"Blyton, Enid - Famous Five 13 - Five Go to Mystery Moor" - читать интересную книгу автора (Blyton Enid)

СNever mind now. IТll tell you everything at supper,Т said George. СDo you want any help, Henry?Т
Henry was surprised to hear George call her Henry instead of Henrietta. СNo thanks - er - George,Т she said. СI can manage.Т
It was a very jolly supper-time that evening. The youngsters were set at a table by themselves, so the older ones talked to their heartsТ content.
Captain Johnson was very interested to hear about the old railway they had found. СI never knew there was anything like that on the moors,Т he said. СThough, of course, weТve only been here about fifteen years, so we donТt know a great deal of the local history. You want to go and ask old Ben the blacksmith about that. HeТs lived here all his life, and a long life it is, for heТs over eighty!Т
СWell, weТve got to take some of the horses to be shod tomorrow, havenТt we?Т said Henry, eagerly. СWe could ask him then! Why, he might even have helped to make the rails!Т
СWe saw the caravans, George, when we had got pretty far out on the moor,Т said Julian. СGoodness knows where they were heading for, towards the coast, I should think. WhatТs the coast like beyond the moor, Captain Johnson?Т
СWild,Т said the Captain. СGreat, unclimbable cliffs, and reefs or rocks stretching out to sea. Only the birds live there. ThereТs no bathing, no boating, no beach.Т
СWell, it beats me where those caravans are going,Т said Dick. СItТs a mystery. They go every three months, donТt they?Т
СAbout that,Т said Captain Johnson. СIТve no idea what the attraction of the moor is for the gypsies. It just beats me! Usually they wonТt go anywhere where there are not a few farms, or at least a small village where they can sell their goods.Т
СIТd like to go after them and see where they are and what theyТre doing,Т said Julian, eating his third hard-boiled egg.
СAll right. LetТs,Т said George.
СBut how? We donТt know where theyТve gone,Т said Henry.
СWell, SnifferТs going to join them tomorrow, or as soon as Clip is all right for walking,Т said George. СAnd heТs got to follow the patrins left on the way by the others. He says that he looks at the places where fires have been made on the way, and beside them somewhere he will see the patrins, the sticks that point in the direction he must follow.Т
СHeТs sure to destroy them,Т said Dick. СWe couldnТt follow them!Т
СWeТll ask him to leave his own patrins,Т said George. СI think he will. HeТs not a bad little boy, really. I could ask him to leave plenty of patrins, so that we could easily find the way.Т
СWell, it might be fun to see if we could read the right road to go, just as easily as the gypsies do,Т said Julian. СWe could make it a dayТs ride. It would be interesting!Т
Henry gave a most enormous yawn, and that made Anne yawn too, though hers was a very polite one.
СHenry!Т said Mrs Johnson.
СSorry,Т said Henry. СIt just came almost like a sneeze does. I donТt know why, but I feel almost asleep.Т
СGo to bed then,Т said Mrs Johnson. СYouТve had such a day of air and sunshine! You all look very brown too. The April sun has been as hot as June today.Т
The five of them, and Timmy, went out for a last look at the horses, and to do one or two small jobs. Henry yawned again, and that set everyone else off, even George.
СMe for the straw!Т said Julian, with a laugh. СOh, the thought of that warm, comfy straw bed is too good for words! You girls are welcome to the beds!Т
СI hope SnifferТs Pa doesnТt come in the middle of the night again,Т said Dick.
СI shall tie up the latch,Т said Julian. СWell, letТs go and say goodnight to Mrs Johnson.Т
It wasnТt long before the three girls were in bed and the two boys cuddled down in the straw of the stable. Clip was there still, but he no longer fidgeted. He lay down quietly, and did not once move his bad leg. It was getting much better. He would certainly be able to go after the others the next day!
Julian and Dick fell asleep at once. No one came creeping in at the stable door that night. Nothing disturbed them until the morning, when a cock got into the stable through a window, sat on a rafter just above them, and crowed loudly enough to wake both boys with a jump.
СWhatТs that!Т said Dick. СThat awful screeching in my ear! Was it you, Ju?Т
The cock crowed again and the boys laughed. СBlow him!Т said Julian, settling down again. СI could do with another couple of hours sleep!Т
That morning Sniffer came slipping in at the gate again. He never came boldly in, he slid through the hedge, or crept in at the gate, or appeared round a corner. He saw George and went over to her.
СMaster George,Т he called, much to JulianТs amusement. СIs Clip better?Т
СYes!Т called back George. СCaptain Johnson says you can take him today. But wait a bit, Sniffer, I want to ask you something before you go.Т
Sniffer was pleased. He liked this girl who had presented him with such a magnificent handkerchief. He took it carefully out of his pocket, hoping to please her.
СSee,Т he said. СHow clean it is! I have kept it very carefully.Т He sniffed loudly.
СYouТre a fathead,Т said George, exasperated. СI gave it to you to use, not to keep clean in your pocket. ItТs to stop your sniffing. Honestly, youТre a bit of a mutt, Sniffer. I shall take that hanky away if you donТt use it!Т
Sniffer looked alarmed. He shook it out carefully and then lightly touched his nose with it. He then folded it up conscientiously in the right creases and put it back into his pocket again.
СNow, NO sniffing!Т commanded George, trying not to laugh. СListen, Sniffer, you know those patrins you showed me yesterday?Т
СYes, Master George,Т said Sniffer.
СWell, will the other gypsies who have gone in front, leave you patrins to follow, so that you will know the way?Т said George.
Sniffer nodded. СYes, but not many, because I have been that way twice before. They will only leave them in places where I might go wrong.Т
СI see,Т said George. СNow Sniffer, we want to have a sort of game. We want to see which of us can follow patrins, and we want you to lay patrins for us quite often, on your way to your family today. Will you?Т
СOh yes, I will,Т said Sniffer, quite proud to have a favour asked of him. СI will lay the ones I showed you, the cross, the long sticks, and the big and little leaf.Т
СYes, do,Т said George. СThat will mean that you have passed in a certain direction and you are a boy and a dog. ThatТs right, isnТt it?Т
СYes,Т said Sniffer, nodding his head. СYou have remembered!Т
СRight. And weТre going to have a kind of game, trying to pretend we are travelling gypsies following others who have passed,Т said George.
СYou must not show yourselves when you come up to our caravans,Т said Sniffer, looking suddenly alarmed. СI should get into trouble for laying patrins for you.Т
СAll right. WeТll be careful,Т said George. СNow letТs go and get Clip.Т
They fetched the patient little skewbald who came out gladly. He no longer limped, and his rest seemed to have done him good. He went off at a good pace with Sniffer. The last George heard of them was a very loud sniff indeed!
СSniffer!Т she shouted, warningly. He put his hand in his pocket and pulled out the hanky. He waved it gaily in the air, a sudden grin lighting up his face.
George went to find the others. СSniffer has taken Clip,Т she said. СWhat about going down to the blacksmith, and taking those horses that want shoeing?Т
СGood idea,Т said Julian. СWe can ask him all about Mystery Moor then, and the strange little railway line, or whatever it is! Come on.Т