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

It began to get dark very suddenly. The sun had gone, and a big black cloud slid smoothly over the sky. СItТs going to rain,Т said Dick. СBlow! I thought it was going to be a lovely evening.Т
СWeТd better hurry,Т said Anne. СI hate sheltering under a hedge in the pouring rain, with drips down my neck, and puddles round my feet!Т
They hurried. They went up the road that led out of the village and then came to a turning on the right. This must be the one the man had meant. They stopped and looked down it It seemed to be like one of the sunken lanes they had walked down in the morning, and it looked rather dark and tunnel-like now, in the twilight.
СI hope itТs right,Т said Dick. СWeТll ask the very first person we meet.Т
СIf we do meet anyone!Т said Anne, feeling that they never would in this curious deep lane. They went up it. It wound round and about and then went downhill into a very muddy bit indeed. Anne found herself sloshing about in thick mud.
СA stream or something must run across the lane here,Т she said. СUgh! The waterТs got into my shoes! IТm sure we donТt go this way, Dick. The waterТs quite deep farther on, IТm certain. I was up to my ankles just now.Т
Dick looked about in the deepening twilight. He made out something above him in the high hedge that grew on the steep bank each side.
СLook - is that a stile?Т he said, СWhereТs my torch? At the bottom of my rucksack, of course! Can you get it out, Anne, to save me taking the thing off?Т
Anne found the torch and gave it to Dick. He switched it on, and immediately the shadows round them grew blacker, and the lane seemed more tunnel-like than ever. Dick flashed the torch upwards to what he had thought was a stile.
СYes - it is a stile,Т he said. СI expect that leads up to the farm-house - a short cut, probably. IТve no doubt this lane is the one used by the farm-carts, and probably goes right round to the farm - but if this is a short cut we might as well take it. It must lead somewhere, anyway!Т
They scrambled up the bank to the stile. Dick helped Anne over, and they found themselves in a wide field. In front of them was a narrow path, running between crops of some sort.
СYes - this is obviously a short cut,Т said Dick, pleased. СI expect weТll see the lights of the farm-house in a minute.Т
СOr fall into the blue pond first,Т said Anne, rather dismally. It was just beginning to rain and she was wondering if it was worth while to untie her mac from her shoulder and put it on. Or was the farm-house really nearby? Julian had said it wasnТt very far.
They walked across the field and came to another stile. The rain was coming down fast now, Anne decided to put on her mac. She stood under a thick bush and Dick helped her on with it. She had a small souТwester in the pocket and put that on too. Dick put his on and they set off again.
The second stile led into another endless field, and the path then came at last to a big field-gate. They climbed over it and found themselves on what looked like a heathery moor - wild and uncultivated land! No farm-house was to be seen - though, indeed they could not have seen anything of one unless they had been very close to it, because the night was on them, dark and rainy.
СIf only we could see some lights somewhere - shining out of a window,Т said Dick. He shone his torch on to the moor in front of them. СI donТt quite know what to do. There doesnТt seem a path here - and I just hate the idea of going all the way back across those wet fields, and into that dark little lane.Т
СOh no - donТt letТs,Т said Anne, with a shiver. СI really didnТt like that lane. There must be a path somewhere! ItТs silly for a gate to open on to moorland!Т
And then, as they stood there, with the rain dripping on them and not much else to be heard, another noise came to their ears.
It was so unexpected and so very startling that both of them clutched the other in a start of alarm. It was certainly a strange noise to hear in that deserted bit of country.
Bells! Wild, clanging bells sounding without a stop, jangling out over the dark countryside in peal after peal. Anne held on tightly to Dick.
СWhat is it? Where are those bells? What are they ringing for?Т whispered Anne.
Dick had no idea. He was as startled as Anne to hear this extraordinary noise. It sounded some distance away, but every now and again the wind blew hard and then the noise of the jangling swept round them, close to them it seemed.
СI wish theyТd stop, Oh, I wish theyТd stop!Т said Anne, her heart beating fast. СI donТt like them. They frighten me. TheyТre not church bells.Т
СNo. TheyТre certainly not church bells,Т said Dick. СTheyТre a warning of some kind. IТm sure - but what for? Fire? WeТd see fire if there was one anywhere near us. War? No - bells and beacons were used to warn people of war long long ago, Not now.Т
СThat village was called Beacons,Т said Anne, suddenly remembering. СDo you suppose it has that name because long ago there was a nearby hill where people lighted a beacon, to send a warning to other towns telling them that the enemy was coming? Did they ring
bells too? Are we hearing long-ago bells, Dick? They donТt sound like bells IТve ever heard in my life before.Т
СGood gracious! TheyТre certainly not long-ago bells!Т said Dick, speaking cheerfully, though he was really just as puzzled and alarmed as Anne. СThose bells are being rung now, at this very minute!Т
Quite suddenly the bells stopped and an enormous silence took the place of the wild ringing. The two children stood and listened for a minute or two and then heaved a sigh of relief.
СTheyТve stopped at last,Т said Anne, СI hated them! Why did they ring out on this dark dark night? Oh do letТs find Blue Pond Farm-house as soon as ever we can, Dick. I donТt like being lost in the dark like this, with bells ringing madly for nothing at all!Т
СCome on,Т said Dick. СKeep close to the hedge. As long as we follow that we must come to somewhere. We wonТt wander out on to the moorland.Т
He took AnneТs arm and the two of them kept close to the hedge. They came to another path at last and followed it. That led to a lane, but not a sunken one this time - and then, oh wonderful sight, - not far off they saw a light shining!
СThat must be Blue Pond Farm-house!Т said Dick, thankfully. СCome on, Anne - not much farther now!Т
They came to a low stone wall and followed it till they came to a broken-down gate. It opened with a squeak, and Anne stepped through - right into an enormous puddle!
СBlow!Т she said. СNow IТm wetter than ever! For a moment I thought I must have stepped into the blue pond!Т
But it was only a puddle. They went round it and followed a muddy path to a little door set in a white stone wall. Dick thought it must be the back door. Nearby was a window, and in it shone the light they had seen so thankfully.
An old woman sat near the light, her head bent over some sewing. The children could see her quite clearly as they stood by the door.
Dick looked for a bell or knocker but there was none. He knocked with his bare knuckles. Nobody answered. The door remained shut. They looked at the old woman by the lamp, and saw that she was still sewing.
СPerhaps sheТs deaf,Т said Dick and he knocked again, much more loudly. Still the old woman sewed on placidly. She must indeed be deaf!
СWeТll never get in at this rate!Т said Dick, impatiently. He tried the handle of the door - it opened at once!
СWeТll just have to walk in and announce ourselves,Т said Dick, and he stepped on to the worn mat inside the door. He was in a narrow little passage that led to a stone stairway, steep and narrow at the farther end.
On his right was a door, a little ajar. It opened into the room where the old woman was sitting. The two children could see a streak of light coming through the crack.
Dick pushed the door open and walked boldly in, followed by Anne. Still the old woman didnТt look up. She pushed her needle in and out of her sewing and seemed to hear and see nothing else whatsoever.
Dick had to walk right up to her before she knew he was in the room. Then she leapt up in such a fright that her chair fell over with a bang.
СIТm sorry,Т said Dick, upset at frightening the old lady. СWe knocked but you didnТt hear!Т
She stared at them, her hand over her heart. СYou give me such a fright,Т she said. СWhere did you come from, this dark night?Т
Dick picked up her chair, and she sat down in it, panting a little.
СWeТve been looking for this place,Т said Dick. СBlue Pond Farm-house, isnТt it? We wondered if we could stay the night here - and two others of us as well.Т
The old woman pointed to her ears and shook her head. СDeaf as a post,Т she said. СNo good talking to me, my dear. YouТve lost your way, I suppose?Т
Dick nodded.
СWell, you canТt stay here,Т said the old woman. СMy son wonТt have no one here at all. YouТd best be gone before he comes. He have a nasty temper, he have.Т