"Blyton, Enid - Famous Five 15 - Five On a Secret Trail" - читать интересную книгу автора (Blyton Enid)

СWeТll take my little tent, and go off by ourselves somewhere,Т she told Timmy. СSome place where nobody can see you till your ear is better and that hateful collar is off. DonТt you think thatТs a good idea, Timmy?Т
СWoof,Т said Timmy. He thought that any of GeorgeТs ideas were good, though the collar puzzled him very much.
СYou know the dogs laugh at you too, Timmy,Т said George, earnestly. СDid you see how that silly little poodle belonging to Mrs Janes up the lane stood and stared at you? He looked exactly as if he was laughing. I wonТt have you laughed at. I know you hate it.Т
Timmy certainly didnТt like it, but he really was not as upset about the collar as George seemed to be. He followed her as she went up to her bedroom and watched her as she began to put a few things into a small bag.
СWeТll go to that lonely little spot on the common,Т she said to him. СWeТll pitch our tent near a little stream, and weТll jolly well stay there till your earТs better. WeТll go tonight. IТll take my bike, and strap everything on to the back.Т
So, in the middle of the night, when Kirrin Cottage was dark and quiet, George stole downstairs with Timmy. She left a note on the dining-room table, and then went to get her bicycle. She strapped her little tent on it, and the bag containing food and other odds and ends.
СCome on!Т she whispered to the surprised Timmy. СWeТll go. IТll ride slowly and you can run beside me. DonТt bark for goodnessТ sake!Т
They disappeared into the darkness, Timmy running like a black shadow beside the bicycle. Nobody guessed they were gone. Kirrin Cottage was quiet and undisturbed - except for the creaking of the kitchen door, which George had forgotten to shut.
But in the morning, what a disturbance! Joan the cook found GeorgeТs note first and wondered what a letter in GeorgeТs writing was doing on the dining-room table. She ran straight up to GeorgeТs room and looked inside.
The bed was empty. There was no George and TimmyТs basket was empty. Joan went to take the note to Mrs Kirrin.
СOh dear! How silly George is!Т she said, when she had read it. СLook, Quentin - such a fuss about Timmy! Now George has gone off with him, goodness knows where!Т
Her husband took the note and read it out loud. СDear Mother, IТm going off for a few days with Timmy till his ear is better. IТve taken my tent and a few things. DonТt worry, please. Tell Anne if she wants to join me, to come to the end of Carters Lane on the common and I will show her where IТm camping. Tell her to come at twelve. Love from George.Т
СWell, IТm blessed!Т said GeorgeТs father. СAll right - let her stay away if she wants to - IТm tired of her sulky face and TimmyТs hang-dog looks. Tell Anne to join George, and maybe I shall have peace for a few days!Т
СGeorge should be all right,Т said his wife. СSheТs quite sensible really - and sheТs got Timmy. IТll tell Anne to join her when she arrives this morning.Т
When Anne arrived at Kirrin Station, and looked out for George and Timmy, they werenТt there - only her aunt was there, smiling as usual.
СWhatТs happened?Т said Anne. СWhereТs George - and Timmy?Т
СOh - George has gone off by herself,Т said her Aunt Fanny. СCome along, and IТll tell you!Т

Chapter Two

ANNE JOINS THE LITTLE CAMP

Aunt Fanny soon told Anne about TimmyТs ear and the big collar of cardboard that had caused all the trouble. Anne couldnТt help smiling.
СOh Aunt Fanny - George is quite crazy about old Tim, isnТt she? IТll go and meet her at twelve, and of course IТll camp with her for a day or two. ItТs lovely weather and IТd like to. I expect Uncle Quentin will be glad to have us out of the house!Т
СHow are Julian and Dick?Т asked her aunt. She was very fond of AnneТs two brothers, GeorgeТs cousins. СWill they be coming down here at all these holidays?Т
СI donТt know,Т said Anne. СTheyТre still in France, you know, on a school-boysТ tour. I feel funny without them! George will be cross to hear they probably wonТt be coming to Kirrin. SheТll just have to put up with me!Т
At twelve oТclock Anne was standing patiently at the end of Carters Lane. It ran to the common and then ended in a small, winding path that led to nowhere in particular. Big gorse bushes grew here and there, and slender birch trees. Anne, her belongings strapped to her back, and a bag in her hand, looked over the common to see if she could spy George coming.
There was no sign of her. СBlow!Т said Anne. СI suppose sheТs changed her mind or something. Perhaps her watch has stopped and she doesnТt know the time. She ought to, though, by looking at the sun! How long shall I wait?Т
She sat down by a big gorse-bush, out of the hot sun. She hadnТt been there for more than a minute when she heard a hissing sound.
СPssssst!Т
Anne sat up at once. The sound came from the other side of the bush, and she got up and walked round it. Half-hidden under a prickly branch were George and Timmy!
СHallo!Т said Anne, surprised. СDidnТt you see me when I arrived? Hallo, Tim darling! HowТs your poor old ear? Oh, doesnТt he look a quaint old dear in that collar, George?Т
George scrambled out of the bush. СI hid here just in case Father or Mother should come with you and try to make me come back,Т she said. СI wanted to make quite sure they werenТt waiting somewhere a little way away. IТm glad youТve come, Anne.Т
СOf course IТve come,Т said Anne. СI wouldnТt stay alone at Kirrin Cottage while you were camping out. Besides, I understand how you feel about Timmy. The collarТs a jolly good idea, of course - but it does make him look comical. I think he looks rather a dear in it, I do really.Т
George was almost relieved that Anne had not laughed at Timmy as most people had. She smiled at her cousin, and Timmy licked her till Anne really had to push him away.
СLetТs go,Т said George, scrambling up. СIТve got a lovely camping-place, Anne. YouТll like it. ItТs near a little spring too, so thereТs plenty of water for Timmy to drink - and us too. Did you bring any more food? I didnТt really bring much.Т
СYes. IТve brought heaps,Т said Anne. СAunt Fanny made me. SheТs not cross with you, George. I didnТt see your father. He was shut up in his study.Т
GeorgeТs spirits suddenly rose. She gave Anne a friendly punch. СThis is going to be fun! TimmyТs ear will soon be better, and he loves camping out as much as we do. IТve really found a good place - about the loneliest on the common! Nobody near us for miles!Т
They set off together, Timmy at their heels, darting off every now and again when he smelt rabbit.
СWhen are Julian and Dick coming down?Т asked George. СIn a few days? TimmyТs ear will be all right then and we can go back to Kirrin Cottage to welcome the boys, and have some fun there.Т
СThey may not be coming down at all these hols,Т said Anne, and GeorgeТs face fell at once. She stopped and stared at Anne in dismay.
СNot coming! but they always come in the hols - or we go away somewhere together!Т she said. СThey must come! I shall be miserable without Ju and Dick.Т
СWell - theyТre still in France, on a tour or something,Т said Anne. СWe shall hear if theyТre staying on there or coming down to Kirrin, when we get back to the cottage. DonТt look so woebegone, George!Т
But George felt woebegone. The holidays stretched before her, suddenly seeming long and dreary. Her two boy cousins were always such fun - they had had such wonderful adventures together. And now - now they werenТt coming!
СWe shanТt have any adventures at all if the boys donТt come,Т she said, in a small voice.
СI shanТt mind that,Т said Anne. СIТm the peaceful one, not always on the look-out for something to happen, like you and the boys! Perhaps these holidays will be quite unexciting without even the smell of an adventure! Oh George - cheer up! DonТt look so mournful. YouТd better send a telegram to Julian and Dick if you feel so badly about it.Т
СIТve a good mind to!Т said George. СI canТt imagine hols without the boys. Why - we shanТt be the Five - the Famous Five - if they donТt come!Т
СWoof!Т said Timmy, quite agreeing. He sat down and tried to scratch his ear, but the big collar prevented him. He didnТt seem to mind and ran off after a rabbit quite happily.
СI think you are more upset about that collar than Timmy,Т said Anne, as they walked along. СAre we getting near this place of yours, George? ItТs a jolly long way.Т
СWe go up this hill in front of us - and then drop down to a little copse,Т said George. СThereТs a funny old cottage nearby - quite ruined and empty. At first I thought perhaps people lived there, but when I went nearer I saw that it was ruined. ThereТs a big old rose-rambler climbing all over it, even inside. I suppose the people who used to live there planted it.Т