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

He took the paper. Four heads bent over it to examine it. No, five - because Timmy wanted to see what they were all so interested in, He thrust his hairy head between JulianТs and DickТs.
СI canТt make any sense of this paper,Т said Julian, СItТs a plan of some kind, I think - but what of, or where, itТs impossible to know.Т
СThe fellow said that Maggie had one of these bits of paper too,Т said Dick, remembering.
СWho in the wide world is Maggie?Т said George, СAnd why should Maggie know?Т
СAny more to tell?Т asked Julian, intensely interested now.
СWell - the son of the deaf old woman came into the barn later on,Т said Dick. СAnd he sat and waited and waited, and muttered and muttered - and then when I woke up he wasnТt there. So I thought I must have dreamt him too. He didnТt see me, of course.Т
Julian pursed up his lips and frowned. Then Anne spoke excitedly.
СDick! Ju! I think I know why the second man came into the barn. It was the second man that the wild-eyed man wanted to give the message to, and the bit of paper - not to Dick. He didnТt want Dick. But he had seen him creep into the barn, and I suppose he thought Dick was the man he really wanted and that he was in the barn waiting for him!Т
СThatТs all very well - but how did he know my name?Т asked Dick,
СHe didnТt know it! He didnТt know it was you at all!Т said Anne, excitedly. СThe other manТs name must have been Dick too! DonТt you see? They must have planned to meet there, the wild-eyed man and the old womanТs son - and the first man saw Dick go in, so he waited a bit and then went and tapped on the window! And when he called УDick! Dick!Ф of course Dick thought it was he that he wanted, and he took the message and everything! And then the other man, the real Dick came along - and was too late to meet the first one. Our Dick had met him and got the message!Т
Anne was quite breathless after this long speech. She sat and stared at the others eagerly. DidnТt they think she was right?
They did, of course. Julian clapped her on the back. СWell worked out, Anne! Of course thatТs what happened.Т
Dick suddenly remembered the boy they had met on the way down from the old womanТs cottage to Beacons Village - the whistling boy. What had he said about the old woman and her son?
СAnne - what did that whistling boy say? Wait a bit - he said that was Mrs. TaggartТs place - and he said weТd better not go there or her son would drive us off. And he said - yes, I remember now - he said УDirty Dick we call him - heТs a terror!Ф Dirty Dick! His name must be Dick then! Why didnТt I think of it before?Т
СThat proves that Anne is right,Т said Julian, pleased. Anne looked pleased too. It wasnТt often that she thought of something clever before the others did!
They all sat thinking. СWould this have anything to do with the escaped prisoner?Т said George at last.
СIt might,Т said Julian. СHe might have been the prisoner himself, that fellow who came with the message. Did he say who the message was from?Т
СYes,Т said Dick, trying to remember, СHe said it was from Nailer. I think that was the name - but it was all given in whispers, you know.Т
СA message from Nailer,Т said Julian. СWell - perhaps Nailer is in prison - a friend of the man who escaped. And maybe when he knew this fellow was going to make a dash for it, he gave him a message for someone - the man at that old cottage, son of the old woman. They may have had a prearranged plan.Т
СHow do you mean?Т asked Dick, looking puzzled.
СWell - the old womanТs son, Dirty Dick, may have known that when the bells rang out, this fellow was making a run for it - and would come to bring him a message. He was to wait in the barn at night if the bells rang, just in case it was NailerТs friend who had escaped.Т
СYes, I see,Т said Dick СI think youТre right. Yes, IТm sure you are. My word, IТm glad I didnТt know that fellow at the window was an escaped convict!Т
СAnd youТve got the message from Nailer!Т said Anne. СWhat a peculiar thing! Just because we lost our way and went to the wrong place, you get a message from a prisoner given you by one whoТs escaped! ItТs a pity we donТt know what the message means - or the paper either.Т
СHad we better tell the police?Т said George. СI mean - it may be important. It might help them to catch that man.Т
СYes,Т said Julian. СI think we should tell the police. LetТs have a look at our map. WhereТs the next village?Т
He looked at the map for a minute. СI think really we might as well go on with what I had planned,Т he said. СI planned we should reach this village here - Reebles, look - in time for lunch, in case we hadnТt got sandwiches. WeТd have gone there for drinks anyway. So I vote we just carry on with our ramble, and call in at Reebles police station - if there is one - and tell them our bit of news.Т
They all got up. Timmy was glad. He didnТt approve of this long sit-down so soon after breakfast. He bounded ahead in delight.
СHis legТs quite all right,Т said Anne, pleased. СWell I hope it teaches him not to go down rabbit holes again!Т
It didnТt, of course. He had his head down half a dozen within the next half-hour, but fortunately he could get no farther, and he was able to pull himself out quite easily.
The four saw little wild ponies that day. They came trotting over a hillock together, small and brown, with long manes and tails, looking very busy indeed. The children stopped in delight. The ponies saw them, tossed their pretty heads, turned one way all together and galloped off like the wind.
Timmy wanted to go after them, but George held his collar tightly. No one must chase those dear little wild ponies!
СLovely!Т said Anne. СLovely to meet them as suddenly as that. I hope we meet some more.Т
The morning was as warm and sunny as the day before. Once again the four of them had to take off their blazers, and TimmyТs tongue hung out, wet and dripping. The heather and wiry grass was soft underfoot. They followed the stream closely, liking its brown colour and its soft gurgling voice.
They bathed their hot feet in it as they ate one of their sandwiches at half past eleven. СThis is bliss!Т said George, lying back on a tuft of heather with her feet lapped by the water. СThe stream is tickling my feet, and the sun is warming my face - lovely! Oh, get away, Timmy, you idiot! Breathing down my neck like that, and making my face so wet!Т
The stream at last joined the path that led to the village of Reebles. They walked along it, beginning to think of dinner. It would be fun to have it in a little inn or perhaps a farm-house, and keep their sandwiches for tea-time.
СBut first we must find the police-station,Т said Julian. СWeТll get our tale told, and then weТll be ready for our meal!Т


Chapter Ten

AN ANGRY POLICEMAN AND A FINE LUNCH

There was a police-station at Reebles, a small one with a house for the policeman attached. As the one policeman had four villages under his control he felt himself to be rather an important fellow.
He was in his house having his dinner when the children walked up to the police-station. They found nobody there, and walked out again. The policeman had seen them from his window and he came out, wiping his mouth. He wasnТt very pleased at having to come out in the middle of a nice meal of sausage and onions.
СWhat do you want?Т he said, suspiciously. He didnТt like children of any sort. Nasty little things, he thought them - always full of mischief and cheek. He didnТt know which were worse, the small ones or the big ones!
Julian spoke to him politely. СWeТve come to report something rather strange, which we thought perhaps the police ought to know. It might help them to catch the prisoner who escaped last night.Т
СHa!Т said the policeman scornfully. СYouТve seen him too, I suppose? You wouldnТt believe how many people have seen him. ТCording to them heТs been in every part of the moor at one and the same time. Clever fellow he must be to split himself up like that.Т
'Well, one of us saw him last night,Т said Julian politely. СAt least, we think it must have been him. He gave a message to my brother here.Т
СHo, he did, did he?Т said the policeman, eyeing Dick in a most disbelieving manner. СSo he runs about giving messages to school-boys, does he? And what message did he give you, may I ask?Т
The message sounded extremely silly when Dick repeated it to the police. СTwo-Trees. Gloomy Water, Saucy Jane. And Maggie knows.Т