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

СJulian, how much is a hundred-dollar note worth in our money?Т asked George.
СAbout forty pounds I thinkТ said Julian. СYes, just about that. Gosh, and there are scores in this one packet, and we know they dropped dozens of the packets too. Whatever is it all about?Т
СWell, there must be thousands and thousands of dollars lying around us, here in the quarry and outside it,Т said George. СI say! Surely this isnТt a dream?Т
СWell, I must say itТs a very extravagant kind of dream, if so,Т said Dick. СA dream worth thousands of pounds isnТt very usual. Ju, hadnТt we better get busy picking up these parcels?Т
СYes. We certainly had,Т said Julian. СIТm beginning to see it all now. The smugglers come over in a plane from France, say, having previously arranged to drop these packets in a lonely spot on this moor. The gypsies are in the plot to the extent that they light the guiding lamp and pick up the parcels.Т
СI see, and then they quietly pack them into their caravans, slip off the moor, and deliver them to somebody else, who pays them well for their trouble,Т said Dick. СVery smart!Т
СThatТs about it,Т said Julian. СBut I canТt for the life of me see why dollar notes have to be smuggled here. They can be brought freely enough into the country - why smuggle them?Т
СStolen ones, perhaps?Т said George. СOh well, its quite beyond me. What a thing to do! No wonder the gypsies didnТt want us around.Т
СBetter buck up and collect all these parcels and clear off back to the stables with them,Т said Julian, picking up one near him. СThe gypsies will be after them, thereТs no doubt about that! We must be gone before they come.Т
The four of them went about looking for the parcels. They found about sixty of them, and they made quite a heavy load.
СWeТll put them somewhere safe, I think,Т said Julian. СWhat about stuffing them into one of the sand-caves? I donТt very well see how we can carry them like this.Т
СWe could put them in the rugs and tie up the ends and carry them like that,Т said George. СIt would be mad to leave them hidden somewhere in this quarry. ItТs the first place the gypsies would search.Т
СAll right. WeТll follow your idea,Т said Julian. СI think weТve about collected all the packets there are. Get the rugs.Т
GeorgeТs idea proved to be a good one, Half the parcels were rolled into one rug, and tied up, and half into the other.
СGood thing the rugs are nice and big,Т said Dick tying his up strongly. СNow I can just about manage mine nicely on my back. You all right, Ju?Т
СYes, come along, you girls,Т said Julian. СFollow behind us. WeТll go down the railway line. Leave everything else here. We can easily get it another time. We must leave before the gypsies come.Т
Timmy began to bark suddenly. СThat must mean the gypsies are coming,Т said Dick. СCome on, quick! Yes I can hear their voices - for goodnessТ sake, HURRY!Т

Chapter Sixteen

THE TERRIBLE MIST

Yes, the gypsies were certainly coming! Their dogs were with them, barking. The four children hurried out of the quarry with Timmy at their heels, quite silent.
СThose fellows may not know we were camping in the quarry,Т panted Dick. СThey may just be coming to find the parcels, and while they are hunting around, we may be able to get a good start. Buck up!Т
They set off to where the lines ended, near where the old engine lay half-buried. The gypsy dogs heard them and set up a yelping and howling. The gypsies stopped to see what had excited them.
They spied shadows moving in the distance, the four children slipping away from the quarry. One of the men shouted loudly.
СHey you - stop! Who are you? Stop, I say!Т
But the five didnТt stop. They were now stumbling between the railway lines, glad of GeorgeТs torch, and AnneТs. The boys could not have held one for it was all they could do to hang on to the heavy-laden rugs.
СQuick, oh quick!Т whispered Anne, but it was impossible to go very quickly.
СThey must be catching us up,Т said Julian, suddenly. СLook round and see, George.Т
George looked round. СNo, I canТt see anyone,Т she said. СJulian, everywhere looks peculiar. WhatТs happening? Julian, stop. Something queer is happening!Т
Julian stopped and looked round. His eyes had been fixed on his feet, trying to see where he was going without stumbling. Anne had shone her torch down for him but it was still dificult to get along properly. Julian gazed all round, wondering what George meant.
Then he gave a gasp. СGosh! How queer! ThereТs a mist come up, look. ItТs even blotted out the stars. No wonder it seems so jolly dark all of a sudden.Т
СA mist!Т said Anne, scared. СNot that awful mist that sometimes covers the moor! Oh Julian, is it?Т
Julian and Dick watched the swirling mist in astonishment. СItТs come from the sea,Т Julian said. СCanТt you smell the salt in it? ItТs come just as suddenly as weТve been told it comes, and look, itТs getting thicker every minute!Т
СWhat a good thing weТre on the railway lines!Т said George. СWhat shall we do? Go on?Т
Julian stood and thought. СThe gypsies wonТt come after us in this mist,Т he said. СIТve a good mind to hide this money somewhere, and then walk back to get the police. If we keep on the lines we canТt go wrong. But we must be sure not to leave them, or weТll be completely lost!Т
СYes, letТs do that,Т said Dick, who was heartily sick already of lugging along his heavy load. СBut where do you propose to hide them, Ju? Not in the quarry! WeТd have to walk through this awful mist to do that, and weТd get lost at once.Т
СNo. IТve thought of a fine place,Т said Julian, and he lowered his voice. СRemember that old engine, fallen on its side? Well, what about stuffing these packets all the way down that great long funnel, and then stopping the top of it up with sand? I bet you anything you like that nobody would find the packets there.Т
СGrand idea!Т said Dick. СThe gypsies will be sure weТve gone off carrying the money, and theyТll not hunt about for it long, once they find the dropped packets are all gone. WeТll be half-way home by the time they try to catch us, if they dare to brave this mist.Т
Anne and George thought JulianТs idea was first-rate, a stroke of genius. СIТd never, never have thought of the engine funnel!Т said Anne.
СNow, thereТs no need for you two girls and Timmy to walk all the way to the engine with us,Т said Julian. СYou sit down here on the lines, and wait for us to come back. We shanТt be long. WeТll walk straight up the railway, find the engine, pack the money into the funnel, and walk back.Т
СRight,Т said George, squatting down. СBring the rugs back with you, though. ItТs cold now!Т
Julian and Dick went off together, with AnneТs torch. George kept hers. Timmy pressed close against her, astonished at the thick mist that had so suddenly swirled up and around them.
СThatТs right. Keep close to us and keep us warm, Tim,Т said George. СItТs jolly cold now. This mist is damp!Т
Julian stumbled along, keeping a look-out for the gypsies. He could see nothing of them, but then, if they had been only two feet away he could not have seen anything of them in the mist! It seemed to get thicker and thicker.
I know what old Ben meant now, when he said that it had damp fingers, thought Julian, feeling little touches like fingers on his face, hands and legs as the mist wreathed itself round him.
Dick nudged him. СHere we are,Т he said. СThe lines are broken here. The engine should be just over there, a yard or two away.Т
They stepped cautiously away from the lines. The big gorse-bush could not be seen, but it could be felt! Julian felt thorns pricking his legs, and knew he was beside it.
СShine your torch here, Dick,Т he whispered. СThatТs right. ThereТs the cab of the engine, see? Now letТs circle the bush, and weТll come to the funnel.Т