"Blyton, Enid - Famous Five 12 - Five Go Down to The Sea" - читать интересную книгу автора (Blyton Enid)

OUT IN THE NIGHT

Before the children had finished their high tea, the big kitchen-sitting-room was quite dark. Thunder clouds had moved up from the west, gathering together silently, frowning and sinister. Then, from far off, came the first rumble of thunder.
The little Scottie came and cowered against Mrs PenruthlanТs skirts. He hated storms. The farmerТs wife comforted him, and her big husband gave a little unexpected snort of laughter. He said something that sounded like СooseТ.
СHeТs not as timid as a mouse,Т said his wife, who was really marvellous at interpreting her husbandТs peculiar noises. СHe just doesnТt like the thunder. He never did. He can sleep with us in our room tonight.Т
There were a few more sounds from Mr Penruthlan to which his wife listened anxiously. СVery well, if you have to get up and see to Jenny the horse in the night, IТll see Benny doesnТt bark the house down,Т she said. She turned to the children. СDonТt worry if you hear him barking,Т she said. СIt will only be Mr Penruthlan stirring.Т
The thunder crashed and rumbled again, this time a little nearer, and then lightning flashed. Then down came the rain. How it poured! It rattled and clattered on the roof in enormous drops, and then settled down into a steady downpour.
The four children got out their cards and played games by the light of the oil lamp. There was no electricity at Tremannon. Timmy sat with his head on GeorgeТs knee. He didnТt mind the thunder but he didnТt particularly like it.
СWell, I think weТd better go to bed,Т said Julian at last. He knew that the Penruthlans liked to go to bed early because they got up so early, and as they did not go upstairs until after the children did, Julian saw to it that they, too, went early.
They said good night and went up to their bare little rooms. The windows were still open and the small curtains drawn back, so that the hills, lit now and again by lightning, showed up clearly. The children went and stood there, watching. They all loved a storm, especially Dick. There was something powerful and most majestic about this kind of storm, sweeping over hills and sea, rumbling all round, and tearing the sky in half with flashes of lightning.
СJulian, is it possible to go up to that place the shepherd showed us and see if the light flashes tonight?Т said George. СYou only laughed when I asked you before.Т
СWell, I laugh again!Т said Julian. СOf course not! WeТd be drenched, and I donТt fancy being out in this lightning on those exposed hills, either.Т
СAll right,Т said George. СAnyway, I donТt feel quite such an urge to go now that itТs so pitch dark.Т
СJust as well,Т said Julian. СCome on, Dick, letТs go to bed.Т
The storm went on for some time, rumbling all round the hills again, as if it were going round in a circle. The girls fell asleep, but the boys tossed about, feeling hot and sticky.
СDick,Т said Julian, suddenly, СletТs get up and go out. ItТs stopped raining. LetТs go and see if that light is flashing tonight. It should be just the night for it, according to old Grandad.Т
СRight,Т said Dick, and sat up, feeling for his clothes. СI simply canТt go to sleep, even though I felt really sleepy when I undressed.Т
They pulled on as few clothes as possible, for the night was still thundery and hot. Julian took his torch and Dick hunted for his.
СGot it,Т he said at last. СAre you ready? Come on, then. LetТs tiptoe past the PenruthlansТ door, or we may wake that dog Scottie! HeТs sleeping there tonight, donТt forget.Т
They tiptoed along the passage, past the PenruthlansТ door and down the stairs. One stair creaked rather alarmingly, and they stopped in dismay, wondering if Ben the Scottie would break out into a storm of barking.
But he didnТt. Good! Down they went again, switching on their torches to see the way. They came to the bottom of the stairs. СShall we go out by the front door or back door, Ju?Т whispered Dick.
СBack,Т said Julian. СThe front doorТs so heavy to open. Come on.Т
So they went down the passage to the back door that led out from the kitchen. It was locked and bolted, but the two boys opened it without too much noise.
They stepped out into the night. The rain had now stopped, but the sky was still dark and overclouded. Tne thunder rumbled away in the distance. A wind had got up and blew coolly against the boysТ faces.
СNice cocl breeze,Т whispered Dick. СNow - do we go through the farm-yard? Is that the shortest way to the stile we have to climb over into that first field?Т
СYes, i think so,Т said Julian. They made their way across the silent farm-yard, where, in the daytime, such a lot of noise went on, clucking, quacking, grunting, clip-clopping, and shouting!
Now it was dark and deserted. They passed the barns and the stables. A little СhrrrrrrumphingТ came from one of the stables. СThatТs Jenny, the horse thatТs not well,Т said Julian, stopping. СLetТs just have a look at her and see if sheТs all right. She was lying down feeling very sorry for herself when I saw her last.Т
They flashed their torch over the top half of the stable door, which was pulled back to let in air. They looked in with interest.
Jenny was no longer lying down. She was standing up, munching something. Goodness, she must be quite all right again! She whinnied to the two boys.
They left her and went on. They came to the stile and climbed over. The rain began drizzling again, and if the boys had not had their torches with them they would not have been able to see a step in front of them, it was so dark.
СI say, Ju - did you hear that?Т said Dick, stopping suddenly.
СNo. What?Т said Julian, listening.
СWell, it sounded like a cough,Т said Dick.
СOne of the sheep,Т suggested Julian. СI heard one old sheep coughing just like Uncle Quentin does sometimes, sort of hollow and mournful.Т
СNo. It wasnТt a sheep,Т said Dick. СAnyway, there arenТt any in this field.Т
СYou imagined it,Т said Julian. СI bet thereТs nobody idiotic enough to be out on a night like this, except ourselves!Т
They went on cautiously over the field. The thunder began again, a little nearer. Then came a flash, and again the thunder. Dick stopped dead once more and clutched JulianТs arm.
СThereТs somebody a good way in front of us, the lightning just lighted him up for half a second. He was climbing over that stile, the one weТre making for. Who do you suppose it is on a night like this?Т
СHeТs apparently going the same way that we are,Т said Julian. СWell, I suppose if we saw him heТs quite likely to have seen us!Т
СNot unless he was looking backwards,Т said Dick. СCome on, letТs see where heТs going.Т
They went on cautiously towards the stile. They came to it and climbed over. And then a hand suddenly clutched hold of DickТs shoulder!
He jumped almost out of his skin! The hand gripped him so hard and so fiercely that Dick shouted in pain and tried to wriggle away from the powerful grip.
Julian felt a hand lunge at him, too, but dodged and pressed himself into the hedge. He switched off his torch at once and stood quite still, his heart thumping quickly.
СLet me go!Т shouted Dick, wriggling like an eel. His shirt was almost tom off his back in his struggles. He kicked out at the manТs ankles and for one moment his captor loosened his grasp. That was enough for Dick. He ripped himself away and left his shirt in the manТs hand!
He ran up the lane into which the stile had led and flung himself under a bush in the darkness, panting. He heard his captor coming along, muttering, and Dick pressed himself farther into the bush. A torchlight swept the ground near him, but missed him.
Dick waited till the footsteps had gone and then crawled out. He went quietly down tht lane. СJulian!Т he whispered, and jumped as a voice answered almost in his ear, just above his head!
СIТm here. Are you all right?Т
Dick looked up into the darkness of a tree, but could see nothing. СIТve dropped my torch somewhere,Т he said. СWhere are you, Ju? Up in the tree?Т
A hand groped out and felt his head. СHere I am, on the first branch,Т said Julian. СI hid in the hedge first and then climbed up here. I darenТt put on my torch in case that fellowТs anywhere around and sees it.Т