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

‘Oh, don’t open that window,’ said Anne, as a rough wind swooped in. ‘For goodness’ sake shut it, Tinker.’
Tinker shut it and began to talk about cars again. Once more the driver touched the lever beside him, and once more Tinker’s window slid mournfully down, and a cold draught came in.
‘TINKER! Don’t mess about with the windows,’ ordered Julian.
‘I never touched the thing,’ said Tinker, eyeing the window with suspicion. It suddenly shut itself, sliding upwards very smoothly. Tinker began to feel uncomfortable. He watched the window closely, afraid that it might play tricks again. The others, knowing perfectly well that the driver could open and shut any of the windows automatically from his own seat, nudged one another, and giggled. ‘That shut up poor old Tinker!’ murmured Dick.
It had. Not another word about new cars or old came from Tinker during the whole drive! It was a very pleasant one, mostly round the coast, and very little inland. The views were magnificent.
‘That dog of yours seems to like the views,’ said the driver. ‘His head has been out of the window all the time.’
‘Well - I always thought it was because he liked the fresh air,’ said George. ‘Timmy, is it because you enjoy the views?’
‘Woof,’ said Timey, and withdrew his head to give George a lick. He also gave the little monkey a lick. Poor Mischief didn’t much like the motion of the car. He sat very still indeed, afraid that he might be sick. The car purred along, sounding just like Tinker’s usual imitation!
They stopped for an early lunch, and ate their sandwiches hungrily, sitting on a cliff. The driver had brought his own, and once Mischief had discovered that half the man’s sandwiches were made of tomato, he sat on his knee in a very friendly manner, sharing his sandwiches in delight.
‘We’ll be there in another hour or so,’ said the man. ‘Where are you staying at Demon’s Rocks? The garage didn’t tell me.’
‘At the light-house,’ said Julian. ‘Do you know it?’
‘Yes - but people don’t stay there!’ said the driver, thinking that Julian was pulling his leg. ‘What hotel are you going to - or are you staying with friends?’
‘No. We really are going to the light-house,’ said Tinker. ‘It’s mine. My very own.’
‘Well - you’ve certainly got a place with a fine view!’ said the driver. ‘I was born at Demon’s Rocks. My old great-grandad is still in the same cottage where I was born. My word - the stories he used to tell me of that old light-house - and how the wreckers got into it one night and grabbed the keeper there, and doused the light, so that a great ship might go on the rocks.’
‘How horrible - and did it get wrecked?’ asked Dick.
‘Yes. Smashed to bits,’ said the driver. ‘Ab-sol-utely - smashed - to bits! And then they waited for the tide to wash up the wreckage. You ought to look up my old great-grandad, and get him to tell you his tales. He might even show you the Wreckers’ Cave...’
‘Oh - we heard about that,’ said George. ‘Is it really true - can we see it? And is there someone in there still?’
‘No - no, all the old wreckers are gone long ago,’ said the driver. ‘As soon as the new light-house was built, the wreckers’ day was done. It’s so powerful, you see. Its beams can be seen even in the fiercest storm. The beam from the light-house you’re going to wasn’t very good - but it saved a good many ships, all the same!’
‘What’s your grandad’s name?’ asked George, making up her mind to look him up as soon as she could. ‘Where does he live?’
‘Ask for Jeremiah Boogie,’ said the driver, carefully skirting a herd of cows. ‘You’ll find him sitting some where on the quay, smoking a long pipe, and scowling at anyone that comes nigh him. But he likes children, so don’t you be afraid of his scowl. He’ll tell you a few tales, will my old great-grandad! Well, bless us all, if there isn’t another herd of cows coming round the corner.’
‘Hoot at them,’ said Tinker.
‘Ever heard the rhyme about the cow that jumped over the moon, boy?’ said the driver. ‘Well, someone hooted when it came by, see? And that’s what it did - jumped over the moon! No good driver hoots at cows. It scares them silly, and they jump like hares. Look - see that cliff round the curve of the coast there? Well, that’s the first bit of Demon’s Rocks. We’ll soon be there now.’
‘Why is it called that?’ asked George.
‘Well, the rocks there are so wicked that it was reckoned they could only have been put there by some kind of savage demon,’ said the driver. ‘Some are just below the water so that they catch the keel of a boat and rip it. Others stick up sharp as sharks’ teeth - and there’s a great ledge of rocks where a boat can be pounded to bits by the waves. Ah, they’re Demon’s Rocks all right!’
‘When shall we see the light-house?’ asked Tinker. ‘We ought to see it soon.’
‘Wait till another bit of the coast comes in sight as soon as we get to the top of this hill,’ said the driver. ‘And just tell that monkey of yours to take his paw out of my coat-pocket. I’ve no more tomatoes there!’
‘Behave yourself, Mischief,’ said Tinker, so sternly that the little creature hid its face in its paws and whimpered.
‘Little humbug!’ said George. ‘There’s not a tear in his eye! Oh look - is that the light-house?’
‘Yes. That’s it,’ said the driver. ‘You get a good view of it now, from this hill. Fine one isn’t it, for an old one? Ah, they could build well in those days. That one’s made of stone. It’s wave-swept so it has to be fairly tall, or the shining of the lamp would have been hidden by the spray falling on the windows.’
‘Where did the light-house keeper live?’ asked Dick.
‘Oh, there’s a cosy enough room just under the lamp room,’ said the driver. ‘My grandad took me up there once. I never saw such a view of a stormy sea in my life!’
‘My father lived there all one summer,’ boasted Tinker. ‘I was with him most of the time. It was grand.’
‘Why did your father want to live in a light-house?’ asked the driver, curiously. ‘Was he hiding, or something?’
‘Of course not. He’s a scientist, and he said he wanted peace and quiet, with no telephones ringing, and no one coming to see him,’ said Tinker.
‘And do you mean to say he had peace and quiet with you there?’ said the driver teasingly. ‘Well, well!’
‘It’s not so quiet there really,’ said Tinker. ‘The waves make such a noise, and so does the wind. But my father didn’t really notice those. He only notices things like bells ringing, or people talking, or somebody knocking at the door. Things like that drive him mad. He loved the light-house.’
‘Well - I hope you enjoy yourselves there,’ said the driver. ‘It’s not my cup of tea - hearing nothing but waves and gulls crying. Better you than me!’
They descended the other side of the hill and the light-house was no longer to be seen. ‘Soon be there now,’ said Tinker. ‘Mischief, will you like to be at the light-house again? My word, how quickly you could go up the spiral staircase and down - do you remember?’
The car swept down almost to the edge of the sea. The light-house was now plainly to be seen, a good way out from the shore. A small boat bobbed at a stone jetty, and Tinker pointed it out with a scream of joy. ‘That’s the boat we had - the one that took us to and from the light-house when the tide was in! It’s called Bob-About, and my word, it does bob about too.’
‘Is it yours?’ asked George, rather jealously.
‘Well, it was sold with the light-house, so I suppose it is,’ said Tinker. ‘Anyway, it’s the one we’ll use when we can’t wade over the rocks.’,
‘Well, see you don’t get storm-bound in the lighthouse,’ said the driver, bringing the car to a stop. ‘The sea between Demon’s Rocks and the jetty will be too rough for that little boat, in stormy weather.’
‘I can manage boats all right,’ said George. ‘I’ve had one since I was small.’
‘Yes. You’re pretty good with them, that I do know,’ said the driver. ‘Well - here we are. Are you going to go straight to the light-house - in that boat? Shall I help you to carry your things to it?’
‘Well thanks,’ said Julian, and between them they carried everything to the little boat. An old man sat nearby, and he touched his cap to them. ‘Message came through from Kirrin to say I was to get the old boat out for you,’ he said. ‘Which of you’s Master Hayling?’
‘I am,’ said Tinker. ‘And that’s my boat, and that’s my light-house! Come on, everyone - let’s row to the light-house - come on! I can hardly wait to get there!’


Chapter Nine