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

The man scowled and shifted from one foot to another. ‘Can’t you stay for another night or two and then go after the others?’ said Dick.
‘Listen, Father! You go with the other caravans,’ said Sniffer, eagerly. ‘Go in Moses’ caravan and leave ours here. I can put our horse into the shafts tomorrow, or maybe the next day, and follow after!’
‘But how would you know the way?’ said George.
Sniffer made a scornful movement with his hand. ‘Easy! They’ll leave me patrins to follow,’ he said.
‘Oh yes,’ said Dick, remembering. He turned to the silent gypsy fellow. ‘Well, what about it? It seems that Sniffer here has quite a good idea, and you most certainly can’t have the horse today anyway.’
The man turned and said something angry and scornful to poor Sniffer, who shrank away from the words as if they were blows. The four children couldn’t understand a word, for it was all poured out in some gypsy talk that they could not follow. Then the man turned on his heel and without so much as a look at them, slouched away, his ear-rings gleaming as he went.
‘What did he say?’ asked Julian.
Sniffer gave one of his continual sniffs. ‘He was very angry. He said he’d go with the others, and I could come on with Clip the horse, and drive our caravan,’ he said. ‘I’ll be all right there tonight with Liz.’
‘Who’s Liz?’ asked Anne, hoping that it was someone who would be kind to this poor little wretch.
‘My dog,’ said Sniffer, smiling for the first time. ‘I left her behind because she sometimes goes for hens, and Captain Johnson, he doesn’t like that.’
‘I bet he doesn’t,’ said Julian. ‘All right, that’s settled then. You can come for Clip, or Clop, or whatever your horse is called, tomorrow, and we’ll see if it’s fit to walk.’
‘I’m glad,’ said Sniffer, rubbing his nose. ‘I don’t want Clip to go lame, see? But my father, he’s fierce, he is.’
‘So we gather,’ said Julian, looking at a bruise on Sniffer’s face. ‘You come tomorrow and you can show us some of the patrins, the messages, that you gypsies use. We’d like to know some.’
‘I’ll come,’ promised Sniffer, nodding his head vigorously. ‘And you will come to see my caravan? I shall be all alone there, except for Liz.’
‘Well, I suppose it would be something to do,’ said Dick. ‘Yes, we’ll come. I hope it’s not too smelly.’
‘Smelly?’ said Sniffer, surprised. ‘I don’t know. I will show you patrins there and Liz will show you her tricks. She is very very clever. Once she belonged to a circus.’
‘We must certainly take Timmy to see this clever dog,’ said Anne, patting Timmy, who had been hunting for rabbits and had only just come back. ‘Timmy, would you like to go and visit a very clever dog called Liz?’
‘Woof,’ said Timmy, wagging his tail politely.
‘Right,’ said Dick. ‘I’m glad you approve, Tim. We’ll all try and come tomorrow, Sniffer, after you’ve been to see how Clip is getting on. I don’t somehow think you’ll be able to have him then, though. We’ll see!’


Chapter Four

A BED IN THE STABLE

The boys slept in one of the stables that night. Captain Johnson said they could either have mattresses sent out, or could sleep in the straw, with rugs.
‘Oh, straw and rugs, please,’ said Julian. ‘That’s fine. We’ll be as snug as anything with those.’
‘I wish Anne and I could sleep in a stable too,’ said George, longingly. ‘We never have. Can’t we, Captain Johnson?’
‘No. You’ve got beds that you’re paying for,’ said the Captain. ‘Anyway, girls can’t do that sort of thing, not even girls who try to be boys, George!’
‘I’ve often slept in a stable,’ said Henrietta. ‘At home when we’ve too many visitors, I always turn out and sleep in the straw.’
‘Bad luck on the horses!’ said George.
‘Why?’ demanded Henry at once.
‘Because you must keep them awake all night with your snoring!’ said George.
Henry snorted crossly and went out. It was maddening that she should snore at night, but she simply couldn’t help it.
‘Never mind!’ George called after her. ‘It’s a nice manly snore, Henrietta!’
‘Shut up, George,’ said Dick, rather shocked at this sudden display of pettiness on George’s part.
‘Don’t tell me to shut up,’ said George. ‘Tell Henrietta!’
‘George, don’t be an ass,’ said Julian. But George didn’t like that either, and stalked out of the room in just the same stiff, offended way that Henry had done!
‘Oh dear!’ said Anne. ‘It’s been like this all the time. First Henry, then George, then George, then Henry! They really are a couple of idiots!’
She went to see where the boys were to sleep. They had been told to use a small stable, empty except for the gypsy’s horse that lay patiently down, its bandaged leg stretched out on the floor. Anne patted it and stroked it. It was an ugly little thing but its patient brown eyes were lovely.
The boys had heaps of straw to burrow into, and some old rugs. Anne thought it all looked lovely. ‘You can wash and everything at the house,’ she said. ‘Then just slip over here to sleep. Doesn’t it smell nice? All straw and hay and horse! I hope that gypsy’s horse won’t disturb you. He may be a bit restless if his leg hurts him.’
‘Nothing will disturb us tonight!’ said Julian. ‘What with camp-life and open-air and wind-on-the-hills and all that kind of thing, we’re sure to sleep like logs. I think we’re going to enjoy it here, Anne, very quiet and peaceful!’
George looked in at the door. ‘I’ll lend you Timmy, if you like,’ she said, anxious to make up for her display of temper.
‘Oh, hallo, George! No thanks. I don’t particularly want old Tim climbing over me all night long, trying to find the softest part of me to sleep on!’ said Julian. ‘I say, look, he’s showing me how to make a good old burrow to sleep in! Hey, Tim, come out of my straw!’
Timmy had flung himself into the straw and was turning vigorously round and round in it as if he were making a bed for himself. He stood and looked up at them, his mouth open and his tongue hanging out at one side.
‘He’s laughing,’ said Anne, and it did indeed look as if Timmy was having a good old laugh at them. Anne gave him a hug and he licked her lavishly, and then began to burrow round and round in the straw again.
Someone came up, whistling loudly, and put her head in at the door. ‘I’ve brought you a couple of old pillows. Mrs Johnson said you’d better have something for your heads.’
‘Oh thanks awfully, Henry,’ said Julian, taking them.
‘How kind of you, Henrietta,’ said George.
‘It’s a pleasure, Georgina,’ said Henry, and the boys burst out laughing. Fortunately the supper-bell went just then and they all went across the yard at once. Somehow everyone was always hungry at the stables!