not take the Jury very long to find the men guilty for their part in the crime and the Judge then passed sentence on them. He told them they were also guilty of an injustice by trying to put the blame on to me, 'But because you have admitted guilt, your sentence will be lenient -  6 months in 'the can' (and 6 more for playing rock and roll!) '- (what??) Oh well - strange Judge, but at least I am free again, and the charge against me for Illegally exporting the petz without a license was dropped also. Now perhaps I will be able to get my mind back on trying to save more of the Lilliputz again, and hopefully find out just what Rob is up to with those catz!!

15 June 2000 : Not very many Lilliputz arriving @ LPRL yet - seems odd. Tonight I decided to follow Rob to see just what he was up to! I waited in the alley where I had seen him a couple of times with the Miniature Catz. Before long Rob and the same catz appeared, and they all headed off to the outskirts of town. It was difficult to keep up with them in the dark without being noticed. I could see the old ruined Lilliput Castle in the distance and it seemed certain that was where they were headed. By now there was only the moonlight to see by - it was a bit scary, and then I lost track of them all. Anywayz, I decided to keep heading in the direction of the old castle. As I approached, the wind seemed to get stronger and it sounded just like the souls of those long lost Lillipudlian medieval knights crying out in the night - but wait a minute... NO it began to get more like a sound I was more familiar with............

16 June 2000 : You would not believe what I saw last night. As I crept up to the castle walls I peered in through an old tumbled down window section, and in the moonlight I saw Rob surrounded by a dozen or so happy Lilliput Miniature Dogz. He obviously was their pack leader!! Many of them resembled him in one way or another. So THIS was what he wanted to come back to Lilliput for - why he could not settle in his adopted home!! They were his family. I wondered what this all had to do with the tiny catz too, but that also became clear when I looked towards where the familiar sounds were coming from.... There was also a gang of Lilliput Miniature Catz holed up in this ancient stone fortress. I decided not to disturb them in case they all took fright and ran off into the night. On my way back to LPRL H.Q I was certain I saw that Bertha woman who was involved in the 'Petz for food' racket, but I could not be 100% certain in the darkness. What was she up to now I thought...  For the rest of today I hung out at H.Q and again not a sign of Rob.

17 June 2000 : Good newz today an much to write about! The Customs and Excise Office have issued the Export License that I need to officially take the Miniaturez home. I was worried just how long the Dogz and Catz can remain at the old castle before someone finds out, and then they will be in grave danger again. I must try to make it clear to Rob that they would all be safer to come home with me, where we could find them all good homes in the Petz Community.  When Rob returned I decided to go the castle with him - he seemed relieved at my decision. We chose to go after dark again so that all the Petz would feel safe from being seen or caught by anyone hunting them down. So, at 8:00pm we set off. The moat around Lilliput Castle was full of water because it was raining heavily, so the only way in was over the narrow and shaky old drawbridge. As we crossed over there seemed to be much disquiet amongst all the Petz inside the Castle. Many of them were hiding and peering through the tumbled down walls as if they were looking out for something other than us. I decided to go back over the drawbridge and hide out on the other side to see what all the fuss was about. I found a hiding place in the shrubs, and then only minutes later I heard footsteps and whispering. A woman's voice was familiar, and I could hear her saying... 'What a brilliant find ... If we bag this lot we'll make a fortune from the petz eaters!!'. It was that wretched Bertha!! 'Yeah it was brilliant you following that Sandy here last night', a  mans voice replied. ' Let's try to net them all before any one is the wiser!'.....  The intruders slipped across the drawbridge, but the Petz were waiting and Rob had a plan. They all ganged up just inside the big entrance doors, and decided to make a dash for freedom as the humans entered. As Bertha and the men neared the doors, they had their big nets outstretched to catch as many Petz as possible - but suddenly the Petz all scampered. There were Catz and Dogz running everywhere - barking, meowing and hissing. It took the intruders completely by surprise. Rob was first to the drawbridge and waited there for all the other petz to follow. Catz and Dogz tumbled on to the bridge and the wicked woman threw her nets in their direction. The men were trying to net others who were still running from the Castle towards the bridge. Soon many of the petz were scampering over the drawbridge towards safety, but some were still trapped on the castle side. Rob ran back in the darkness to lead them to safety, and big Bertha was was screaming, ' get the little bounders before they all get away'.  Rob got as far as the bridge again with a dozen or so Catz and Dogs in close pursuit. He stopped to let them over first, but Bertha caught up with them. He took a leap at her, gnashing his teeth and hanging on to her coat. Bertha slipped on the wet surface and S... P.. L.. A. S. H! She disappeared in the darkness and fell into the moat... Rob went in with her... and then there was silence....  After making their way across the drawbridge, the escaping petz noticed me on the far side of the moat, and in their relief followed me back to LPRL. Rob could not be found anywhere... Had he been able to escape? Had he and Bertha both perished in the murky water?  Had Rob been netted by the men while he was rescuing the remaining Miniaturez ?  We waited for him to return, but nothing! I decided to visit the castle area again to look for him, but I found nothing. Soon we will all have to return to the U.K if we are to meet our deadline, but how tragic it will be if Rob does not turn up before we go.... The Miniaturez were checked over by the LPRL Vet and found to be in good health, and able to travel. Arrangements are being made for the flight home but it is obvious that many of Rob's family are worried because he has not turned up yet. We must fear the worst as far as he is concerned.... 

18 June 2000 : Suddenly in the middle of last night we had instructions to catch the next flight home.  We had only one hour to transport all the Miniature Catz and Dogz to the Lilliput Airport and board the big transporter. Before we knew it, we were all back home in the UK!! The Petz had all had their health checks done before leaving Lilliput, and so were ready for adoption. With no further delay we posted their pic's in the website catalogue and now await the Adoptionz Contracts to arrive. Let's hope they all find homes just as quickly as previous consignments. Sadly we had to leave without Rob. If we never see him again he will be remembered with great admiration by us ALL!! This little hero was responsible single-handedly for saving around 40- 50 Lilliput Miniature Catz and Dogz!! 

19 June 2000 : Gosh, who would have believed it. Out of 52 Lilliputz Catz and Dogz put up for adoption - 45 were homed in the first 48 hours! All of the Dogz have gone - and 7 Catz only left on the catalogue page. Nearly everyone got their first choice of Petz, only about 3 people were  disappointed and had to reapply for a different Petz. We are very proud of our friends out there in the Petz Community. 162 Petz have been re-homed since we started the rescue campaign. I reported the good newz to our H.Q back at the LPRL in Lilliput and everyone was highly delighted. They had no newz of Rob or Bertha... I can't wait to get back to Lilliput for a new campaign, and try to look into Rob's disappearance, but I will wait until the remaining Lilliputz from this consignment have found homes.

20 June 2000 : A quiet day today, just what I need to recover from the hectic experience of this latest adventure. Looks like all the Lilliputz from this consignment will be homed within a day or two. and then I will take a few days off to organise the next trip to Lilliput.

21 June 2000 : We have only two Lilliput Catz left in our Catalogue today. Lots of mail received from new owners of the adopted petz, and we are pleased that all the Catz and Dogz appear to have settled in at their new homes. Many of these little guys are already being trained up for showing by their owners, and this will be a new experience for them. We are considering the possibility of running shows either here at Lilliput Miniaturez or UK Petz. Updates will be displayed on our 'More Stuph' page.

22 June 2000 : Well today saw the last of the Lilliput Miniaturez from the latest consignment. It is amazing how fast they have gone again. Newz came through from H.Q at Lilliput that big Bertha has been seen in Lilliput - by a member of the The Voluntary Society of Petz Loverz (VSPL). Problem is that not many people can identify her, so once again she will  be up to her old tricks, and the miniaturez will be at risk again! Also some good newz - while I was in Lilliput I briefly caught site of a Catz that I would dearly have liked to own. His name is Bojangle, and he has been taken into the H.Q where he is being cared for. They have promised to send me a pic of him very soon. Yea-hey!!

23 June 2000 : Today I received a couple of pic's of Bojangle from H.Q in Lilliput. I think he's a real swell little guy. As I appear to be in Lillput more often than I am in UK, I have decided to ask H.Q if Bojangle can be resident cat at the H.Q building. That way I will be able to spend time with him when I am there. He is only a youngster and I'm sure he will feel safe at H.Q. My present plans are to take a few days vacation at Lillipo Minor again before going on to Lilliput, and I will be able to spend some time with Rebecca and the Giant Sheepiez. Can't wait to be on my way again!! Just wondering what adventures may be in store this time.

24 June 2000 : Touched down at  Lillipot Minor Airstrip early evening. Rebecca was waiting at the terminal building and said she had some newz to tell me. Apparently some men had arrived one night in a small rowing boat about a week ago, and found their way up to the Highlands where the Giant Sheepies are living with Rebecca. They were taking photographs of the Large dogz and making notes. When they saw Rebecca they all ran off, and Rebecca followed them down to the coast. She said they looked like olden day pirates, and she had been worried what they had been up to. Now they would be aware of the secret hideout where Rebecca lived with the Giant Dogz - how they got to find out about it is a mystery.

25 June 2000 : All the Giantz seemed pleased to see me back in Lillipo Minor and we spent a pleasant day getting to know one another again. There were some new puppiez since I was last here and although they were a little bit shy to start with, they soon came to trust me when they saw their parents were at ease with me. I talked with Rebecca about the pirates who had been here last week and we decided that we should sleep in shifts at night just in case they returned, but there was no sign of them tonight. Because the Giantz are usually very friendly and fun loving animalz we are trying to teach them to be wary of strangers and act as guard dogz, but they are finding it difficult to understand why.

26 June 2000 : As it was such a nice day, we decided to stroll down through the grasslands and rocks to the coast where Rebecca had followed the pirates. There was no sign of any boats out to sea, but we could just see some small islands on the horizon. Perhaps tomorrow we will borrow a motor launch and investigate the islands to see what is there. It should be a pleasant trip. Back at the Sheepie reserve all seems quiet and pleasant, and it has been a really enjoyable couple of days so far.

27 June 2000 : By lunch time we had been down to the harbour and arranged to borrow a motor launch. It was good fun speeding out to the islands. We pulled in to a small inlet and tied the boat to some overhanging trees, then made our way up the beach. The island seemed pleasant but deserted, and then we noticed a small straw-roofed stone cottage tucked into a hillside. We approached the wooden planked door and knocked, but there was no answer. I assumed that the cottage was derelict and that no one lived on the island, so we decided to make our way back to the launch. The owner of the launch had agreed to let us keep it while I was at Lillipo Minor, and so we took it back to the coast below the Sheepie reserve. Once again we decided to keep up the lookout shifts tonight.

28 June 2000 : About 3:00 a.m I heard footsteps approaching our reserve. Keeping deadly quiet and out of sight,  I saw three men nearing us. Yes they were dressed just like pirates - cutlasses and all!! They were carrying ropes and nets and it soon became obvious what they intended. Rebecca crept over towards me and was very frightened. What should we do? The men headed towards one of the Sheepie puppiez, and the next thing we knew they had thrown a net over it and tied the top together. We felt helpless to do anything about it, but we had to try. I wondered if we could scare them of if we started shouting but it was to no avail. The Giant Sheepiez didn't seem to understand the danger and they were more afraid of all the shouting than what the pirates were. Before we knew what was happening we had been caught and tied up. Then we were being led down to the coast, and the pirates were dragging the poor  puppy behind them in the net.......

29 June 2000 : We found ourselves on the island with the derelict cottage on it. The pirates had stolen our launch, and with their rowing boat tied behind it, taken us and the Sheepie puppy to the island. We had been shoved into a small room at the back of the cottage, but I was uncertain what they had done with the puppy. Through the interior walls we could just hear the pirates talking. I calculated that there were four men in the next room, and to my surprise I could hear a woman's voice too!! Before long I heard one of the men  mention the woman's name... IT WAS BERTHA! What on earth was she doing up here at Lillipo Minor?

30 June 2000 : We have been locked in this little room since yesterday, and we are feeling hungry. We had managed to undo the ropes from our wrists and legs because no one had even looked in to see if we are OK. I told Rebecca we must make some attempt to escape now and the only way out was going to be through the straw roof. I could hear lots of snoring and snorting coming from the other room, and it was obvious they were all still asleep in there. I managed to tie all the short ropes together and eventually threw them up and over the roof beams. Once we had secured the ropes tightly we slowly climbed up and removed some of the straw. It was not to difficult the for us both to climb out, and we saw the puppy was tied up to a tree beside the cottage. Undoing the ropes from around the puppiez neck, we made our way towards the beach but just as we got to the launch Bertha came running down with two of the pirates. Rebecca and I jumped into the launch with the puppy and started the engine... but Bertha and one of the men managed to jump into the rowing boat which was still attached to the rear of the launch. As we pulled away they were hanging on for dear life and shouting at us... 'STOP' ... 'Stop or we'll kill you'. I speeded up and swung the launch in every direction I could, and the rowing boat was being thrown in all directions too. Next thing we knew, Bertha and the man disappeared overboard and into the water. We kept going and headed for the mainland and as I looked back I could see no sign of either Bertha nor the pirate. Was this finally the end for Bertha.........