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

But before he was quite asleep, he heard cautious footsteps again! Was that fellow back once more? This time someone tried the door - but the wooden stick was in the hasps. Whoever it was outside shook the door and the stick fell out at once. The man shook the door again as if thinking it had stuck, and then opened it. He came inside and shut the door behind him.
Dick caught a quick glimpse of him. No - this wasnТt the same man as before. This was a man with a head of thick hair, Dick hoped and prayed that he wouldnТt come over to the straw.
He didnТt. He sat down on a sack and waited. He talked to himself after a while, but Dick could only make out a word or two.
СWhatТs happened?Т he heard. СHow much longer do I wait?Т Then there was a mumble and Dick could not catch a word.
СWait, wait - thatТs all I do,Т muttered the man, and he stood up and stretched himself. Then he went to the door and looked out. He came back and sat down on the sack again.
He sat still and quiet then, and Dick found his eyes closing once more. Was this part of a dream too? He didnТt have time to think it out because he was suddenly in a real dream, walking along ringing bells and seeing trees in twos everywhere round him!
He slept heavily all night long. When morning came he awoke suddenly and sat up. He was alone in the barn. Where had the second visitor gone? Or could it all have been a dream?


Chapter Seven

IN THE MORNING

Dick stood up and stretched himself. He felt dirty and untidy. Also he was very hungry. He wondered if the old woman would let him buy some bread and cheese and a glass of milk.
СAnne must be hungry too,Т he thought СI wonder if sheТs all right.Т He went cautiously outside and looked up at the tiny window of the loft where Anne had spent the night. Her anxious face was already there, watching for Dick!
СAre you all right, Anne?Т called Dick, in a low tone. She pushed open the tiny window and smiled at him.
СYes. But I darenТt go down because that son is downstairs. I can hear him shouting at the deaf old woman every now and again. He sounds very bad-tempered.Т
СIТll wait for him to go out to his work then, before I go and see the old woman,Т said Dick. СI must pay her something for letting you sleep up in that loft - and perhaps I can persuade her to let us have something to eat.Т
СI wish you could,Т said Anne. СIТve eaten all the chocolate I had in my bag. Shall I wait till I hear you call me?Т
Dick nodded and disappeared into the barn in a hurry. He had heard footsteps!
A man came into sight - a broad, short, hunched-up man, with a shock of untidy hair. He was the man that Dick had seen in the barn the night before. He was muttering to himself and looked very bad-tempered indeed. Dick decided to keep out of his way. He crouched down in the barn.
But the man did not go in there. He walked past, still muttering. Dick listened for his footsteps to die away. He heard the opening of a gate somewhere, then it crashed behind the man.
'IТd better take my chance now,Т thought Dick, and he went quickly out of the barn and up to the little white house. It looked very tumble-down and neglected in the daylight, and had a most forlorn air.
Dick knew that it was no good knocking, because the old woman wouldnТt hear him. So he walked right into the house and found the woman washing up a few dishes in a cracked old sink. She stared at him in dismay.
'IТd forgotten about you! And the girl too! Is she still up there? Get her down quickly before my son comes back! And then go, both of you!Т
СCan you sell us some bread and cheese?Т shouted Dick But the old woman really was stone deaf, and all she did was to push Dick away towards the door, jabbing at him with the wet cloth in her hand. Dick slipped aside and pointed to some bread on a table,
СNo, no - I tell you, youТre to go,Т said the old woman, obviously terrified in case her son should come back СGet the girl, quickly!Т
But before Dick could do anything, there were footsteps outside and in came the hunched-up fellow with the shock of hair! He was back already, holding some eggs he had been to find.
He walked into the kitchen and stared at Dick. СClear out!Т he said, angrily. СWhat do you want here?Т
Dick thought he had better not say he had slept the night in the barn. There were queer goings-on here, and the man might be very savage if he knew Dick had slept the night nearby.
СI wanted to know if your mother could sell us some bread,Т he said, and could have bitten his tongue out. He had said СusТ!Т Now the man would guess there was someone with him.
СUs? WhoТs УusФ?Т said the man, looking round. СYou fetch him and IТll tell you both what I do to boys who come stealing my eggs!Т
СIТll go and fetch him,Т said Dick, seizing the chance to get away. He ran to the door. The man made a clumsy dart at him and almost caught him. But Dick was out and away, running down the path. He hid behind a shed, his heart thumping. He had to wait for Anne. Somehow he had to go back and get her.
The man stood at the door, shouting angrily after Dick. But he didnТt chase him. He went back into the house and after a while came out again with a pail of steaming food. Dick guessed he was going to feed the chickens wherever they were.
He had to take this chance of fetching Anne. He waited till he heard the crash of the distant gate again and then he rushed to the house. AnneТs face was at the window, scared. She had heard all that the man had said to Dick, and then to his mother about allowing boys to come to the house.
СAnne! Come down at once. HeТs gone,Т shouted Dick. СHurry!Т
AnneТs face disappeared from the window, She ran to the door, tumbled quickly down the stairs, and ran through the kitchen. The old woman flapped a cloth at her, screaming at her.
Dick ran into the kitchen and put twenty pence on the table. Then he caught AnneТs arm and both children tore out of the house and down the path. They came to the hedge they had followed the night before.
Anne was quite scared. СThat awful man!Т she said. СOh Dick - what a horrible place. Honestly I think Julian must be mad to choose a place like that to sleep in for the night - horrible little house! And it didnТt look a bit like a farm. There were no cows or pigs that I could see and not even a farm-dog!Т
СYou know, Anne, I donТt think it could possibly have been Blue Pond Farm-house,Т said Dick, as they walked beside the hedge, looking for the gate that they had come through the night before. СWe made a mistake. It was an ordinary cottage. If we hadnТt lost our way weТd have come to the proper Blue Pond Farm-house IТm sure.Т
СWhatever will George and Julian be thinking?Т said Anne. СTheyТll be dreadfully worried, wonТt they, wondering what has become of us. Do you suppose theyТre at the real Blue Pond Farm-house?Т
СWeТll have to find out,Т said Dick СDo I look very messy and untidy, Anne? I feel awful.Т
СYes. HavenТt you a comb?Т said Anne. СYour hairТs all up on end. And your face is very dirty. Look, thereТs a little stream over there. LetТs get our flannels out and wash our hands and faces with them.Т
They did a little washing in the cold water of the stream, and Dick combed back his hair.
СYou look a lot better,Т said Anne, СOh dear - I wish we could have some breakfast. IТm really starving! I didnТt sleep awfully well, did you, Dick? My mattress was so hard, and I was rather scared, up in that funny little room all alone.Т
Before Dick could answer, a boy came whistling through the gate. He looked astonished to see Dick and Anne.
СHallo!Т he said. СYou hiking?Т
СYes,Т said Dick. СCan you tell me if that place up there is Blue Pond Farm-house?Т
He pointed back to the old womanТs house. The boy laughed.
СThatТs no farm-house. ThatТs Mrs. TaggartТs place, and a dirty old place it is. DonТt you go there, or her son will drive you off. Dirty Dick we call him - heТs a terror! Blue Pond Farm-house is down along there, see? Past the Three Shepherds Inn and away up to the left.Т