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

They walked up the little hill and down again, following curving rabbit-paths. СBetter look out for adders,Т said Anne. СThis is just the kind of place for them. My word, itТs hot, George. Is there anywhere to bathe near here - a pool or anything?Т
СI donТt know. We could explore and see,Т said George. СI did bring my swim-suit just in case. Look - you can see part of the old cottage now. My camp is fairly near there. I thought IТd better camp near the spring.Т
They were soon at GeorgeТs rough little camp. Her tent was up, and she had made a bed inside of the springy heather. A mug, a bag of dog biscuits, a few tins, and a loaf of bread were at one end of the tent. It didnТt seem to Anne as if George had brought very much, and she felt glad that she had managed to pack such a lot of things.
СAunt Fanny cut dozens and dozens of sandwiches,Т said Anne. СShe said if we kept them in this tin they wouldnТt go stale, and would last us a day or two till we went back. IТm hungry. Shall we have some now?Т
They sat out in the sun, munching the ham sandwiches. Anne had brought tomatoes too, and they took a bite at a sandwich and then a bite at a tomato. Timmy had to make do with a handful of dog biscuits and half a sandwich every now and again. After a bit he got up and wandered off.
СWhereТs he going?Т asked Anne. СTo look for a rabbit?Т
СNo. Probably to get a drink,Т said George. СThe spring is in the direction heТs gone. IТm thirsty too - letТs take the mug and get a drink ourselves.Т
They went off with the mug, Anne following George through the thick heather. The little spring was a lovely one. It had evidently been used by the people who had once lived in the old cottage, and was built round with big white stones, so that the spring ran through a little stony channel, as clear as crystal.
СOooh - itТs as cold as ice!Т said Anne. СSimply delicious! I could drink gallons of this!Т
They lay on the heather out in the sun, talking, when they came back from the spring. Timmy wandered off by himself again.
СItТs so peaceful here,Т said Anne. СNobody near us for miles. Just the birds and the rabbits. This is what I like!Т
СThereТs hardly a sound,Т said George, yawning.
And then, just as she said that, there came a noise in the distance. A sharp sound, like metal on stone. It came again and again and then stopped.
СWhatТs that, do you suppose?Т said George, sitting up.
СI canТt imagine,Т said Anne. СAnyway, itТs a long way away - everything is so still that sounds carry from quite a distance.Т
The sharp noises began again in a little while and then stopped. The girls shut their eyes, and slept. There wasnТt a sound now except the pop-pop-pop of gorse pads exploding in the sun and sending out their little black seeds.
George woke up when Timmy came back. He sat down heavily on her feet and she woke up with a jump.
СTimmy! DonТt!Т she said. СGet off my feet, you made me jump!Т Timmy obligingly removed himself and then picked up something he had dropped, lay down and began gnawing it. George looked to see what it was.
СTimmy! ThatТs a bone! Where did you get it?Т she said. СAnne, did you bring a bone for Tim?Т
СWhat? What did you say?Т said Anne, half asleep. СA bone. No, I didnТt. Why?Т
СBecause TimmyТs found one,Т said George, Сand itТs a bone that has had cooked meat on it, so itТs not a rabbit or anything TimmyТs caught. Timmy, where did you get it.Ф
СWoof,Т said Timmy, offering the bone to George, thinking that she too might like a gnaw, as she seemed so interested in it.
СDo you suppose anyone else is camping near us?Т asked Anne, sitting up and yawning. СAfter all, bones donТt grow in the heather. ThatТs quite a good meaty one, too. Timmy, have you stolen it from another dog?Т
Timmy thumped his tail on the ground and went on with his bone. He looked pleased with himself.
СItТs rather an old bone,Т said George. СItТs smelly. Go away, Tim - take it further off.Т
The sharp metallic noises suddenly began again and George frowned. СI believe there is someone camping near us, Anne. Come on - letТs do a bit of exploring and find out. I vote we move our camp if there are other people near. Come on, Timmy - thatТs right, bury that horrible bone! This way Anne!Т


Chapter Three

THE OLD COTTAGE - AND A SURPRISE

The two girls, with Timmy at their heels, left their camping-place and set off in the hot sun. Anne caught sight of the ruined cottage and stopped.
СLetТs have a look at it,Т she said. СIt must be awfully old, George.Т
They went in at the wide doorway. There was no door left, only the stone archway. Inside was a big room, whose floor had once been paved with slabs of white stone. Now grass and other weeds had grown between the cracks, and had actually lifted up some of the slabs so that the whole floor was uneven.
Here and there parts of the walls had fallen away, and the daylight came through. One window was still more or less intact, but the others had fallen out. A small crooked stairway of stone led upwards in one corner.
СTo rooms above, I suppose,Т said Anne. СOh, hereТs another doorway, leading into a second room - a small one. ItТs got an old sink in it, look - and this must be the remains of a pump.Т
СThereТs not much to see, really,Т said George, looking round. СThe top rooms must be quite ruined, because half the roof is off. Hallo, hereТs another door - a back door. ItТs actually a door too, not just a doorway.Т
She gave a push at the stout wood - and the old door promptly fell off its hinges and crashed outwards into an over-grown yard.
СGoodness!Т said George, startled. СI didnТt know it was quite so rotten. It made poor Tim jump almost out of his skin!Т
СThere are out-houses here - or the remains of them,Т said Anne, exploring the back-yard. СThey must have kept pigs and hens and ducks. HereТs a dried-up pond, look.Т
Everything was falling to pieces. The best preserved corner of the old place was what must have been a small stable. Rusted mangers were still there and the floor was of stone. An old, old piece of harness hung on a big nail.
СItТs got quite a nice СfeelТ about it, this old place,Т said Anne. СSometimes I donТt like the feel of places - they give me an uneasy feeling, a feeling that horrid things may have happened there. But this is quite different. I think people have been happy here, and led peaceful lives. I can almost hear hens clucking and ducks quacking, and pigs gr...Т
СQuack, quack, quack! Quack!Т
СCuck-cuk-cuk-cuk-cuk! Cuck-cuk-cuk-cuk-cuk!Т
Anne clutched George and the two girls looked extremely startled to hear the sudden loud noise of quacking and clucking. They stood and listened.
СWhat was it?Т said Anne. СIt sounded like hens and ducks - though IТm not quite sure. But there arenТt any here, surely. We shall hear a horse whinnying next!Т
They didnТt hear a whinny - but they heard the snorting of a horse at once. СHmrr-umph! Hrrrrr-umph!Т
Both girls were now quite alarmed. They looked for Timmy. He was nowhere to be seen! Wherever could he have got to?
СCuck-cuk-cuk-cuk-cuk!Т