‘We don’t need any clothes except our night things, do we?’ said George, who would have lived in a jersey and jeans all day and every day if she had been allowed to.
‘You must take plenty of jerseys, another pair of jeans each, in case you get wet, your rain-coats, bathing-things, towels, a change of shoes, night things, and some cool shirts or blouses,’ said Mother. Everyone groaned.
‘What a frightful lot of things!’ said Dick. ‘There’ll never be room for all those.’
‘Oh yes there will,’ said Mother. ‘You will be sorry if you take too few clothes, get soaked through, have nothing to change into, and catch fearful colds that will stop you from enjoying a lovely holiday like this.’
‘Come on, let’s get the things,’ said Dick. ‘Once Mother starts off about let you have. And remember that there is plenty of ginger-beer in the locker under the second caravan.’
‘It’s all so thrilling,’ said Anne, peering down to look at the locker into which Julian had put the bottles of ginger-beer. ‘I can’t believe we’re really going tomorrow.’
But it was true. Dobby and Trotter were to be taken to the caravans the next day and harnessed. How exciting for them, too, Anne thought.
Timmy couldn’t quite understand all the excitement, but he shared in it, of course, and kept his tail on the wag all day long. He examined the caravans thoroughly from end to end, found a rug he liked the smell of, and lay down on it. ‘This is my corner,’ he seemed to say. ‘If you go off in these peculiar houses on wheels, this is my own little corner.’
‘We’ll have the red caravan, George,’ said Anne. ‘The boys can have the green one. They don’t care what colour they have but I love red. I say, won’t it be sport to sleep in those bunks? They look jolly comfortable.’
At last tomorrow came and the milkman brought the sturdy little black horse, Trotter, up the drive. Julian fetched Dobby from the field. The horses nuzzled one another and Dobby said ‘Hrrrumph’ in a very civil horsey voice.
‘They’re going to like each other,’ said Anne. ‘Look at them nuzzling. Trotter, you’re going to draw my caravan.’
The two horses stood patiently while they were harnessed. Dobby jerked his head once or twice as if he was impatient to be off and stamped a little.
‘Oh, Dobby, I feel like that, too!’ said Anne. ‘Don’t you, Dick, don’t you, Julian?’
‘I do rather,’ said Dick with a grin. ‘Get up there, Dobby that’s right. Who’s going to drive, Julian take it in turns, shall we?’
‘I’m going to drive our caravan,’ said George. ‘Anne wouldn’t be any good at it, though I’ll let her have a turn at it sometimes. Driving is a man’s job.’
‘Well, you’re only a girl!’ said Anne indignantly. ‘You’re not a man, nor even a boy!’
George put on one of her scowls. She always wanted to be a boy, and even thought of herself as one. She didn’t like to be reminded that she was only a girl. But not even George could scowl for long that exciting morning! She soon began to caper round and about again, laughing and calling out with the others:
‘We’re ready! Surely we’re ready!’
‘Yes. Do let’s go! JULIAN! He’s gone indoors, the idiot, just when we want to start.’
‘He’s gone to get the cakes that Cook has baked this morning for us. We’ve heaps of food in the larder. I feel hungry already.’
‘Here’s Julian. Do come on, Julian. We’ll drive off without you. Good-bye, Mother! We’ll send you a card every single day, we faithfully promise.’
Julian got up on the front of the green caravan. He clicked to Dobby. ‘Get on, Dobby! We’re off! Good-bye, Mother!’
Dick sat beside him, grinning with pure happiness. The caravans moved off down the drive. George pulled at Trotter’s reins and the little horse followed the caravan in front. Anne, sitting beside George, waved wildly.
‘Good-bye, Mother! We’re off at last on another adventure. Hurrah! Three cheers! Hurrah!’
CHAPTER FOUR
AWAY THEY GO!
The caravans went slowly down the wide road. Julian was so happy that he sang at the top of his voice, and the others joined in the choruses. Timmy barked excitedly. He was sitting on one side of George and as Anne was on the other George was decidedly squashed. But little things like that did not bother her at all.
Dobby plodded on slowly, enjoying the sunshine and the little breeze that raised the hairs on his mane. Trotter followed at a short distance. He was very much interested in Timmy, and always turned his head when the dog barked or got down for a run. It was fun to have two horses and a dog to travel with.
It had been decided that they should make their way towards the hills where they hoped to find the circus. Julian had traced the place in his map. He was sure it must be right because of the lake that lay in the valley at the foot of the hills.
‘See?’ he said to the others, pointing. There it is Lake Merran. I bet we’ll find the circus camp somewhere near it. It would be a very good place for all their animals no one to interfere with the camp, plenty of water for both animals and men, and probably good farms to supply them with food.’
‘We’ll have to find a good farm ourselves tonight,’ said Dick. ‘And ask permission to camp. Lucky we’ve got that little book telling us where to go and ask.’
Anne thought with delight of the coming evening, when they would stop and camp, cook a meal, drowse over a camp-fire, and go to sleep in the little bunks. She didn’t know which was nicer ambling along down country lanes with the caravans or preparing to settle in for the night. She was sure it was going to be the nicest holiday they had ever had.
‘Don’t you think so?’ she asked George as they sat together on the driving-seat, with Timmy, for once, trotting beside the caravan, and leaving them a little more room than usual. ‘You know, most of our hols have been packed with adventures awfully exciting, I know but I’d like an ordinary holiday now, wouldn’t you not too exciting.’
‘Oh, I like adventures,’ said George, shaking the reins and making Trotter do a little trot. ‘I wouldn’t a bit mind having another one. But we shan’t this time, Anne. No such luck!’
They stopped for a meal at half-past twelve, all of them feeling very hungry. Dobby and Trotter moved towards a ditch in which long, juicy grass grew, and munched away happily.
The children lay on a sunny bank and ate and drank. Anne looked at George. ‘You’ve got more freckles these hols, George, than you ever had in your life before.’
‘That doesn’t worry me!’ said George, who never cared in the least how she looked, and was even angry with her hair for being too curly, and making her look too much like a girl. ‘Pass the sandwiches, Anne the tomato ones golly, if we always feel as hungry as this we’ll have to buy eggs and bacon and butter and milk at every farm we pass!’
They set off again. Dick took his turn at driving Dobby, and Julian walked to stretch his legs. George still wanted to drive, but Anne felt too sleepy to sit beside her with safety.
‘If I shut my eyes and sleep I shall fall off the seat,’ she said. ‘I’d better go into the caravan and sleep there.’
So in she went, all by herself. It was cool and dim inside the caravan, for the curtains had been pulled across the window to keep the inside cool. Anne climbed on to one of the bunks and lay down. She shut her eyes. The caravan rumbled slowly on, and the little girl fell asleep.
Julian peeped in at her and grinned. Timmy came and looked, too, but Julian wouldn’t let him go in and wake Anne by licking her.
‘You come and walk with me, Tim,’ he said. ‘You’re getting fat. Exercise will do you good.’
‘He’s not getting fat!’ called George, indignantly. ‘He’s a very nice shape. Don’t you listen to him, Timothy.’
‘Woof,’ said Timmy, and trotted along at Julian’s heels.
The two caravans covered quite a good distance that day, even though they went slowly. Julian did not miss the way once. He was very good indeed at map-reading. Anne was disappointed that they could not see the hills they were making for, at the end of the day.
‘Goodness, they’re miles and miles away!’ said Julian. ‘We shan’t arrive for at least four or five days, silly! Now, look out for a farm, kids. There should be one near here, where we can ask permission to camp for the night.’