"Blyton, Enid - Adv 05 - Mountain of Adventure" - читать интересную книгу автора (Blyton Enid)

Jack flapped his arms, raised his eyebrows and pointed in front of him, meaning to ask if they were near the butterfly valley. David understood, but he hesitated.

"I hope he hasn't lost the way," said Jack to Philip. "He seemed sure enough of the direction yesterday — now he doesn't seem very certain. Blow!"

"Well, we can't stop here," said Dinah, shivering in the clammy mist. "There's no shelter and it's jolly cold. Oh for the sun again!"

"Go on!" said Jack to David. "It's the only thing to do till we find some kind of shelter. It's too cold to hang about till the mist has gone. If we go the wrong way we can turn back and go right when the mist disappears."

So they went on, following David's donkey through the wet mist. Kiki was very silent. She didn't understand the mist and was afraid of it. Snowy kept close to Philip's donkey, and was not nearly so full of spring and liveliness. Everyone disliked the mist thoroughly.

"When we find a sheltered place we'll stop for lunch." said Philip. "I'm sure we're all getting frightfully hungry now, but we seem to be on quite a bare bit of mountainside, hopeless to picnic in. We'd all be down with colds tomorrow!"

They ambled on, nose to tail, pulling their jerseys close, glad of their coats too. Jack began to look rather worried. He stopped his donkey and went to walk beside Philip's.

"What's up?" said Philip, seeing Jack's serious face.

"We've left the track," said Jack. "Haven't you noticed? We've followed some kind of track up till an hour or two back — but now I'm pretty certain we've lost it. Goodness knows where David's heading for. I doubt if he's even noticed we're not on any track at all."

Philip whistled. "Don't let the girls hear you. They'll be scared. Yes, you're right. There's not the vestige of a track here. David's lost the way."

"Better ask him," said Jack and rode to the front of the line. "Is this the right way?" he asked David slowly, so as to be understood. "Where is the track?" He pointed downwards to the ground.

David was looking solemn too. He shrugged his shoulders and said something in his sing-song voice. Jack rode back to Philip.

"I think he knows he's off the track, but he's hoping to pick it up further on. Anyway he doesn't seem inclined to stop or go back."

"Well — he's our guide," said Philip, after a pause. "We'll have to trust him. He knows these mountains better than we do."

"Yes. But he's a poor stick," said Jack. "Not much brain. I wouldn't put it past him to go on losing us deeper and deeper in these mountains, once he'd begun! He just wouldn't know what else to do."

"What a horrible idea!" said Philip. "Good thing we've got so much food with us, if that's what he means to do!"

They came at last to a big outcrop of rocks, which would give them shelter from the wet, chilly wind. "Better have a meal here," said Philip. "I'd like something hot to drink. Did Mrs. Evans put in a teakettle?"

"Yes. If we can find a stream or spring, we'll build a little fire and boil some water for cocoa or something," said Jack.

But there was no spring and no stream. It was most annoying.

"Considering the dozens we've passed this morning, and waded through, I call it a bit hard that there's not even a tiny one here," said Dinah. "I'm jolly thirsty too."

They had to have a meal without anything to drink. They were very hungry, and the food seemed to warm them a little. They played a game of tag to get themselves thoroughly warm after the meal. David looked as if he thought they had gone mad. Snowy joined in wildly, neatly tripping everyone up. Kiki rose in the air and screamed.

"Look at David's face! He thinks we're all crazy!" giggled Lucy-Ann. She sank down on a rock. "Oh, I can't run any more. I've got a stitch in my side."

"Stitchinmyside, stitchinmyside," chanted Kiki, running all the words together. "Pop goes the weasel!"

"The mist's clearing! Hurrah!" suddenly cried Jack, and he pointed upwards. The sun could be seen quite clearly, struggling to get through the clouds of mist.

Everyone cheered up at once. Even David looked less dismal. "Let's try to get to the Butterfly Valley before the evening," said Jack to David, doing the flapping business vigorously to make sure David understood. David nodded.