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

They mounted the donkeys again and set off once more. They could see much further in front now. Quite a big stretch of mountainside was spread before them. The world suddenly seemed a much bigger place.

They rode on steadily. The mist thinned more and more rapidly, and the children felt the heat of the sun on their heads. They took off their coats, revelling in the warmth, after the chilliness of the mist.

"Look — we can see the nearest mountain-tops now," called Jack. "And the distant ones will soon be uncovered too. Thank goodness!"

"We ought to see the Vale of Butterflies soon," said Lucy-Ann, eagerly. "David said we'd get there today. I wonder where it is. Look, there's a butterfly, Philip."

Philip glanced at it. "Only a meadow-brown," he said. "We've seen heaps of those." He looked before him searchingly and then put his field-glasses to his eyes.

"There's a valley which might be it," he said, pointing. "Hey, David! Is that the Vale of Butterflies?"

David looked where Philip was pointing. He shrugged his shoulders. "Iss. No," he said.

"Yes, no! Whatever does he mean by that?" said Philip in disgust. "I suppose, in plain English, he means he hasn't the faintest idea. Well, we'll go on and hope for the best. It looks a nice sheltered kind of valley, the sort that might be hot enough for all kinds of insects and flowers."

Picturing a perfect paradise of brilliant flowers and equally brilliant butterflies, the children rode on and on down towards the valley in the far distance. It was much further than they thought. That was the worst of travelling in mountains. Everywhere was about twice as far as you imagined it to be. Most disappointing!

It was late when they rode into the valley, which was more of a shallow depression between two high mountains than a real lowland valley. It was sheltered, and certainly it had more flowers in it than they had so far seen — but there were no butterflies!

"This can't be it!" said Philip in disappointment. "Is it, David?"

David shook his head. He was looking round in a puzzled manner, and it was quite clear that he didn't know where he was.

"If this is not the butterfly place, where is it?" asked Jack slowly and clearly. David shook his head again. He was really a maddening person, no use as a guide at all.

"Well," said Philip, "he's brought us the wrong way, to a place he doesn't know, but it's quite warm and sheltered, so we'll make the best of it tonight. Tomorrow we'll get the map from David, see if we can find out the way, and set off with ourselves as guides. He's as much use as Kiki to guide us in these mountains!"

They set up their camp again, feeling rather disappointed. They had so hoped to come to the place they wanted that night, and to set up camp properly for a few days, to revel in hordes of common and uncommon butterflies. Now they would have to go hunting for it again, and goodness knew if they would ever find it!

They crawled into their sleeping-bags and called good-night, just as the stars gleamed out. David was sleeping outside as usual.

But in the night the boys woke up suddenly. David was crawling into their tent. He was trembling with fright. "Noises," he said in English, and then poured out something in Welsh. He was very frightened. "Sleep here," he said, and crept between the boys. They were amused and puzzled.

Whatever could have scared David so much?





Chapter 10

A DISTURBING NIGHT



THE sun was shining brightly when the camp awoke next day. It made them all feel cheerful and lively. Snowy, who had resented David sleeping with Philip and Jack the night before, and had butted him continually, bounded about lightly everywhere, butting David whenever he met him.

"What happened to you last night, David?" asked Jack, when they were all having a meal. "Why were you so frightened?"