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

СNow, you canТt cross the gypsies for long,Т said Ben, at last. СThatТs a fact, you canТt. And one day all them Bartles disappeared and never came back home. No, not one of them. All that was left of the family was little lame Agnes, their sister.Ф
Everyone exclaimed in surprise and old Ben looked round with satisfaction. Ah, he could tell a story, he could!
СBut whatever happened?Т said Henry.
СWell, no one rightly knows,Т said Ben. СIt happened in a week when the mist came swirling over the moors and blotted everything out. Nobody went up there except the Bartles, and they were safe because all they had to do was to follow their railway lines there and back. They went up to the quarry each day the mist was there, and worked the same as usual. Nothing stopped they Bartles from working!Т
He paused and looked round at his listeners. He dropped his voice low, and all five of the children felt little shivers up their backs.
СOne night somebody in the village saw twenty or more gypsy caravans slinking through the village at dead of night,Т said Ben. СUp on the moor they went in the thick mist. Mebbe they followed the railway; nobody knows. And next morning, up to the quarry went the Bartles as usual, swallowed up in the mist.Т
He paused again. СAnd they never came back,Т he said. СNo, not one of them. Never heard of again!Т
СBut what happened?Т said George.
СSearch-parties were sent out when the mist cleared,Т said old Ben. СBut never one of the Bartles did they find, alive or dead. Never a one! And they didnТt find any gypsy caravans either. TheyТd all come creeping back the next night, and passed through the village like shadows. I reckon them gypsies set upon the Bartles in the mist that day, fought them and defeated them, and took them and threw them over the cliffs into the roaring sea!Т
СHow horrible!Т said Anne, feeling sick.
СDonТt worrit yourself!Т said the blacksmith. СIt all happened a mort of time ago, and there wasnТt many that mourned them Bartles, I can tell you. Funny thing was, their weakly little sister, Agnes, she lived to be a hale old woman of ninety-six, and only died a few years ago! And to think them strong fierce brothers of hers went all together like that!Т
СItТs a most interesting story, Ben,Т said Julian. СSo Misty Moor became Mystery Moor then, did it? And nobody ever really found out what happened, so the mystery was never solved. DidnТt anyone work the railway after that, or get the sand?Т
СNo, not a soul,Т said Ben. СWe was all scared, you see, and young Agnes, she said the railway and the trucks and injin could rot, for all she cared. I never dared to go near them after that. It was a long time before anyone but the gypsies set foot on Misty Moor again. Now itТs all forgotten, the tale of the Bartles, but them gypsies still remember, IТve no doubt! TheyТve got long memories, they have.Т
СDo you know why they come to Mystery Moor every so often?Т asked Dick.
СNo. They come and they go,Т said Ben. СTheyТve their own queer ways. They donТt belong anywhere, them folk. What they do on the moor is their own business, and I wouldnТt want to poke my nose into it. IТd remember them old Bartles, and keep away!Т
A voice came from inside the smithy, where Jim, the blacksmithТs grandson, had been shoeing the horses. СGrandad! You stop jabbering away there, and let the children come and talk to me! IТve shod nearly all the horses.Т
Ben laughed. СYou go along,Т he said to the children. СI know you like to be in there and see the sparks fly, and the shoes made. IТve wasted your time, I have, telling you long-ago things. You go along into the smithy. And just you remember two things - watch out for that mist, and keep away from the gypsies on the moor!Т

Chapter Ten

SNIFFERТS PATRINS

It was fun in the smithy, working the bellows, seeing the fire glow, and watching the red-hot shoes being shaped. Jim was quick and clever, and it was a pleasure to watch him.
СYou been hearing GrandadТs old stories?Т he said. СItТs all heТs got to do now, sit there and remember, though when he wants to he can make a horse-shoe as well as I can! There, thatТs the last one. Stand still, Sultan. ThatТs right!Т
The five children were soon on their way back again. It was a lovely morning, and the banks and ditches they passed were bright gold with thousands of celandines.
СAll beautifully polished!Т said Anne, picking two or three for her button-hole. It did look as if someone had polished the inside of each petal, for they gleamed like enamel.
СWhat a queer tale the old man told,Т said Julian. СHe told it well!Т
СYes. He made me feel I donТt want to go up on the moor again!Т said Anne.
СDonТt be feeble!Т said George. СIt all happened ages ago. Jolly interesting too. I wonder if the gypsies who are there now know the story. Maybe their great-grand-parents were the ones who set on the Bartles that misty day!Т
СWell, SnifferТs father looked sly enough to carry out a plan like that,Т said Henry. СWhat about us having a shot at following the way they went, and seeing if we can make out the patrins that Sniffer told George he would leave?Т
СGood idea,Т said Julian. СWeТll go this afternoon. I say, whatТs the time? I should think it must be half-past dinner-time!Т
They looked at their watches. СYes, weТre late, but we always are when we get back from the blacksmith,Т said George. СNever mind, I bet Mrs Johnson will have an extra special meal for us!Т
She had! There was an enormous plate of stew for everyone, complete with carrots, onions, parsnips and turnips, and a date pudding to follow. Good old Mrs Johnson!
СYou three girls must wash up for me afterwards,Т she said. СIТve such a lot to do today.Т
СWhy canТt the boys help?Т said George at once.
СIТll do all the washing-up,Т said Anne with a sudden grin. СYou four boys can go out to the stables!Т
Dick gave her a good-natured shove. СYou know weТll help, even if weТre not good at it. IТll dry. I hate those bits and pieces that float about in the washing-bowl.Т
СWill it be all right if we go up on the moors this afternoon?Т asked George.
СYes, quite all right. But if you want to take your tea, youТll have to pack it yourselves,Т said Mrs Johnson. СIТm taking the small children out for a ride, and thereТs one on the leading-rein still, as you know.Т
They were ready to set off at three oТclock their tea packed and everything. The horses were caught in the field and got ready too. They set off happily.
СNow weТll see if we are as clever as we think we are, at reading gypsy patrins!Т said George. СTimmy, donТt chase every rabbit you see, or youТll be left behind!Т
They cantered up on to the moor, passing the place where the caravans had stood. They knew the direction they had taken, and here and there they saw wheel-marks. It was fairly easy to follow their trail, because five caravans made quite a path to follow.
СHereТs where they camped first,Т said Julian, riding up to a blackened spot that showed where a fire had been lighted. СWe ought to find a message left somewhere here.Т
They searched for one. George found it. СItТs here, behind this tree!Т she called. СOut of the wind.Т
They dismounted and came round George. On the ground was the patrin, the shape of a cross, the long stick pointing forwards, in the direction they were going. Other single sticks lay there, to show that a caravan had gone that way, and beside them were the large and the small leaf, weighted with tiny stones.
СWhat did those leaves show now, oh yes, Sniffer and his dog!Т said Dick. СWell, weТre on the right way, though weТd know that anyhow, by the fire!Т
They mounted again and went on. It proved quite easy to find and follow the patrins. Only once did they find any difficulty and that was when they came to a place, marked by two trees, where there was no apparent sign in the heather of any caravan marks.
СThe heatherТs so jolly thick here that itТs taken the caravans as if it were a feather-bed, springing up when they had gone, and giving no sign of where they had passed,Т said Julian. He dismounted and had a good look round. No, there was no sign.
СWeТll go on a little way,Т he said. СWe may come to a camping place, then weТll know.Т
But they came to no old camping place, and stopped at last in bewilderment. СWeТve lost the trail,Т said Dick. СWeТre not such good gypsies after all!Т