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

But there was no sudden clucking, no loud quack. The man had gone as silently as he had come.
СMost peculiar, all this!Т said Julian, latching the door again. He tied a piece of thick string over it his side, so that it could not be lifted from outside. СThere! Now if the gypsy comes again, heТll find he canТt get in. What a nerve, coming here in the middle of the night like that!Т
He got back into the straw. СHe must have fallen right over my foot,Т he said, snuggling down. СHe woke me up with an awful jump. Good thing for Clip that we were sleeping out here tonight, or heТd be dragging along a heavy cart tomorrow, and going lame again. I donТt like that fellow!Т
He fell asleep again and so did Dick. Clip slept too, his leg feeling easier. How glad he had been that day not to have to drag along the heavy caravan!
The boys told Captain Johnson next morning about the gypsyТs midnight visit. He nodded. СYes, I ought to have warned you that he might come. TheyТre not always very good to their horses. Well, IТm glad you sent him off. I donТt reckon ClipТs leg will be ready for walking on till the day after tomorrow. ThereТs no harm in giving the poor creature a few daysТ rest. Sniffer can easily take the caravan on after the others.Т
It looked as if that day was going to be fun. After all the horses had been seen to, and many odd jobs done, the four, with Timmy, planned to set out for a dayТs ride. Captain Johnson said he would let Julian ride his own sturdy cob and Dick took a bonny chestnut horse with four white socks. The girls had the horses they usually rode.
Henry hung about, looking very mournful. The boys felt quite uncomfortable. СWe really ought to tell her to come along too,Т said Dick to Julian. СIt seems jolly mean to leave her behind with those little kids.Т
СYes, I know. I agree with you,Т said Julian. СAnne, come here! CanТt you suggest to George that we take Henry too? SheТs longing to come, I know.Т
СYes. She is,Т said Anne. СI feel awful about it. But George will be mad if we ask Henry. They really do get across one another. I simply darenТt ask George to let Henry come, Ju.Т
СBut this is silly!Т said Julian. СTo think we donТt dare to ask George to let somebody come! George will have to learn sense. I like Henry. SheТs boastful, and I donТt believe half the tales she tells, but sheТs a sport and good fun. Hey, Henry!Т
СComing!Т yelled Henry, and came running, looking very hopeful.
СWould you like to come with us?Т said Julian. СWeТre all going off'for the day. Have you got any jobs to do, or can you come?Т
СCan I come! Rather,Т said Henry, joyfully. СBut - does George know?Т
СIТll soon tell her,Т said Julian, and went in search of George. She was helping Mrs Johnson to get saddle-bags ready, full of food.
СGeorge,Т said Julian, boldly. СHenry is coming too. Will there be enough food for everyone?Т
СOh! How nice of you to ask her!Т said Mrs Johnson, sounding very pleased. СSheТs dying to come. SheТs been so good this week, too, while weТve been shorthanded. She deserves a treat. IsnТt that nice, George?Т
George muttered something peculiar and went out of the room, her face scarlet. Julian stared after her, his eyebrows cocked in a comical manner.
СI donТt somehow feel that George thinks itТs nice,Т he said. СI feel as if we are in for an awkward day, Mrs Johnson.Т
СOh, donТt take any notice of George when sheТs silly,Т said Mrs Johnson, comfortably, filling another paper bag with delicious-looking sandwiches. СAnd donТt take any notice of Henry, either, when sheТs idiotic. There! If you get through all this food, I shall be surprised!Т
William, one of the younger ones, came in just then. СWhat a lot of food youТve given them,Т he said. СWill there be enough left for us to have today?Т
СGood gracious, yes!Т said Mrs Johnson. СYou think of nothing but your tummy, William! Go and find George and tell her the food is ready for her to put into the saddle-bags.Т
William disappeared and then came back. СGeorge says sheТs got a headache and doesnТt think sheТll go on the ride,Т he announced.
Julian looked startled and upset. СNow you listen to me, Julian,Т said Mrs Johnson, beginning to insert the parcels of food carefully into the saddle-bags, Сjust you leave her to her imaginary headache. DonТt go fussing round her, and begging her to come and saying you wonТt have Henry. Just believe quite firmly in her headache, and go off by yourselves. ItТs the quickest way to make George see sense, believe me!Т
СYes. I think youТre right,Т said Julian, frowning. To think that George should behave like a sulky little girl, after all the adventures they had been through together! Just because of Henry. It really was absurd.
СWhere is George!Т he said to William.
СUp in her room,Т said William, who had been engrossed in picking up and eating all the crumbs he could. Julian went out of the room and into the yard. He knew which window belonged to the room where George and Anne slept. He yelled up.
СI say, George! Sorry about your headache, old thing! Sure you donТt feel like coming?Т
СNo!Т came back an answering shout, and the window was shut down with a slam.
СRighto! Awfully disappointed and all that!Т shouted Julian. СDo hope your head will soon be better! See you later!Т
No other reply came from the window, but, as Julian went across the yard to the stables, a very surprised face watched him go, from behind the bedroom curtains. George was extremely astonished to have been taken at her word, shocked at being left behind after all, and angry with Henry and everyone else for putting her into this fix!
Julian told the others that George had a headache and wasnТt coming. Anne was most concerned and wanted to go and comfort her but Julian forbade her to.
СNo. SheТs up in her room. Leave her alone, Anne. ThatТs an order - see?Т
СAll right,Т said Anne, half-relieved. She felt sure that GeorgeТs headache was mostly temper, and she didnТt at all want to go and argue with her for half an hour. Henry hadnТt said a word. She had flushed with surprise when Julian had announced that George was not coming, and she knew at once that there was no real headache! She was GeorgeТs headache, she knew that!
She went up to Julian. СLook, I guess itТs because youТve asked me to come, that Georgina wonТt come with us. I donТt want to spoil things. You go and tell her IТm not going after all.Т
Julian looked at Henry gratefully. СThatТs jolly nice of you,Т he said. СBut weТre taking George at her word. Anyway, we didnТt ask you out of politeness. We wanted you to come!Т
СThanks,Т said Henry. СWell, letТs go before anything else happens! Our horses are ready. IТll fix the saddle-bags.Т
Soon all four were on their horses, and were walking over the yard to the gate. George heard the clippity-clop-clippity-clop of the hooves and peeped out of the window again. They were going after all! She hadnТt thought they really would go without her. She was horrified.
Why did I behave like that? IТve put myself in the wrong! thought poor George. Now Henrietta will be with them all day and will be as nice as possible, just to show me up. What an ass I am! СTimmy, IТm an ass and an idiot, and a great big fathead! ArenТt I?Т
Timmy didnТt think so. He had been puzzled to hear the others going off without him and George, and had gone to the door and whined. Now he came back to George and put his head on her knee. He knew George was not happy.
СYou donТt care how I behave, do you, Tim?Т said George, stroking the soft, furry head. СThatТs the best of a dog! You donТt care if IТm in the wrong or not, you just love me all the same, donТt you? Well, you shouldnТt love me today, Tim. IТve been an idiot!Т
There was a knock at her door. It was William again. СGeorge! Mrs Johnson says, if your headache is bad, undress and get into bed. But if itТs better, come down and help with Clip, the gypsyТs horse.Т
СIТll come down,Т said George, flinging away her sulks at one go. СTell Mrs Johnson IТll go to the stable at once.Т
СAll right,Т said the stolid William, and trotted off like a reliable little pony.
George went downstairs with Timmy, and into the yard. She wondered how far the others had gone. She couldnТt see them in the distance. Would they have a good day together, with that horrid Henry? Ugh!
The others were almost a mile away, cantering easily. What fun! A whole day before them, on Mystery Moor!


Chapter Six

A GRAND DAY