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

You never know, said Bill Smugs. There might be one or two left somewhere and think what a scoop it would be to discover them!
Jack went brick-red with excitement. He looked out over the sea towards the west, where the Isle of Gloom lay hidden in a haze.
I bet you thought there might be a chance of them on a desolate island like that, he said, pointing to the west. You know the Isle of Gloom. You've heard about it, I expect.
Yes, I have, said Bill Smugs. I certainly have. I'd like to go there. But it's impossible, I believe.
Would you take us out in your boat sometimes? asked Philip. Jo-Jo, our black servant, has a fine boat, but he won't let us use it, and we'd love to go fishing sometimes, and sailing too. Do you think it's awful cheek to ask you? But I expect you find it a bit lonely here, don't you?
Sometimes, said Bill Smugs. Yes, we'll go fishing and sailing together you and your sisters too. It would be fun. We'll see how near we can go to the Isle of Gloom too, shall we?
The two boys were thrilled. At last they could sail a boat. What a sell for old Jo-Jo! They went off to call the girls.
Hi, Dinah! Hi, Lucy-Ann! yelled Jack. Come and be introduced to our new friend Bill Smugs!


Chapter 12
A TREAT AND A SURPRISE FOR JO-JO

Bill Smugs proved to be a fine friend. He was a jolly fellow, always ready for a joke, patient with Kiki, and even more patient with Philip's ever-changing collection of queer pets. He did not even say anything when Philip's latest possession, an extra-large spider, ran up the leg of his shorts. He merely put his hand up, took hold of the wriggling spider, and deposited it on Philip's knee.
Dinah, of course, was nearly in hysterics, but mercifully the spider decided that captivity was boring, ran into a rock crevice and disappeared.
The children visited Bill Smugs nearly every day. They went fishing in his boat and brought home marvellous catches that made Jo-Jo's mouth fall open in amazement. Bill showed them how to sail the boat too, and soon the four children could manage it perfectly well themselves. It was great fun sailing about in a good strong breeze.
Almost as fast as a motor-boat, said Philip in glee. Bill, I am glad we found you.
To Jack's disappointment Bill Smugs did not seem to want to talk endlessly about birds, nor did he want to go off with Jack and watch the birds on the cliffs or on the sea. He was quite willing to listen to Jack raving about birds, though, and produced many fine new bird books for him, which he said Jack could keep for himself.
But they're new, protested Jack. Look, the pages of this one haven't even been cut you've not read them yourself, sir. You read them first.
No, you can have them, said Bill Smugs, lighting his cigarette. There's a bit about the Great Auk in one of them. I'm afraid we shall never find that bird after all. No-one has seen it for about a hundred years.
It might be on the Isle of Gloom or on some equally deserted, desolate island, said Jack hopefully. I do wish we could go there and see. I bet there would be thousands of frightfully tame birds there, sir.
This eternal talk about birds always bored Dinah. She changed the subject.
You should have seen Jo-Jo's face when we brought in our catch of fish yesterday, she said, with a grin. He said, ‘You never caught those from the rocks. You've been out in a boat.' 
You didn't tell him you had? said Bill Smugs at once. Dinah shook her head.
No, she said. He'd try to spoil our pleasure if he knew we used your boat.
Do your uncle and aunt know you've met me? asked Bill. Dinah shook her head again.
Why? she asked. Don't you want them to know? What does it matter whether they do or not?
Well, said Bill Smugs, scratching the bald top of his head, I came here to be alone and to watch the birds and I don't want people coming round spoiling things for me. I don't mind you children, of course. You're fun.
Bill Smugs lived all alone in the tumbledown hut. He had a comfortable car, which he kept under a tarpaulin at the top of the cliff, in as sheltered a place as possible. He went into the nearest town to do his shopping whenever he wanted to. He had brought a mattress and other things to the hut, to make it as comfortable as he could.
The children were thrilled when they knew he. had a car as well as a boat. They begged him to take them out in it next time he went.
I want to buy a torch, said Jack. You remember that queer secret passage we told you about, Bill? Well, it's difficult to go up it carrying a candle a torch would be much handier. I could buy one if you'd take me in your car.
I'd like one too, said Philip. And, Jack you said you wanted some camera film, because you'd left yours behind at Mr. Roy's. You can't take photographs of birds unless we get some. You could get that too.
The girls wanted things as well, so Bill Smugs agreed to take them the next day. They all crowded into the car in excitement the following morning.
Jo-Jo's going into the town as well today, said Dinah, with a giggle. It would be funny if we saw him, wouldn't it? He would get a surprise.
Bill Smugs' car was really a beauty. The boys, who knew about cars, examined it in delight.
It's new, said Jack. This year's, and a jolly fast one. Bill, are you very rich? This car must have cost a lot of money. You must be awfully well-off.
Not very, said Bill, with a grin. Now off we go.
And off they went, cruising very swiftly, once they left the bad coast road behind. The car was well-sprung, and seemed to surge along.
Golly, isn't it different from Aunt Polly's old car that Jo-Jo drives! said Dinah, enjoying herself. It won't take us any time to get to the town.
They were very soon there. Bill Smugs parked the car, and then went off by himself, after arranging with the children to meet them for lunch at a very grand hotel.
I wonder where he's gone, said Jack, staring after him. We might just as well have kept all together. I wanted to go to that stuffed-animal shop with him, and see some of the stuffed birds there.
Well, you could see he didn't want us, said Dinah, who was disappointed too. She was very fond of Bill Smugs now and had saved up some money to buy him an ice-cream. I expect he has got business of his own to do.
What is his business? asked Lucy-Ann. He must do something besides bird-watching, I should think. Not that he does much of that, now that he knows us.
He never said what his work was, said Jack. Anyway, why should he? He's not like us, always wanting to blurt out everything. Grown-ups are different. Come on let's find a shop that sells torches.
They found one that had extremely nice pocket torches, small and neat. The beam was strong, and the boys could well imagine how the dark secret passage would be lighted up, once they turned on their torches. They each bought a torch, the girls too.
Then we needn't light our bedroom candles at night, said Dinah. We can use our torches'.
They went to buy rolls of film to fit Jack's camera. They bought sweets and biscuits, and a small bottle of strong-smelling scent for Aunt Polly.
Now we'd better get some sunflower seeds for Kiki, said Jack. Kiki gave a squawk. She was on Jack's shoulder as usual, behaving very well for once. Every passerby stared at her in surprise, of course, and the parrot enjoyed this very much. But, except for sternly telling a surprised errand-boy to stop whistling at once, Kiki hardly said a word. She was pleased with the sunflower seeds, which she adored, and gobbled up a few in the shop.
The children looked in the shops for a time, waiting for one o'clock to come, so that they might join Bill Smugs at the hotel. And then, quite suddenly, they saw Jo-Jo.
He was coming along the street in the old car, hooting at a woman crossing the road. The children clutched one another, wondering if he would see them, half hoping that he would.