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

The two boys went off, leaving Anne and George fussing over TimmyТs paw. He had leapt into a gorse bush after a rabbit and a thorn had gone right into his left fore-paw. Then it had broken off, leaving the point in poor TimmyТs pad. No wonder he limped! George was going to have quite a time trying to ease out the bit of thorn.
Julian and Dick set off over the moor. It was a day like summer, far too warm for April. There was not a single cloud to be seen in the sky, which was as blue as forget-me-nots. The boys felt too hot in their pullovers and longed to take them off. But that would mean carrying them, which would be an awful nuisance.
The gypsy camp was not really far away. They soon came near to the curious hill that stood up from the flatness of the moor. The caravans still stood in its shelter, and the boys saw that a little group of men were sitting together, talking earnestly.
СI bet theyТre having a jaw about that aeroplane last night,Т said Dick. СAnd I bet it was they who set that light or fire, or whatever it was, to guide it. I wonder why it didnТt land.Т
They kept in the shelter of big gorse bushes, as they skirted the camp. They were not particularly anxious to be seen. The dogs, sitting round the group of men, apparently did not see or hear them, which was lucky.
The boys made their way towards the place where they thought they had seen the glow, some way to the left of the camp, and beyond it.
СDoesnТt seem to be anything out of the ordinary anywhere,Т said Julian, stopping and looking round. СI was expecting to see a big burnt patch, or something.Т
СWait - whatТs in that dip over there?Т said Dict, pointing to where the ground seemed to dip downwards. СIt looks like another old quarry, rather like the one weТre camping in, but smaller, much smaller. I bet thatТs where the fire was!Т
They made their way to the quarry. It was much more overgrown than theirs was, and was evidently one that had been worked at an earlier time. It dipped down to quite a pit in the middle and set there was something unusual. What was it?
The boys scrambled down into the pit-like quarry and made their way to the middle. They stared at the big thing that was set there, pointing to the sky.
СItТs a lamp, a powerful lamp of some kind,Т said Dick. СLike those we see making a flare-path at an aerodrome, guiding planes in to land. Fancy seeing one here!Т
СHow did the gypsies get it?Т wondered Dick, puzzled. СAnd why signal to a plane that doesnТt land? It looked as if it wanted to, circling round low like that.Т
СMaybe the gypsies signalled that it wasnТt safe to land for some reason,Т said Julian. СOr perhaps they were going to give something to the pilot and it wasnТt ready.Т
СWell, itТs a puzzle,Т said Dick. СI canТt imagine whatТs going on. Something is, thatТs certain. LetТs snoop round a bit.Т
They found nothing else, except a trail that led to the lamp and back. Just as they were examining it, a shout came to their ears. They swung round - and saw the figure of a gypsy at the edge of the pit.
СWhat are you doing here?Т he shouted, in a harsh voice. He was joined by a few others, and they all looked threateningly at Julian and Dick as they climbed out of the pit.
Julian decided to be honest. СWeТre camping out on the moor for a night or two,Т he said, Сand we heard a plane last night, circling low. We also saw a glow that appeared to be guiding it, and we came along to see what it was. Did you hear the plane?Т
СMebbe we did and mebbe we didnТt,Т said the nearest gypsy, who was SnifferТs father. СWhat of it? Planes fly over this moor any day!Т
СWe found that powerful lamp,Т said Dick, pointing back at it. СDo you know anything about that?Т
СNothing,Т said the gypsy scowling. СWhat lamp?Т
СWell, as far as I can see thereТs no charge for looking at it,Т said Julian. СGo and have a squint, if you donТt know anything about it! But I canТt believe that you didnТt see the light it gave last night! ItТs a jolly good place to hide it, I must say.Т
СWe donТt know anything about any lamp,Т said another gypsy, the old one with grey hair. СThis is our usual camping-place. We donТt interfere with anything or anybody - unless they interfere with us. Then we make them sorry for it.Т
The boys at once thought of the long-ago mystery of the disappearance of the Bartles. They felt quite uncomfortable.
СWell, weТre going now, so donТt worry,Т said Julian. СWeТre only camping for a night or two, as I said. We wonТt come near here again, if you object to us.
He saw Sniffer creeping up behind the men, with I.iz, who for some reason of her own, was walking sedately on her hind-legs. Sniffer pulled at his fatherТs arm.
СTheyТre all right,Т he said. СYou know our Clip got his leg made better at the stables. TheyТre all right!Т
All he got was a savage cuff that sent him to the ground, where he rolled over and over. Liz dropped down on all fours and went to lick him.
СHere, I say!Т said Julian, shocked. СLeave that kid alone! YouТve no right to hit him like that!Т
Sniffer set up such a yelling that some of the women left the caravans not far off and came running to see what was up. One of them began to shout at SnifferТs father and he shouted back. Soon there was quite a row going on between the men and the angry women, one of whom had picked up poor Sniffer and was dabbing his head with a wet cloth.
СCome on, itТs a good time to go,Т said Julian to Dick. СWhat an unfriendly lot they are, except poor Sniffer, and he was doing his best for us, poor kid.Т
The two boys went off quickly, glad to be away from the men and their dogs. They were puzzled about everything. The men said they knew nothing about the lamp, but they must know something about it. Nobody but a gypsy could have lighted it last night.
They went back to the girls and told them what had happened. СLetТs get back to the stables,Т said Anne. СThereТs something queer going on. WeТll be in the middle of an adventure before we know where we are!Т
СWeТll stay one more night,Т said Julian. СI want to see if that plane comes again. Those gypsies donТt know where weТre camping and though Sniffer knows, IТm pretty sure he wonТt tell. It was plucky of him to try and stick up for us to his father.Т
СAll right. WeТll stay,Т said George. СIТm not particularly anxious for Timmy to have that long walk home today. I think IТve got most of that thorn out of his pad, but he still wonТt put his foot to the ground.Т
СHeТs jolly clever at running about on three legs,Т said Dick, watching Timmy tearing round the quarry, sniffing as usual for rabbits.
СThe amount of quarrying that Timmy has done in this pit already is colossal!Т said Julian, staring round at the places where Timmy had tried to get in at some rabbit-hole and scrabbled out big heaps of sand. СHe would have been a great help to the Bartles when they dug out sand! Poor old Tim - your bad foot has stopped you scraping for rabbits, hasnТt it!Т
Timmy ran over on three legs. He enjoyed all the fussing he got when anything happened to him. He meant to make the most of his bad foot!
They had a very lazy day indeed. It really was too hot to do anything much. They went to the little spring and sat with their feet in the rivulet it made - it was deliciously cool! They went and had a look at the old engine again, lying on its side, half-buried.
Dick scraped away a lot of the sand that had seeped into the cab. Soon they were all helping. They uncovered the old handles and levers and tried to move them. But they couldnТt of course.
СLetТs go round to the other side of the gorse bush and see if we can see the funnel again,Т said Dick, at last. СBlow these thorns. IТm getting pricked all over. TimmyТs very sensible, sitting there, not attempting to examine this old Puffing Billy!Т
They had to cut away some of the gorse before they could examine the funnel properly. Then they exclaimed in wonder.
СLook! ItТs very like the long funnel that Puffing Billy had, you know, one of the first engines ever made!Т
СItТs filled with sand,Т said Dick, and tried to scrape it out. It was fairly loose, and soon he was able to peer down the funnel quite a long way.
СFunny to think of smoke puffing out of this queer old funnel,Т said Dick. СPoor old engine, lying here for years, quite forgotten. IТd have thought someone would rescue it!Т
СWell, you know what the blacksmith told us,Т said George. СThe Bartle sister that was left wouldnТt have anything more to do with the railway or the engine or the quarry. And certainly nobody could move this great thing on their own.Т
СI shouldnТt be surprised if weТre the only people in the world who know where the old engine is,Т said Anne. СItТs so overgrown that nobody could see it except by accident!Т
СI feel jolly hungry, all of a sudden,Т said Dick, stopping his work of getting sand off the engine. СWhat about something to eat?Т
СWeТve got enough to last for a day or two more,Т said Anne. СThen weТll have to get something else - or go back to the stables.Т
СI must spend one more night here,Т said Julian. СI want to see if that plane returns again.Т
СRight. WeТll all watch this time,Т said George. СIt will be fun. Come on, letТs go and get something to eat. DonТt you think thatТs a good idea, Timmy?Т