"Blyton, Enid - Famous Five 20 - Five Have a Mystery to Solve" - читать интересную книгу автора (Blyton Enid)

‘You’re a marvel, Wilfrid!’ said Julian, wondering why he had ever disliked the boy. ‘What have you brought?’
‘Come and see,’ said Wilfrid, and they all went over to the boat, Timmy walking as close to the boy as he could. Higgledy-piggledy in the boat was a pile of tins, a large loaf of bread, and a pound package of butter, looking rather soft.
‘Gracious!’ said Anne, in delight. ‘How in the world did you carry all these from the cottage to your boat? Look, everyone, Wilfrid has even brought some, plates and spoons!’
‘I put everything into a sack, and carried them over my shoulder,’ said Wilfrid, enjoying everyone’s delighted surprise. ‘I fell over going down the hill to the shore, and all the tins rolled out, and simply shot down the slope!’
Everyone laughed at the thought of the tins rolling at top speed down the hill. Anne slipped her arm through Wilfrid’s and gave it a squeeze.
‘You did jolly well,’ she said, and Wilfrid beamed at her, astonished and pleased at everyone’s warm friendliness. Timmy went up to the boat and began sniffing at the bread. Then he turned and barked as if to say ‘Is there anything here for me?’
Wilfrid understood at once. ‘Oh yes, Timmy!’ he said.
‘I brought a special tin of dogmeat for you - here you are - a large tin of Waggomeat!’
Timmy recognized the tin at once, and barked joyfully. He pawed Wilfrid as if to say ‘Come on, then - open it! I’m hungry!’
‘Anyone got a tin-opener?’ said George. ‘It would be too dreadful if we couldn’t open the tins!’
‘Gosh - I never even thought about that!’ said Wilfrid. ‘What an ass I am!’
‘It’s all right. I’ve a thing on my pocket-knife that’s supposed to open tins,’ said Dick, taking out a very large closed knife. ‘I’ve never bothered to use it - so let’s hope it will work the trick. Chuck me a tin, Wilfrid.’
Wilfrid threw him the tin of Waggomeat. With everyone watching very anxiously indeed, Dick opened a peculiar-looking tool in his knife, and gashed the point into the top of the tin. It worked!
‘First time I’ve ever used it,’ said Dick, running the gadget round the tin-top. ‘Three cheers for the man who thought of including it in a knife!’
‘Will Timmy be able to swallow yet?’ asked George, anxiously. ‘His throat must still be hurting him where that wooden ball choked him.’
‘Oh, Timmy will be able to judge that for himself,’ said Julian. ‘If I know anything about him, not even a sore throat will stop him from wolfing half that tin!’
Julian was right. As soon as Wilfrid scraped out a third of the meat with his knife on to a flat stone nearby, Timmy was wolfing it in great gulps!
‘Nothing much the matter with your throat now, Tim!’ said Anne, patting him. ‘Dear old Tim. Don’t ever choke again. I simply couldn’t bear it!’
‘Let’s have a meal ourselves now,’ said George. ‘We’ll open more of those tins. We don’t need to be stingy about them because we can leave in Wilfrid’s boat at any time, and get back to the mainland.’
Soon they had opened a tin of tongue, two tins of fruit, and a large tin of baked beans. They cut the big loaf into six pieces (one for Timmy, of course) and then sat down at the back of the cove to feast.
‘Best meal I ever had in my life!’ said Dick, enjoying himself. ‘Tasty food - fresh air - sea nearby - sun on our heads - and friends sitting all round me!’
‘Woof!’ said Timmy, at once, and gave Dick a very wet lick.
‘He says he couldn’t agree more,’ said Anne, with a laugh.
‘The sun’s going down,’ said George. ‘What are we going to do? Go back to the mainland in Wilfrid’s boat - or stay here for the night?’
‘Stay here,’ said Julian. ‘Nobody knows we’re here, and I want to snoop round a bit tonight, when those men can’t see me. There’s a lot of things that puzzle me. For instance, how on earth do they send away the things from here - such as those packed statues we saw? It must mean that a fairly big vessel comes along to collect them, I suppose. And I’d like to know how many men there are on the island - presumably the guards we saw, with guns - and the men who have found that underground cave, where everything was hidden. Then we’ll go back, tell the police, and leave things to them!’
‘Couldn’t Wilfrid take the two girls back to the mainland, then come back with the boat?’ said Dick. ‘I don’t think we ought to let them run any risk.’
Before Julian could reply, George spoke quickly - and crossly. ‘We’re staying here - though Anne can go back if she wants to. But Timmy and I are staying with you boys, so that’s that.’
‘All right, all right, no need to shout!’ said Dick, pretending to cover his ears. ‘What about you, though, Anne? You’re the youngest, and...’
‘I’m staying,’ said Anne. ‘I’d be worried stiff all night if I left you on the island. And I certainly don’t want to miss any excitement!’
‘Right,’ said Julian. ‘We all stay then. Wilfrid, did you know that Timmy has his nose in the pocket where you keep your hedgehog?’
‘Yes. They’re just making friends,’ said Wilfrid. ‘Anyway, the hedgehog’s only a baby - his quills won’t prick Timmy’s nose, they’re still too soft. He’s a dear little thing. I thought I’d call him Spiky.’
‘Wuff,’ said Timmy, quite agreeing. He was sitting between George and Wilfrid, very happy indeed, for both fondled him and patted him at the same time.
‘I think I’ll take a walk round the island,’ suddenly announced Wilfrid. ‘Timmy, like to come with me?’
Timmy got up at once, but George pulled him down. ‘Don’t be an ass, Wilfrid,’ she said. ‘Timmy’s been shot at once, by the men here - and I’m not going to risk it again - besides, we don’t want them to know we’re here.’
‘I’d be very careful,’ persisted Wilfrid. ‘I wouldn’t let them spot me. They didn’t spot me coming over in the boat.’
Julian sat up very suddenly. ‘How do we know they didn’t?’ he said. ‘I never thought of that! They might have a telescope - they might keep watch all the time - they might even have seen us in our boat! After all, they can’t risk being spied on!’
‘I don’t think they could have seen us,’ said Dick. ‘They would have made a search.’
‘I’m jolly sure they didn’t see me,’ boasted Wilfrid. ‘They’d have been waiting for me on the shore, if they had.’ He got up and looked all round. ‘I think I’ll go for my walk now,’ he said.
‘NO! You are DEFINITELY not to go for a walk, Wilfrid,’ said Julian, and lay back in the sun again. It was sinking now, but still very bright. Dick began to think of the night, and how he and Julian would snoop round and find the way into that strange place underground where those golden statues stood silently in the darkness.
Then he fell fast asleep, and only awoke when Anne gave him a friendly punch. He sat up and began a long and leisurely conversation with his sister - and then Anne suddenly looked all round.
‘Where’s Wilfrid?’ she said. They all sat up then, and looked startled. Wilfrid was nowhere to be seen!
‘He must have slipped away without a sound!’ said Dick, angrily. ‘The little idiot. He’s been gone quite a long time! He’ll get caught, as sure as can be. Good thing Timmy didn’t go with him - he might have been caught too - and shot!’
George put her arms round Timmy in fear.‘Timmy would never go with Wilfrid if I wasn’t there too,’ she said. ‘What a little fathead he is! I say - those men will guess there’s someone else on the island with Wilfrid, won’t they? They might even make him tell all he knew - and where the boat is, and everything!’
‘What shall we do?’ said Anne. ‘We’d better go after him.’
‘Timmy will track him for us,’ said George, getting up. ‘Come on, Tim. Find Wilfrid. Find that silly disobedient boy Wilfrid!’
Timmy understood at once. He put his nose to the ground, found Wilfrid’s scent, and began to walk away. ‘Not too fast, Timmy,’ said George, and he at once slowed down. George looked round at the little place among the bushes where they had been sitting. ‘Had we better take a tin or two with us?’ she said.
‘Yes. Good idea,’ said Julian. ‘You just never know!’
He and Dick took a couple of tins each, stuffed uncomfortably into their pockets. Blow Wilfrid!
‘He must have gone in this direction,’ said Dick. ‘I never spotted him slinking away, the little nuisance! I’m surprised Timmy didn’t make a sound! Track him, Tim, track him!’
‘Listen!’ said Anne, suddenly, and she stopped. ‘Listen!’ They all listened - and didn’t at all like what they heard. It was Wilfrid’s voice, yelling in fright.