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

"Oh no, Aunt Allie Ч it's us children who have the adventures, and drag old Bill into them," said Jack. "Really it is. But we haven't heard from Bill for ages and ages."

This was true. Bill seemed to have disappeared off the map. He hadn't answered the children's letters. Mrs. Mannering hadn't heard a word. He was not at his home and hadn't been there for weeks.

But nobody worried much about that Ч Bill was always on secret and dangerous missions, and disappeared for weeks at a time. Still, this time he really had been gone for ages without a word to anyone. Never mind Ч he would suddenly turn up, ready for a holiday, grinning all over his cheerful ruddy face.

If only he would turn up now, this very afternoon! That would be grand. Nobody would mind missing the glorious summer term for a week or two if only they I could go off with Bill.

But no Bill came Ч and something had to be decided about this holiday. Mrs. Mannering looked at the mutinous children in despair.

"I suppose," she said suddenly, "I suppose you wouldn't like to go off to some place somewhere by the sea where you could study the wild sea-birds, and their nesting habits? I know Jack has always wanted to Ч but it has been impossible before, because you were all at school at the best time of year for it . . . and Ч "

"Aunt Allie!" yelled Jack, beside himself with joy. "That's the most marvellous idea you've ever had in your life! Oh, I say . . ."

"Yes, Mother Ч it's gorgeous!" agreed Philip, rapping on the table to emphasise his feelings. Kiki at once rapped her beak too.

"Come in," she ordered solemnly, but no one took any notice. This new idea was too thrilling.

Lucy-Ann always loved to be where her brother Jack was, so she beamed too, knowing how happy Jack would be among his beloved birds. Philip too, lover of animals and birds, could hardly believe that his mother had made such a wonderful suggestion.

Only Dinah looked blue. She was not fond of wild animals, and was really scared of most of them, though she was better than she had been. She liked birds but hadn't the same intense interest in and love for them that the boys had. Still Ч to be all by themselves in some wild, lonely place by the sea Ч wearing old clothes Ч doing what they liked, picnicking every day Ч what joy! So Dinah began to smile too, and joined in the cheerful hullabaloo.

"Can we really go? All by ourselves?"

"When? Do say when!"

"Tomorrow! Can't we go tomorrow? Golly, I feel better just at the thought of it!"

"Mother! Whatever made you think of it. Honestly, it's wizard!"

Kiki sat on Jack's shoulder, listening to the babel of noise. The rats hidden about Philip's clothes burrowed deeply for safety, scared of such a sudden outburst of voices.

"Give me a chance to explain," said Mrs. Mannering. "There's an expedition setting out in two days' time for some of the lonely coasts and islands off the north of Britain. Just a few naturalists, and one boy, the son of Dr. Johns, the ornithologist."

All the children knew what an ornithologist was Ч one who loved and studied birds and their ways. Philip's father had been a bird-lover. He was dead now, and the boy often wished he had known him, for he was very like him in his love for all wild creatures.

"Dr. Johns!" said Philip. "Why Ч that was one of Daddy's best friends."

"Yes," said his mother. "I met him last week and he was telling me about this expedition. His boy is going, and he wondered if there was any chance of you and Dinah going, Philip. You weren't at all well then, and I said no at once. But now . . ."

"But now we can!" cried Philip, giving his mother a sudden hug. "Fancy you thinking of somebody like Miss Lawson, when you knew about this! How could you?"

"Well Ч it seems a long way for you to go," said Mrs. Mannering. "And it wasn't exactly the kind of holiday I had imagined for you. Still, if you think you'd like it, I'll ring up Dr. Johns and arrange for him to add four more to his bird-expedition if he can manage it."

"Of course he'll be able to manage it!" cried Lucy-Ann. "We shall be company for his boy, too, Aunt Allie. I say Ч won't it be absolutely lovely to be up so far north, in this glorious early summer weather?"

The children felt happy and cheerful that tea-time as they discussed the expedition. To go exploring among the northern islands, some of them only inhabited by birds! To swim and sail and walk, and watch hundreds, no, thousands of wild birds in their daily lives!

"There'll be puffins up there," said Jack happily. "Thousands of them. They go there in nesting time. I've always wanted to study them, they're such comical-looking birds."