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

The back door was still unlocked. Philip pushed it open, and the two of them went in. "Don't put on the light," whispered Bill. "We don't want anyone to know that we're awake here. I'll lock this door."

They went cautiously upstairs. One of the stairs creaked loudly, and Jack, who was waiting in the bedroom, shot to the door. Luckily he didn't switch the light on.

"It's all right Ч it's only me," whispered Philip. "And I've got old Bill."

"Good egg!" said Jack in delight, and dragged them into his room. Bill gave his hand a hearty shake. He was very fond of the whole family.

"I must rinse my mouth out," said Philip. "It's full of earth still. I daren't do any spitting out in the garden, because of the noise. Ugh! It's horrible!"

"Poor Jack!" said Bill remorsefully. "I didn't know it was you, old fellow. I thought it was somebody lying in wait for me, and I meant to get him, before he got me!"

"You did it jolly well," said Philip, rinsing his mouth out. "Now where's my tooth-paste? I really must clean my teeth! Oh, blow!"

His hand, seeking for his tooth-paste in the dark, had knocked over a glass. It fell into the basin and smashed. It made a tremendous noise in the silent night.

"Go and warn the girls not to put their light on, if this has waked them," said Bill urgently to Jack. "Quick! And see if it has waked Aunt Allie. If it has, warn her too."

Lucy-Ann was awake, and Jack just managed to stop her switching on the light. His mother did not stir. Her room was further away and she had not heard the sound of breaking glass. Lucy-Ann was astonished to hear Jack's urgent voice.

"What's up?" she asked. "Anything gone wrong? Are you or Philip ill?"

"Of course not," said Jack impatiently. "Get your dressing-gown on, and wake Dinah. Bill's here! But we're not to put on any lights, see?"

Something fluttered by his head with a low squawk. "Oh, Kiki! I wondered where you were," said Jack. "What made you sleep in the girls' room tonight? Come along and see Bill!"

Lucy-Ann awoke an astonished Dinah. The two girls put on their dressing-gowns and went to the boys' room. Kiki was already there, nibbling Bill's ear in delight, making soft noises in his ear.

"Hallo! Hallo!" said Bill, when the girls crept softly into the room. "Which is which? I can only feel you. Ah, this must be Lucy-Ann Ч I can smell your freckles!"

"You can't smell freckles," said Lucy-Ann, giggling. "But you're right, it is me, all the same. Oh, Bill, where have you been so long? You didn't answer any of our letters at all."

"I know," said Bill. "You see Ч I was on a peculiar job Ч hunting down a gang of rogues Ч and then, before I knew what was happening, they got wind of what I was doing Ч and began to hunt me down! So I had to go into hiding, and keep dark."

"Why Ч would they have kidnapped you or something, Bill?" asked Lucy-Ann, scared.

"Oh, there's no knowing what they would have done to me," said Bill airily. "I should certainly have disappeared for good. But here I am, as you see."

"So that's what that man at the front gate was there for Ч hoping to get you," said Philip. "Why have you come to see us now, Bill? Do you want us to do anything?"

"Well," said Bill, "I've got to disappear for some time, and I wanted to see your mother particularly, to give her a few things to keep for me Ч just in case Ч well, just in case I didn't turn up again. I'm what is called a 'marked man' now, as far as this particular gang is concerned. I know too much about them for their own comfort."

"Oh, Bill Ч but where are you going to disappear to?" asked Lucy-Ann forlornly. "I don't like you to disappear into the blue. Can't you tell us?"

"Oh Ч I'll probably lead the simple life somewhere in the wilds," said Bill. "Till these fellows have given up hunting for me, or get themselves caught. I don't want to disappear Ч don't think that! I'm not afraid of any of them, but my chiefs can't afford to let anyone get hold of me. So I've got to vanish completely for a time Ч and not even get into touch with you or my family."

There was a silence. It wasn't nice to hear all this, told in a low voice in the darkness of midnight. Lucy-Ann groped for Bill's hand. He squeezed her fingers.

"Cheer up! You'll hear from me again some day Ч next year, or the year after. I shall take some kind of disguise Ч become a miner somewhere in the wilds of Alaska Ч or Ч or a lonely ornithologist on some desolate island Ч or . . ."