"Blyton, Enid - Adv 04 - Sea of Adventure" - читать интересную книгу автора (Blyton Enid)

The next day came at last and then dragged on till the evening. Mrs. Mannering slept most of the time and Miss Tremayne would not let them go in and wake her to say good-bye.

"Better not," she said. "I'll say good-bye for you. Mind you write to her from wherever you're going. Is that the taxi I hear now? I'll come and see you off."

It was the taxi. They bundled in with all their luggage. Now to London Ч to meet Dr. Walker Ч and to travel hundreds of miles to the north, to wild places where few people had ever been. No adventures this time, but just a glorious, carefree holiday with old Bill.

"All aboard!" said Kiki, in a deep voice that made the taxi-driver jump. "One Ч two Ч three Ч OFF!"





Chapter 6

TRAVELLING FAR



BILL had told the children exactly where to wait for him at Euston Station, so, each carrying a bag and a mackintosh, they went to the spot.

They stood there waiting. "Suppose," said Philip, in a mysterious voice, "just suppose that one of the gang that Bill is after, knew Bill was going to meet us here Ч and came up and told us he was Bill Ч and took us all off with him, so that we were never heard of again!"

Poor Lucy-Ann stared at him in the greatest alarm. Her eyes nearly popped out of her head. "Oh Philip Ч do you think that might happen? Gracious, I hope to goodness we recognise Bill when we see him. I shall be scared stiff of going with him if we don't."

A very fat man approached them, smiling. He was big all over, big head, big body, big feet Ч and big teeth that showed when he smiled. Lucy-Ann felt her heart sink. This couldn't be Bill! Nobody could make himself as big as that, if he wasn't fat to begin with. She clutched Philip's hand. Was it one of the gang?

"Little girl," said the big man to Lucy-Ann, "you've dropped your mackintosh behind you. You'll lose it if you don't pick it up."

Lucy-Ann had gone pale when he first began to speak. Then she looked round and saw her mack on the ground. She picked it up. Then, scarlet in the face, she stammered out a few words of thanks.

The big man smiled again, showing all his fine teeth. "Don't look so scared," he said. "I shan't eat you!"

"He looks just as if he might," thought Lucy-Ann, retreating behind Jack.

"Pop goes the weasel," said Kiki, in a polite conversational tone. "Pop, pop, pop!"

"What a remarkably clever bird!" said the big man, and put out his hand to pat Kiki. She gave him a vicious nip with her beak, and then whistled like an engine.

The big man's smile vanished and he scowled. "Dangerous bird, that," he said, and disappeared into the crowd. The children were relieved. They didn't think, of course, that he was one of the gang Ч that had only been Philip's make-up Ч but they were worried in case he kept them talking, and prevented Bill from coming up and fetching them.

They stood there, under the clock, looking all round for Bill. They couldn't see anyone even remotely resembling him. Then a rather shambling, round-shouldered man came up, wearing thick glasses through which his eyes peered sharply.

He wore a thick long coat, had field-glasses slung across his back, and a curious black checked cap. He also had a black beard. But he spoke in Bill's voice.

"Good evening, children. I am glad to see you are punctual. Now at last we start on our little expedition."

Lucy-Ann beamed. That was Bill's nice warm voice all right, in spite of the beard and the queer get-up. She was just about to fling herself on him, crying "Oh Bill, it's good to see you," when Jack, feeling sure that Lucy-Ann was going to do something silly like that, pushed her away and held out his hand politely.

"Good evening, Dr. Walker. How are you?"