"Blyton, Enid - Famous Five 19 - Five Go to Demon's Rock" - читать интересную книгу автора (Blyton Enid)

Between them the two boys carried the heavy bell up to the living-room, and Tinker brought up the old hammer that used to strike it. Julian and Dick held up the bell by its loop of iron. ‘Hit it with the hammer, Tinker,’ said Julian. ‘See if it stills sounds loudly.’
Tinker struck it hard with the hammer - and at once a great deep clang filled the room from side to side, making Timmy jump almost out of his skin. He and Mischief left the room at top speed, and fell down the spiral stairway together. All the others jumped too, and stared at one another in awe. The sound of the bell went booming round and round the room, filling their ears so that they had to shake their heads to try and get rid of the sound. Julian at last clasped the rim of the bell with both his hands and the sound died away.
‘What a WONDERFUL bell!’ he said, in awe. ‘Look how old it is, too - see, it says “Cast in 1896”! My word - if only we could get it hung up in its place on the gallery, the sound of it would go right to the village and beyond! I wonder how many ships heard it in the old days, booming out every now and again as the hammer struck it.’
Tinker raised the hammer again, but Dick stopped him. ‘No - you saw how scared Timmy and Mischief were. They’ll probably jump through a window, glass and all, if we sound the bell again!’
‘We’ll wait till we think the wind has died down a bit, and then try to hang the bell,’ said Julian. ‘Now let’s look at the lamp. Will it want oil, Tinker?’
‘It may do - though I think there’s some still in it, left when the light-house was closed down,’ said Tinker. ‘But there is plenty down in the store-room.’
‘Good,’ said Julian, feeling decidedly more cheerful. ‘Now - if the gale dies down at all, we’ll try to hang the bell. We can strike that as soon as it’s hung, and not wait till we light the lamp.’
But the gale seemed to get worse, and Julian really did wonder if the old light-house would stand up to it! Should he take everyone down to the store-room? Just in case? ‘I will if the gale gets worse,’ he thought. ‘Though if the light-house should fall, there wouldn’t be much chance for us, whatever part of it we’re in!’
They went up to the lamp-room in the afternoon and looked at the great old lamp. Tinker explained how it worked. ‘It used to go round and round mechanically,’ he said, ‘and there were screens here - and here - that shut out the light in places as it went round - so that the light seemed to go on and off, if any ship was watching it - it seemed to flash, you see, instead of to shine steadily. Ships noticed it more quickly then.’
The screens were broken in pieces. There was still some oil in the lamp, but Julian added more. The wick seemed perfectly good. Now if only they could light the lamp, and keep it going, someone would be sure to see it, and wonder about it!
Julian felt in his pocket for matches. As the lamp-room was enclosed in glass, it was easy to keep the match alight. He touched the oily wick with it - and hey, presto! the lamp was lighted!
It was a very big lamp, and, close to, the light was quite blinding. Dick crowed with delight. ‘We’ve done it! Old light-house, you’re going to shine once more tonight! You’re alive again!’
‘Now to hang the bell,’ said Julian, and he cautiously opened the door leading on to the gallery outside, having waited until the wind died down for a moment. He and Dick lifted the bell up to the hook there and slipped the iron loop over it. It hung there, swinging, and Julian lifted the hammer - but at that moment a great gust took him and he staggered, almost falling over the railing!
Dick caught him just in time, and, with George’s help, dragged him into the lamp-room. They were all very white-faced! ‘That was a narrow escape,’ said George, her hands shaking and her body trembling. ‘We’ll have to be careful if we go out on the gallery again! Perhaps we had better rely only on the lamp.’
‘I vote we all go down and have some hot tea,’ said Julian, thankful for his escape. His legs felt shaky as he went down the stairs. He was most surprised! Julian was seldom scared, and it was peculiar to have legs that suddenly gave at the knees!
However, everyone soon recovered when they were drinking hot tea and eating ginger biscuits. ‘I wish it was dark so that we could see how bright the light is from the lamp when it shines,’ said Dick. ‘It will be dark very quickly today.’
It was! So dark that the light streaming from the old lamp at the top of the light-house was brilliant! It cut a shining path through the night, gleaming yellow.
And through the roar of the sea went a great clanging, as Julian, with Dick holding on to him, struck the old bell hanging in the gallery.
‘Listen!’ said George, her hand on Timmy’s collar.
‘Listen! BOOM. BOO-OOO-OOM! BOOOOM! Tim, that bell must feel happy tonight - it’s found its voice again!’
BOOOOOOOOOM! Has anyone heard that old bell on this stormy night? Has anyone seen the light from the old old lamp?
BOOOOOOOOOM!!!


Chapter Twenty-two

THE END OF THE ADVENTURE

Down in the village of Demon’s Rocks that night, people drew their curtains, made up their fires, and sat down in their arm-chairs. They were thankful not to be out in the wind and the rain.
Old Jeremiah Boogle was lighting his pipe, sitting by his own roaring fire, when he heard a sound that made him drop the flaring match, and listen in amazement.
BOOOOOOM! BOOOOOOM!
‘A bell! A bell I’ve not heard for nigh on forty years!’ said old Jeremiah, standing up, hardly able to believe his ears. ‘No - it can’t be the light-house bell. That’s been gone for many a day!’
BOOOOOOOOM!
Jeremiah went to his window and pulled aside the old curtain. He stared out - and could not believe his eyes! He gave a yell. MILLIE! Come look here! Lighthouse lamp is shining out! MILLIE! Where’s that granddaughter of mine? MILLIE!’
‘What is it, Grandad, now?’ said a plump little woman, bustling in.
‘Look, Millie - am I seeing right - ain’t that the light-house lamp a-shining there?’ said Jeremiah.
‘Well - there’s a bright light shining out there high above Demon’s Rocks,’ said Millie. ‘But I never in my life saw the light-house lamp shining out before! And what’s that booming noise, Grandfather - like a wonderful great bell?’
‘That’s the old bell in the light-house!’ said Jeremiah. ‘I couldn’t mistake that! Many’s the time I heard it booming out to warn ships off them Demon’s Rocks in the old days. Millie, it can’t be! It don’t hang there no more. And the light don’t shine no more. What’s happening?’
‘I dunno, Grandad,’ said Millie, scared. ‘Ain’t no one in the light-house, far as I know!’
Old Jeremiah smacked his hand down on the window-sill, knocking over a plant-pot. ‘There are folk there - three boys and two girls, and a monkey too - and a dog as well!’
‘Well, there now!’ said Millie. ‘And what would they be there for? Did they set the lamp a-going and sound that bell? BOOOOOM - there it goes again - enough to wake all the babies in Demon’s Rocks Village!’
Millie was right. It did wake all the babies, and the children - and amazed every man and woman in the place, including Ebenezer and Jacob. They had leapt to their feet when they had heard the bell, and were astounded to see the great light shining out steadily in the night.
They heard people hurrying by their cottage, on their way to Demon’s Rocks jetty. They heard Jeremiah’s big voice booming out too. ‘It’s they children up there in the light-house, a-banging that bell, and setting that light a-shining. Something’s wrong! It’s help they’re needing, folks! Something’s wrong!’
Ebenezer and Jacob knew quite well what was wrong! The children were locked in the light-house and couldn’t get out! They might be ill or hurt - or starving - but they couldn’t get out to fetch help. And now the whole village was aroused, and when the morning came, a boat would bob out on the great waves and find out what had happened!
Ebby and Jacob disappeared that night! It wasn’t Constable Sharp they feared - it was the people of the village! They slipped away in the dark and the rain, and were gone. But you’ll be caught, Ebby, you’ll be caught, Jacob! And no one will be sorry for you. No one at all!
When daylight came, there were many people on the jetty, ready to go across to the light-house. The wind was so rough that great waves still rolled over the rocks on which the light-house stood. Soon a boat was launched, and Jeremiah, Constable Sharp and the village doctor went across, the boat careering from side to side like a mad thing, as the waves caught it.
They went up the steps to the light-house and banged at the door - and from the other side came Julian’s glad voice. ‘You’ll have to break down the door. Ebby or Jacob locked us in and took the key. We can’t get out, and we’re running short of food!’
‘Right. Stand back,’ shouted Jeremiah, ‘Constable and I are going to break in!’
Jeremiah was old but he was still hefty, and Constable Sharp was heftier still. The lock suddenly splintered under their enormous shoves, and the door flew wide open! Jeremiah and the policeman shot inside and bumped into Julian and the rest, sending them flying. Timmy barked in astonishment and Mischief fled up the stairway!
Soon they were all in the living-room, and Julian was pouring out his story. Anne made tea and handed round steaming cups. Jeremiah listened open-mouthed, and the policeman busily took notes. The doctor, glad that no one was ill or hurt, sipped his tea and listened, too.