Blyton, Enid – Famous Five 15 – Five On a Secret Trail

‘You know he wouldn’t eat Jet!’ said Anne. ‘They’re good friends.’

‘I don’t know anything of the sort,’ said the boy, and went off, brushing his hair out of his eyes again.

‘What do you make of that?’ said George, staring after him. ‘Not a bit the same as he was this afternoon. Do you think he really had forgotten about his promise and everything?’

‘I don’t know,’ said Anne, puzzled. ‘He was so perky and jolly and full of fun before – grinning all the time – but just now he seemed quite serious – not a smile in him!’

‘Oh well – perhaps he’s a bit crazy,’ said George. ‘Are you sleepy Anne? I am, though I can’t think why!’

‘Not very – but I’d like to lie down on this springy heather and watch the stars gradually come sparkling into the sky,’ said Anne. ‘I don’t think I’ll sleep in the tent, George. You’ll want Timmy with you, and honestly there’s so little room inside the tent that I’m quite sure Timmy would lie on my legs all night long.’

‘I’ll sleep in the open air as well,’ said George. ‘I only slept in the tent last night because it looked a bit like rain. Let’s get some more heather and make a kind of mattress of it. We can put a rug on top of it, and lie on that.’

The two of them pulled a lot of heather and carried it to their ‘bed’. Soon they had a fine pile, and Timmy went to lie on it.

‘Hey – it’s not for you!’ cried George. ‘Get off – you’ll flatten it right down. Where’s the rug, Anne?’

They laid the rug on the heather-pile and then went to the spring to wash and clean their teeth. Timmy immediately got on to the heather-bed again, and shut his eyes.

‘You old fraud!’ said George, lugging him off. ‘You’re not asleep. Keep off our bed! Look – there’s a nice soft patch of grass for you. That’s your bed!’

George lay down on the rug, and the heathery-bed sank a little beneath her weight.

‘Very comfortable!’ said George. ‘Shall we want a rug over us, Anne?’

‘Well, I did bring one,’ said Anne. ‘But I don’t think we’ll want it, the night’s so hot. Look – there is a star already!’

Soon there were six or seven – and then gradually hundreds more pricked through the evening sky as the twilight deepened. It was a wonderful night.

‘Don’t the stars look big and bright?’ said Anne, sleepily. ‘They make me feel very small, they’re such millions of miles away. George, are you asleep?’

There was no answer. George hadn’t heard a word. She was fast asleep. Her hand fell down the side of the heather and rested on the ground below. Timmy moved a little nearer and gave it a small lick. Then he too fell asleep, and gave some small doggy snores.

The night darkened. There was no moon but the stars shone out well from the midnight sky. It was very quiet out there on the common, far away from streets and villages and towns. Not even an owl hooted.

Anne didn’t quite know why she awoke. At first she had no idea where she was, and she lay gazing up at the stars in astonishment, thinking she must still be asleep.

She suddenly felt very thirsty. She groped about in the nearby tent for the mug, couldn’t find it and gave it up.

‘I’ll drink from my cupped hands,’ she thought, and set off for the little spring. Timmy wondered whether to follow her. No – he would stay with George. She wouldn’t like it if she awoke and found him gone with Anne. So he settled his head down on his paws again and slept, leaving one ear open for Anne.

Anne found the little spring. Its tinkling gurgling sound guided her as soon as she heard it. She sat down on one of the stones nearby, and held out her cupped hands. How very cold the water was – and how delicious to drink on this hot night! She sipped thirstily, slopping some of the water down her front.

She got up to go back, and walked a few steps in the starlight. Then she stopped. Wait – was she going in the right direction? She wasn’t sure.

‘I think I am!’ she decided, and went on, carefully and quietly. Surely she must be near their little camp now?

Then all at once she stood still, and felt herself stiffen. She had suddenly seen a light. It had flashed and disappeared. Ah – there it was again! Whatever could it be?

Then, as her eyes strained through the starlit darkness, she suddenly saw that she had taken the wrong way – she had gone in the direction of the old ruined cottage, and not the camp – and the light had come from there!

She didn’t dare go any nearer. She felt glued to the grass she was standing on! Now she could hear sounds – whispering sounds – and the noise of a footfall on the stone floor of the cottage – and then the flash of a light came again! Yes, it was from the old cottage!

Anne began to breathe fast. Who was it in the old cottage? She simply dared not go and see. She must go back to George, and to Timmy’s protection. As fast and as silently as she could she found her way back to the spring – and then, almost stumbling now, made her way to where George was still lying peacefully asleep.

‘Woof,’ said Timmy, sleepily, and tried to lick her hand. Anne climbed on to the heathery-bed beside George, her heart still beating fast.

‘George!’ she whispered. ‘George, do wake up. I’ve something queer to tell you!’

Chapter Five

THAT BOY AGAIN!

George would not wake up. She grunted when Anne poked her and prodded her, and then she turned over, almost falling off the small heather-bed.

‘Oh George – please do wake!’ begged Anne, in a whisper. She was afraid of speaking out loud in case anyone should hear her. Who knew what might happen if she drew attention to their little camp?

George awoke at last and was cross. ‘Whatever is it, Anne?’ she said, her voice sounding loud in the night.

‘Sh!’ said Anne. ‘Sh!’

‘Why? We’re all alone here! We can make as much noise as we like!’ said George, surprised.

‘George, do listen! There’s someone in that old cottage!’ said Anne, and at last George heard and understood. She sat up at once.

Anne told her the whole story – though it didn’t really seem very much of a tale when she related it. George spoke to Timmy.

‘Tim!’ she said, keeping her voice low. ‘We’ll go and do a little exploring, shall we? Come on, then – and keep quiet!’

She slid off the rug and stood up. ‘You stay here,’ she said to Anne. ‘Timmy and I will be very quiet and careful, and see what we can find out.’

‘Oh no – I couldn’t stay here alone!’ said Anne in alarm, and got up hurriedly. ‘I shall have to come too. I don’t mind a bit now Timmy’s with us. I wonder he didn’t bark at the people in the old cottage, whoever they were.’

‘He probably thought it was you messing about,’ said George, and Anne nodded. Yes, of course, Timmy must have thought that any noises he heard had been made by her.

They took the path that led to the old cottage. George had Timmy well to heel. He knew he must not push forward unless told to. His ears were pricked now, and he was listening hard.

They came cautiously to the cottage. They could see its dark outline in the starlight, but little else. There was no light flashing there. Nor did there seem to be any noises at all.

All three stood still and quiet for about five minutes. Then Timmy moved restlessly. This was boring! Why wouldn’t George let him run forward and explore everywhere if she wanted to know if intruders were about?

‘I don’t think there’s a soul here!’ whispered George into Anne’s ear. ‘They must have gone – unless you dreamed it all, Anne!’

‘I didn’t!’ whispered back Anne indignantly. ‘Let’s go forward a bit and send Timmy into the cottage. He’ll soon bark if there’s anyone there.’

George gave Timmy a little shove. ‘Go on, then!’ she said. ‘Find, Timmy, find!’

Timmy gladly shot forward into the darkness. He trotted into the cottage, though it was impossible even to see him go to it. The two girls stood and listened, their heart-beats sounding very loud to them! There was not a sound to be heard, except occasionally the rattle of Timmy’s strong claws on a stony slab.

‘There can’t be anyone there,’ said George at last.