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

СWell, anyway, it was jolly decent of Henry to come and meet us and lug our things about,Т said Julian. СHave a biscuit, anyone?Т
СNo thanks,Т said Anne and Henry.
СAre we supposed to leave any for politeness sake?Т said Dick, eyeing the plate. СTheyТre home-made and quite super. I could wolf the lot.Т
СWe arenТt frightfully polite here,Т said Henry, with a grin. СWe arenТt frightfully clean and tidy, either. We have to change out of our jods at night for supper, which is an awful nuisance, especially as Captain Johnson never bothers to change his.Т
СAny news?Т asked Julian, drinking the last of the lemonade. СAnything exciting happened?Т
СNo, nothing,Т said Anne. СThe only excitement is the horses, nothing more. This is quite a lonely place, really, and the only exciting thing weТve heard is the name of the big, desolate moor that stretches from here to the coast. Mystery Moor itТs called.Т
СWhy?Т asked Dick. СSome long-ago mystery gave it that name, I suppose?Т
СI donТt know,Т said Anne. СI think only gypsies go there now. A little gypsy boy came in with a lame horse yesterday, and said his people had to go to Mystery Moor. Why they wanted to go to such a deserted stretch of land I donТt know - no farms there, not even a cottage.Т
СGypsies have peculiar ideas sometimes,Т said Henry. СI must say I like the way they leave messages for any gypsy following - patrins, theyТre called.Т
СPatrins? Yes, IТve heard of those,Т said Dick. СSticks and leaves arranged in certain patterns, or something, arenТt they?Т
СYes,Т said Henry. СI know our gardener at home showed me an arrangement of sticks outside our back gate once, which he said was a message to any gypsy following. He told me what it meant, too!Т
СWhat did it mean?Т asked Julian.
СIt meant УDonТt beg here. Mean people. No good!Ф Т said Henry, with a laugh. СThatТs what he said, anyway!Т
СWe might ask the little gypsy boy who came with the skewbald horse,Т said Anne. СHeТll probably show us some messages. IТd like to learn some. You never know when anything like that could come in useful!Т
СYes. And weТll ask him why the gypsies go to Mystery Moor,Т said Julian, getting up and dusting the crumbs off his coat. СThey donТt go there for nothing, you may be sure!Т
СWhereТs old George gone?Т asked Dick. СI do hope sheТs not going to be silly.Т
George was in one of the stables, grooming a horse so vigorously that it was most surprised. Swish-swish-swish-swish! What a brushing! George was working her intense annoyance out of herself. She mustnТt spoil things for the boys and Anne! But oh, that horrible Henrietta, meeting them like that, pretending to be a boy. Heaving their luggage about, playing a joke on them! But surely they might have guessed!
СOh, there you are, George, old thing,Т said DickТs voice at the stable-door. СLet me help. Gosh, arenТt you brown! Just as many freckles as ever!Т
George grinned unwillingly. She tossed Dick the brush. СHere you are, then! Do you and Ju want to go riding at all? There are plenty of horses to choose from here.Т
Dick was relieved to see that George appeared to have got over her rage. СYes. It might be fun to go off for the day. What about tomorrow? We might explore a little of Mystery Moor.Т
СRight,Т said George. She began to heave some straw about. СBut not with That Girl,Т she announced, from behind the straw she was carrying.
СWhat girl?Т asked Dick, innocently. СOh, Henry, you mean? I keep thinking of her as a boy. No, we wonТt have her with us. WeТll be just the five as usual.Т
СThatТs all right then,Т said George happily. СOh, hereТs Julian. Give a hand, Ju!Т
It was lovely to have the two boys again, joking, laughing, teasing. They all went out in the fields that afternoon and heard the tales of the camp. It was just like old times, and Timmy was as pleased as anyone else. He went first to one of the four, then to another, licking each one as he went, his tail wagging vigorously.
СThatТs three times youТve smacked me in the face with your tail, Timmy,Т said Dick, dodging it. СCanТt you look behind yourself and see where my face is?Т
СWoof,Т said Timmy happily, and turned round to lick Dick, wagging his tail in JulianТs face this time!
Somebody squeezed through the hedge behind them. George stiffened, feeling sure that it was Henrietta. Timmy barked sharply.
It wasnТt Henrietta. It was the little gypsy boy. He came up to them. There were pale streaks down his dirty little face, made by tears that had run through the dirt!
СIТve come for the horse,Т he said. СDo you know where he is?Т
СHeТs not ready for walking yet,Т said George. СCaptain Johnson told you he wouldnТt be. WhatТs the matter? Why have you been crying?Т
СMy father hit me,Т said the boy. СHe cuffed me and knocked me right over.Т
СWhatever for?Т asked Anne.
СBecause I left the horse,Т said the boy. СMy father said all it wanted was a bit of ointment and a bandage. He has to start off with the other caravans today, you see.Т
СWell, you really canТt have the horse yet,Т said Anne. СIt isnТt fit to walk, let alone drag a caravan. You donТt want Captain Johnson to tell the police youТre working it when itТs not fit, do you? You know he means what he says?Т
СYes. But I must have the horse,Т said the small gypsy. СI darenТt go back without it. My father would half kill me.Т
СI suppose he doesnТt care to come himself, so he sends you instead,Т said Dick, in disgust.
The boy said nothing, and rubbed his dirty sleeve across his face. He sniffed.
СGet your hanky,Т said Dick. СDonТt you ever wash your face?Т
СNo,Т said the boy, looking quite surprised. СLet me have my horse. I tell you, IТll be half killed if I go back without him.Т He began to cry again.
The children felt sorry for him. He was such a thin, skinny misery of a boy, and goodness, how he sniffled all the time!
СWhatТs your name?Т asked Anne.
СSniffer,Т said the boy. СThatТs what my father calls me.Т
It was certainly a good name for him; but what a horrid father he must have!
HavenТt you got a proper name?Т asked Anne.
СYes. But IТve forgotten it,Т said Sniffer. СLet me have my horse. I tell you, my fatherТs waiting.Т
Julian got up. СIТll come and see your father and put some sense into him. Where is he?Т
СOver yonder,Т said Sniffer with a big sniff, and he pointed over the hedge. СIТll come too,Т said Dick. In the end everyone got up and went with Sniffer. They walked through the gate and saw a dark-faced, surly-looking man standing motionless not far off. His thick, oily hair was curly, and he wore enormous gold rings hanging from his ears. He looked up as the little company came near.
СYour horse isnТt fit to walk yet,Т said Julian. СYou can have it tomorrow or the next day, the Captain says.Т
СIТll have it now,Т said the man, in a surly tone. СWeТre starting off tonight or tomorrow over the moor. I canТt wait.Т
СBut whatТs the hurry?Т said Julian. СThe moor will wait for you!Т