"Blyton, Enid - Famous Five 10 - Five On a Hike Together" - читать интересную книгу автора (Blyton Enid)

СA chapter of accidents,Т said Julian. СAllТs well that ends well, however.Т
СDonТt sound so pompous!Т said Dick. СActually we had a pretty poor time, Ju. Poor Anne had to sleep in a little loft, and I slept in straw in a barn - not that I minded that - but - well, peculiar things happened in the night. At least - I think they did. IТm not really sure it wasnТt all a dream.Т
СWhat peculiar things?Т asked Julian at once.
СWell - I think perhaps IТll tell you when weТre on our way again,Т said Dick. СNow I think about it in full daylight I feel that either it was all a silly dream - or - well, as I said - something very peculiar.Т
СYou never told me, Dick!Т said Anne, in surprise.
СWell, to tell you the truth I forgot about it because other things happened,Т said Dick. СHaving to get away from that man, for instance - and wondering about Julian and George - and feeling so hungry.Т
СYou donТt sound as if you had a good night at all,Т said George. СIt must have been awful, too, trying to find your way in the dark. It poured with rain, didnТt it?Т
СYes,Т said Anne, Сbut oh - the thing that frightened me more than anything was the bells! Did you hear them Julian? They suddenly clanged out, and they made me terribly scared. I couldnТt think what they were! Whatever were they ringing out for? They were so loud.Т
СDidnТt you know what they were ringing for?Т said Julian. СThey were bells rung from the prison that nice old woman told us about - they were rung to tell everyone on the countryside that a prisoner had escaped! Lock your doors. Guard your folk.Т
Anne stared at Julian in silence. So that was why the bells had made such a clamour and clangour. She shivered.
СIТm glad I didnТt know that,Т she said. СI would have slept in the straw with Dick if IТd known there was an escaped prisoner. Have they caught him?Т
СI donТt know,Т said Julian. СWeТll ask the inn-woman when she comes.Т
They asked her, and she shook her head. СNo. HeТs not caught yet. But he will be. All the roads from the moor are guarded and everyone is on the watch. He was a robber who broke into houses and attacked anyone who tried to prevent him. A dangerous fellow.Т
СJulian - is it all right to go hiking on the moors if thereТs an escaped prisoner about?Т said Anne. СI shanТt feel very comfortable.Т
СWeТve got Timmy,Т said Julian. СHe would be strong enough to protect us from three prisoners if necessary! You neednТt worry.Т
СWoof,Т agreed Timmy, at once, and thumped his tail on the floor.
At last everyone had finished breakfast. Even starving Anne couldnТt manage the last bit of toast. She sighed happily, СI feel myself again,Т she announced. СI canТt say I feel very much like walking - but I know it would be good for me after that enormous meal.Т
СGood or not, weТre going on our way,Т said Julian, getting up. СIТll buy some sandwiches first.Т
The inn-woman was delighted with their hearty praises. She gave them some packets of sandwiches and waved good-bye. СYou come again whenever you can,Т she said. СIТll always have something nice for you.Т
The four went down the street and took a lane at the bottom. It wound about for a short way and then came into a valley. A stream ran down the middle of the valley. The children could hear it gurgling from where they stood.
СLovely!Т said Anne. СAre we going along by the stream? IТd like to.Т
Julian looked at his map. СYes - we could,Т he said. СIТve marked the path to follow, and the stream joins it some way on. So if you like we could go along by it, though it will be very rough walking.Т
They made their way to the stream. СNow Dick,Т said Julian, when they had left the path. СWhat about telling us all those peculiar things that happened in the night? ThereТs nobody about to hear - not a soul in sight. LetТs hear everything. WeТll soon tell you whether it was a dream or not.Т
СRight,Т said Dick, СWell, hereТs the tale. It does sound pretty queer. Listen...Т


Chapter Nine

DICK SURPRISES THE OTHERS

Dick began his tale - but it really was very difficult to hear it because they couldnТt walk four abreast, as there was no path to follow.
In the end Julian stopped and pointed to a thick clump of heather. СLetТs go and sit there and hear DickТs story properly. I keep missing bits. No one can hear us if we sit here.Т
They sat down and Dick started again. He told about the old woman who was afraid her son would be angry if she let them stay the night. He told about his bed in the straw.
СAnd now here comes the bit I think must have been a dream,Т he said. СI woke up to hear a scratching noise on the wooden walls of the barn...Т
СRats or mice?Т said George, and Timmy leapt up at once, of course. He was sure she had said the words to him!
СI thought that too,Т said Dick. СBut then I heard a gentle tap-tap-tapping on the window.Т
СHow horrid,Т said Anne. СI shouldnТt have liked that at all.Т
СNeither did I,Т said Dick, СBut the next thing I heard was my name being called! УDick! Dick!Ф Just like that.Т
СIt must have been a dream then,Т said Anne. 'There was no one there who knew your name.Т
Dick went on. СWell, then the voice said - УDick! I know youТre there, I saw you go in!Ф And it told me to go to the window,Т
СGo on,Т said Julian. He was puzzled. No one in the world but Anne could have known that Dick was in the barn - and it certainly wasnТt Anne out there in the night!
СWell, I went to the window,Т said Dick, Сand I saw, rather dimly, of course, a wild-eyed looking fellow, He couldnТt see me in the darkness of the barn. I just mumbled, УIТm here,Ф hoping he would think I was whoever he wanted.Т
СWhat did he say next?Т asked George.
СHe said something that sounded stuff and nonsense,Т said Dick, СHe said it twice. It was УTwo-Trees. Gloomy Water. Saucy Jane.Ф And he said УMaggie knows.Ф Just like that!Т
There was a silence. Then George laughed. СTwo-Trees! Gloomy Water! Saucy Jane - and Maggie knows about it! Well, it must have been a dream, Dick! You know it must. What do you think, Julian?Т
СWell - it does sound a bit nonsensical to have someone come in the middle of the night and call Dick by name and give him a strange message that doesnТt mean a thing to him!Т said Julian. СIt sounds more dream-like than real. IТd say it was a dream too.Т
Dick began to think they were right - and then a sudden thought struck him. He sat up straight. СWait a bit!Т he said СIТve remembered something! The man slipped a bit of paper through the broken pane of the window, and I picked it up!Т
СAh - thatТs different,Т said Julian. СNow - if you canТt find that paper, itТs all a dream and you dreamt the paper too - but if you can fmd it, well the whole thing is true. Very peculiar indeed - but true.Т
Dick searched quickly in his pockets, He felt paper in one of them, and drew it out. It was a dirty, crumpled piece, with a few words on it and a few lines. He held it out to the others in silence, his eyes shining.
СIs this the paper?Т asked Julian. СMy word - so you didnТt dream it after all, then!Т