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

Mr. Roy would be glad to think we had gone, said Lucy-Ann, thinking what fun it would be to know Dinah. Uncle Geoff wouldn't care anyhow. So let's, Jack, do let's.
All right, said Jack, giving way suddenly. We'll all go off together. When is your train, Tufty? We'll go down to the station saying that we'll see you off and we'll hop into the carriage at the last minute and go with you.
Oooh! said Lucy-Ann, thrilled.
Where's your handkerchief? said Kiki, sensing the excitement and rocking herself to and fro on Jack's shoulder. Nobody took any notice of her. Poor old Kiki, said the parrot sorrowfully. Poor old Kiki.
Jack put up a hand and fondled the parrot, thinking out ways and means of escape. We could wheel my trunk and Lucy-Ann's down to the station the night before, when we take yours, he said. Nobody would notice ours was gone out of the loft. We could buy our tickets then, too. Has anyone any money?
The three of them put their money together. It would probably just buy the tickets. They simply must go off together! Now that they had made up their minds, it was quite unthinkable that anything should be allowed to prevent it.
So they made their plans. The day before Philip was due to leave, his trunk was taken from the loft, and Jack managed to get his down unobserved too. He pushed it into a big cupboard in his room, and Lucy-Ann packed it when no-one was about.
I'll wheel my trunk down to the station on the barrow, sir, said Philip to Mr. Roy. It was the custom to do this, and the master nodded, not taking much notice. He wished Jack and that parrot were going too.
The boys managed to get both trunks on to the barrow without being seen, and set off to the station in great spirits. Escape seemed quite easy, after all. Sam and Oliver did not seem to notice anything. Sam was too excited at leaving for home himself, and Oliver too miserable at the idea of being left behind to bother about anyone else.
The next morning Philip said a polite good-bye to Mr. Roy. Thank you for all your help and coaching, sir, he said. I think I shall get on well next term now. Good-bye, sir.
Good-bye, Philip. You've not done badly, said Mr. Roy.
Philip shook hands with Mr. Roy, who drew back a little as a mouse ran out of the boy's sleeve. Philip tucked it back again.
How can you have those creatures running about you like that? said Mr. Roy, and sniffed loudly.
Where's your handkerchief? said the parrot at once, and Mr. Roy glared at it. As usual it was on Jack's shoulder.
Could I go down to the station with Lucy-Ann and see Philip off? asked Jack. Kiki gave a squawk of laughter, and Jack gave her a little slap. Be quiet! There's nothing to laugh at.
Naughty boy! said Kiki, just as if she knew what mischief was in Jack's mind.
Yes, you can go down and see Philip off, said Mr. Roy, thinking that it would be nice to get rid of the parrot for a little while. So the three children went off together, grinning secretly at each other. Kiki had the last word with Mr. Roy.
Can't you shut the door? she bawled. Mr. Roy gave an exasperated click, and banged the door. He heard the parrot's cackle of laughter as the children went down the road.
If only I need never see that bird again, he thought to himself, little knowing that his wish was about to come true.
Jack, Lucy-Ann and Philip arrived at the station in plenty of time. They found their luggage and gave it to the porter to put on the train. When the engine steamed in they found an empty carriage and got in. No-one stopped them. No-one guessed that two of the children were running away. They all felt thrilled and rather nervous.
I do hope your uncle and aunt won't send us back, said Jack, stroking Kiki to quieten her. She did not like the noise of the trains, and had already told one to stop whistling. An old lady looked as if she were about to get into their carriage, but when Kiki gave one of her appalling screeches, she thought again and hurried a good way up the train.
At last the train moved off, with many snorts that caused the excited parrot to tell it to use its handkerchief, much to the children's amusement. It steamed out of the station, and, in the distance, the children saw the house where they had lived for the past few weeks, sitting at the bottom of the hill.
Well we're off, said Philip, pleased. And it was perfectly easy for you to escape, wasn't it? Golly, what fun it will be to have you and Lucy-Ann at Craggy-Tops! Dinah will be thrilled to bits when we arrive.
Off to Craggy-Tops! sang Lucy-Ann. Off to the sea and the wind and the waves! Off to Craggy-Tops!
Yes off to Craggy-Tops and to a wild and astonishing time that not one of the children could possibly have imagined. Off to Craggy-Tops and off to Adventure.


Chapter 4
CRAGGY-TOPS

The train sped on through the countryside, passing many stations, and stopping at very few. On towards the coast it went, through high mountains that towered up, over silver rivers, through big, straggling towns.
And then it came to wilder country. The sea-wind came in at the window. I can smell the sea already, said Jack, who had only once before been to the sea, and scarcely remembered it.
The train stopped at last at a lonely little station. Here we are, said Philip. Tumble out. Hi, Jo-Jo! Here I am. Have you got the old car handy?
Jack and Lucy-Ann saw a coloured man coming towards them. His skin was black, his teeth were very white, and he rolled his eyes in a peculiar way. Running behind him was a girl a little older than Lucy-Ann, but tall for her age. She had the same brown, wavy hair that Philip had, and the same tuft in front.
Another Tufty, thought Jack, but a fiercer one. It must be Dinah.
It was Dinah. She had come with Jo-Jo to meet Philip, in the ramshackle old car. She stopped short in the greatest surprise when she saw Lucy-Ann and Jack. Jack grinned, but Lucy-Ann, suddenly feeling shy of this strapping, confident-looking girl, hid behind her brother. Dinah stared in even greater amazement at Kiki, who was telling Jo-Jo to wipe his feet at once.
You mind your manners, said Jo-Jo roughly, talking to the bird as if it was a human being. Kiki put up her crest and growled angrily, like a dog. Jo-Jo looked startled.
That a bird? he enquired of Philip.
Yes, said Philip. Jo-Jo, put that trunk in the car too. It belongs to my two friends.
They coming to Craggy-Tops? said Jo-Jo in the greatest surprise. Miss Polly, she didn't say nothing about any friends, no, she didn't.
Philip, who are they? asked Dinah, coming up and joining the little group.
Two friends from Mr. Roy's, said Philip. I'll tell you all about it afterwards. He winked at Dinah to make her understand that he would explain when Jo-Jo was not there. This is Freckles I told you about him, you know and Lucy-Ann too.
The three children solemnly shook hands. Then they all got into the jerky, jumpy old car, with the two trunks at the back, and Jo-Jo drove off in a manner that seemed most dangerous to Lucy-Ann. She clutched the side of the car, half frightened.
They drove through wild hills, rocky and bare. Soon they saw the sea in the distance. High cliffs bounded it except for breaks here and there. It certainly was a wild and desolate coast. They passed ruined mansions and cottages on their way.
They were burnt in the battles I told you about, said Philip. And no-one has rebuilt them. Craggy-Tops more or less escaped.
That's the cliff behind which Craggy-Tops is built, said Dinah, pointing. The others saw a high, rocky cliff, and just jutting up they could see a small round tower, which they imagined was part of Craggy-Tops.
Craggy-Tops is built out of reach of the waves, said Philip, but on stormy nights the spray dashes against the window almost as strongly as the waves pound the shore.
Lucy-Ann and Jack thought it all sounded very thrilling. It would be fun to stay in a house that had spray dashed against its windows. They did hope there would be a terrific storm whilst they were there.
Is Miss Polly expecting you all? asked Jo-Jo suddenly. He was plainly puzzled by the two extra children. She didn't say nothing to me about them.
Didn't she? How strange! said Philip. Kiki screeched with laughter, and Jo-Jo wrinkled up his black nose in dislike of the noise. He was not going to fall in love with Kiki, that was certain. Jack didn't like the way the black fellow looked at his pet bird.