"Blyton, Enid - Adventure 01 - The Island of Adventure" - читать интересную книгу автора (Blyton Enid)

Golly he's going to lick us, said Jack to Philip. Come on we must run for it.
But the way to the house was barred by the big powerful body of the black man, swinging his rope-end.
Now I'll show you what happens to boys who come spying around at night, he said between his teeth. Jack tried to dodge by, but Jo-Jo caught hold of him. He swung the rope-end into the air and Jack gave a yell. At the same moment Philip charged Jo-Jo full in the middle, and the black man gasped for breath, and let go of Jack. The boys sped off over the beach at once, heading away from the steep cliff path that led to the house. Jo-Jo was after them immediately.
The tide's coming in, gasped Jack, as he felt water running over his ankles. We must turn back. We'll be caught by the tide and pounded against the rocks.
We can't turn back. We shall be licked black and blue by Jo-Jo, panted Philip. Jack make for that cave. We can perhaps creep up that secret passage. We simply must. I really don't know what Jo-Jo mightn't do if he was in a rage. He might even kill us.
Quite terrified now, the boys floundered into the cave, the waves running round their ankles. Jo-Jo came splashing behind them. Ah he had got those boys now! Wait till he had done with them! They wouldn't leave their beds again at night!
The boys found the hole in the floor of the cave they were looking for and disappeared down it into the darkness of the secret passage. They heard Jo-Jo breathing heavily outside in the upper cave. They hoped and prayed he would not slip down the hole too.
He didn't. He stood outside by the entrance, waiting for the boys to come out. He had no idea there was a secret passage there. He stood, panting heavily, the rope-end in his hand. A big wave covered his knees. Jo-Jo muttered something. The tide was coming in rapidly. If those boys didn't come out immediately they would be trapped there for the night.
Another wave ran up, almost as high as the black man's waist. It was such a powerful wave that Jo-Jo at once left the cave entrance and tried to make his way back across the beach. He could not risk being dashed to pieces against the cliff by the incoming tide.
Those boys can spend the night in the caves, and I'll deal with them tomorrow morning early, thought Jo-Jo grimly. As soon as the tide goes down in the morning I'll be there and they'll be mighty sorry for themselves when I've finished with them.
But the boys were not shivering inside the cave. They were once more climbing up the secret passage, this time in complete darkness. The passage was terrifying enough but not nearly so alarming as Jo-Jo.
They came at last to the trap-door and pushed it open. They clambered out on to the rocky cellar floor, and shut the trap-door.
Take my hand, said Jack, shivering as much with cold as with fright. We'll make our way towards the door as best we can. Come on. You know the direction, don't you? I don't.
Philip thought he did, but he found that he didn't. It took the boys some time to find the cellar door. They felt all round the rocky walls of the cellar, and at long last, after falling over boxes of all kinds, they came to the door. It was not locked. Thank goodness they had taken away the key. Philip pushed at the door and it opened.
The pile of boxes on the other side fell over with a terrific crash that echoed all round the cellar. The boys stood listening to see if anyone would hear and come. But nobody did. They piled up the boxes again as best they could and crept up the cellar steps and into the moonlit kitchen.
They wondered where Jo-Jo was. Was he still waiting for them at the entrance to the caves?
Jo-Jo was not. He had made fast his boat, removed several things from it, and then had climbed the cliff path to the house. He had gone to his bedroom, just off the kitchen, gloating over the thought of the two boys shivering in the caves, when a terrific noise came to his ears.
It was the pile of boxes overturning down in the cellar, but Jo-Jo did not know that. He stood in his bedroom, rooted to the ground. What was that noise? He did not dare to go and find out. If he had, he would have seen two figures stealing through the moonlit kitchen towards the hall. He would have seen them scurrying up the stairs as quietly as mice.
Soon the boys were on their mattress, glad to be there safe and sound. They chuckled when they thought of Jo-Jo waiting in vain for them. And, down in his bedroom, Jo-Jo chuckled to think of how he would wait outside the cave the next morning, rope-end in hand, and give those two boys a good hiding.
They all fell asleep at last.
Jo-Jo was up first, piling driftwood on the kitchen fire. He did his jobs, and then tied the rope-end round his waist. It was time he went down to the beach and caught those boys. The tide would soon be down low enough for them to come out.
Then he stopped still in the greatest astonishment for into the kitchen, as bold as brass, came all four children, chattering away loudly.
What's for breakfast? Golly, I'm hungry.
Did you have a good night, boys? We did.
Fine. We must have slept all the night through. These words were from Philip. Jack joined in, delighted to see the amazement and wonder on Jo-Jo's black face. Yes, we slept like logs. Even if Kiki had done her imitation of a railway express, I don't think we'd have waked up.
What's for breakfast, Jo-Jo? asked Dinah. Both the girls knew about the boys' adventure the night before, and were entering into the fun of puzzling Jo-Jo. He evidently still thought the boys were down in the caves.
You two boys been asleep in your room all night? asked Jo-Jo at last, hardly able to believe his eyes and ears.
Where else should we sleep? said Philip impudently. On the Isle of Gloom?
Jo-Jo turned away, puzzled and taken aback. It couldn't have been these two boys last night. It was true he had not seen their faces clearly, but he had felt certain they were Philip and Jack. But now that was plainly impossible. No-one could have got out of those caves at high tide and yet here were the boys. It was disturbing and puzzling. Jo-Jo didn't like it.
I'll go down to those caves now and watch to see who comes out, he thought at last. Then I'll know who it was spying on me last night.
So down he went but though he watched for two hours, nobody came from the caves. Which was not very surprising, because there was nobody there.
Jo-Jo just simply can't understand it, said Jack, grinning, as he watched the black man from the cliff path. What a good thing we didn't tell anyone about the secret passage! It came in mighty useful last night.
He'll think you and Philip were two of the ‘things' he's always trying to frighten us with, said Dinah. Silly old Jo-Jo! He must think we are babies to be frightened of anything he would say.
What are we going to do today when we've finished our jobs? asked Lucy-Ann, polishing the lamp she had been cleaning. It's such a fine day. Can't we go for a picnic walk over the cliff and along the coast?
Oh yes and we'll see if we can find that man I saw in a boat yesterday, said Jack, remembering. That would be fine. Maybe he'll let us go in his boat. Dinah, ask your Aunt Polly if we can take our dinner with us.
Aunt Polly said yes, and in about half an hour they set off, passing Jo-Jo on the way. He was now working in his allotment, over the edge of the cliff, behind the house.
Did you have a good night, Jo-Jo? yelled Philip. Did you sleep all night long, like a good boy?
Jo-Jo scowled and made a threatening noise. Kiki imitated him, and he bent down to pick up a stone to throw at her.
Naughty boy! screeched Kiki, flying high into the air. Naughty, naughty boy! Go to bed at once, naughty boy!


Chapter 11
BILL SMUGS

Whereabouts did you see the strange boat, Freckles? asked Philip, as they went over the cliffs.
Over there, beyond those rocks that jut out, said Jack, pointing. Quite a big boat, really. I wonder where it's kept when it's not in use. Somebody must live fairly near it but I couldn't see any houses.
There aren't any proper houses near, said Philip. People used to live about here ages ago, but there was fighting and burning, and now there are only ruined places. But there might be a tumbledown shack of some sort, all right for a man who wants a lonely kind of holiday.
They walked on over the cliffs, Kiki sailing up into the air every now and again to join a surprised gull, and making noises exactly like the sea-birds, but more piercing.
Philip collected a large and unusual caterpillar from a bush, much to Dinah's dismay, and put a lizard into his pocket. After that Dinah walked a good distance from him, and even Lucy-Ann was a bit wary. Lucy-Ann did not mind live creatures as Dinah did, but she wasn't particularly anxious to be asked to carry lizards or caterpillars, as she might quite well be requested to do if Philip decided to take home some other creature that, if put in his pocket, might eat the caterpillar or lizard already there!
They all walked on happily, enjoying the rough sea breeze, the salty smell of the sea, and the sound of the waves against the rocks below. The grass was springy beneath their feet, and the air was full of gliding birds. This was a lovely holiday, lovely, lovely!