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

I think itТs got a jolly good name, Mystery Moor,Т said Dick, as the four of them went along. СLook at it stretching for miles, all blazing with gorse.Т
СI donТt think it looks at all mysterious,Т said Henry, surprised.
СWell, itТs got a sort of quietness and broodiness,Т said Anne. СAs if something big happened long ago in the past and itТs waiting for something to happen again.Т
СQuiet and broody? It sounds like one of the farmyard hens sitting on her eggs!Т said Henry with a laugh. СI think it might be a bit frightening and mysterious at night, but itТs just an ordinary stretch of country in the day-time, fine for riding over. I canТt think why itТs called Mystery Moor.Т
СWeТll have to look it up in some book that tells about this part of the country,Т said Dick. СI expect it was called that because of some queer happenings or other, hundreds of years ago, when people believed in witches and things like that.Т
They followed no road or path, but rode where they pleased. There were great stretches of wiry grass, masses of heather springing up afresh, and, blazing its gold everywhere on this lovely April day, was the gorse.
Anne sniffed continually as they rode past the gorse bushes. Dick looked at her.
СYou sound like Sniffer!Т he said. СHave you got a cold?Т
Anne laughed. СNo, of course not. But I do so love the smell of the gorse. What does it smell of? Vanilla? Hot coconut? ItТs a lovely warm smell!Т
СLook! WhatТs that moving over there?Т said Julian, suddenly reining in his horse. They all strained their eyes to see.
СWhy, itТs caravans!Т said Julian, at last. СOf course! They were setting out today, werenТt they? Well, they must find it very rough going, thatТs all I can say. ThereТs no real road anywhere, as far as I can see.Т
СWhere can they be going?Т wondered Anne. СWhatТs over in that direction?Т
СTheyТll come to the coast if they keep on the way they are going,Т said Julian, considering. СLetТs ride over and have a look at them, shall we?Т
СYes. Good idea!Т said Dick. So they turned their horsesТ heads to the right, and rode towards the faraway caravans. These made quite a splash of colour as they went along. There were four of them - two red ones, a blue one and a yellow one. They went very slowly indeed, each pulled by a small, wiry horse.
СThey all look like skewbalds, brown and white,Т said Dick. СItТs funny that so many gypsies have skewbald horses. I wonder why it is?Т
They heard shouting as they came near the caravans, and saw one man pointing them out to another. It was SnifferТs father!
СLook, thatТs the fellow who woke us up in the stable last night,Т said Julian to Dick. СSnifferТs father! What a nasty bit of work he is! Why doesnТt he get a haircut?Т
СGood morning!Т called Dick, as they rode up to the caravans on their horses. СNice day!Т
There was no answer. The gypsies driving their caravans and those walking alongside, looked sourly at the four riders.
СWhere are you going?Т asked Henry. СTo the coast?Т
СItТs naught to do with you,Т said one of the gypsies, an old man with curly grey hair.
СSurly folk, arenТt they?Т said Dick to Julian. СI suppose they think weТre spying on them, or something. I wonder how they manage about food on this moor, no shops or anything. I suppose they take it all with them.Т
СIТll ask them,Т said Henry, not at all put off by the surly looks. She rode right up to SnifferТs father.
СHow do you manage about food, and water?Т she asked.
СWe got food there,Т said SniflerТs father, jerking his head back towards one of the caravans. СAs for water, we know where the springs are.Т
СAre you camping on the moor for a long time?Т asked Henry, thinking that a gypsyТs life might be a fine one, for a time! Fancy living out here on this lovely moor with gorse blazing gold all around, and primroses by the thousand in the sheltered corners!
СThatТs naught to do with you!Т shouted the old man with curly grey hair. СYou clear off and let us alone!Т
СCome on, Henry,Т said Julian, swinging round to go off. СThey donТt like us asking them questions. They think itТs prying, not interest. Maybe they have lots of things to hide, and donТt want us poking around - one or two chickens from a farm, a duck or so from some pond. They live from hand to mouth, these folk.Т
Some dark-eyed children peered from the vans as they went by. One or two were running outside, but they sheered off like frightened rabbits when Henry cantered towards them.
СOh well, they simply donТt want to be friendly,Т she said, and went to join the other three. СWhat a strange life they lead, in their houses on wheels! Never staying anywhere for long, always on the move. Get up, there, Sultan. Go after the others!Т
Her horse obediently followed the other three, taking care not to step into any rabbit-holes! What fun it was to be out here in the sunshine, jogging up and down on a horseТs back, without a care in the world! Henry was very happy.
The other three were enjoying their day, but they were not quite so happy. They kept wondering about George. They missed Timmy too. He should be trotting beside them, enjoying the day as well!
They lost sight of the caravans after a time. Julian kept track of the way they went, half-afraid of being lost. He had a compass with him, and checked their direction continually. СIt would never do to have to spend a night out here!Т he said. СNobody would ever find us!Т
They had a magnificent lunch about half-past twelve. Really, Mrs Johnson had surpassed herself! Egg and sardine sandwiches, tomato and lettuce, ham - there seemed no end to them! Great slices of cherry cake were added too, and a large, juicy pear each.
СI like this kind of cherry cake,Т said Dick, looking at his enormous slice. СThe cherries have all gone to the bottom. They make a very nice last mouthful!Т
СAny drinks?Т said Henry, and was handed a bottle of ginger-beer. She drank it thirstily.
СWhy does ginger-beer taste so nice on a picnic?Т she said. СMuch nicer than drinking it sitting down in a shop, even if itТs got ice in it!Т
СThereТs a spring or something nearby,Т said Julian. СI can hear it bubbling.Т
They all listened. Yes, there was a little bubbling, tinkling noise. Anne got up to trace it. She found it in a few minutes and called the others. There was a round pool, cool and blue, lying two or three feet down, and into it, from one side, fell a crystal clear spring of water, tinkling as it fell.
СOne of the springs that the gypsies use, when they travel this deserted moor, I expect,Т said Julian. He cupped his hands under the falling water and got his palms full. He carried the water to his mouth and sipped it.
СDelicious! Cool as an ice-box,Т he said. СTaste it, Anne.Т
They rode a little farther, but the moor seemed the same everywhere, heather, wiry grass, gorse, a clear spring falling into a pool or tiny stream here and there, and a few trees, mostly silver birch.
Larks sang all the time, soaring high in the air, almost too far up to see.
СTheir song falls down like raindrops,Т said Anne, holding out her hands as if to catch them. Henry laughed. She liked this family, and was very glad they had asked her to come out with them. She thought George was silly to have stayed at the stables.
СI think we ought to go home,Т said Julian at last, looking at his watch. СWeТre a good way away. Let me see now. We want to make more or less for the setting sun. Come on!Т
He led the way, his horse picking its own path over the heather. The others followed. Dick stopped after a while.
СAre you sure weТre quite right, Ju? I donТt somehow feel that we are. The moor is different here, rather sandy and not so much gorse.Т
Julian stopped his horse and looked round and about. СYes, it does look a bit different,Т he said. СBut yet we seem to be going in the right direction. LetТs go a bit more to the west. If only there was something on the horizon to guide us. But this moor hasnТt a thing that stands out anywhere!Т
They went on again, and then Henry gave an exclamation. СI say! WhatТs this? Do come here.Т