Five on a Secret Trail (3 page)

You should have heard Jet laugh when he first saw it!"

George frowned. „I came here to be alone so that Timmy shouldn"t be jeered at," she said. „He"s got a bad ear. I suppose you were the fathead who tied a blue ribbon on his tail?"

„Just for a joke," said the boy. „You like frowning and glaring, I can see. Well, I like joking and tricking! Your Timmy didn"t mind a bit. He took to my dog right away. But everyone likes Jet! I wanted to find out who owned Timmy - because, like you, I don"t like strangers messing about when I"m camping out. So I came along."

„I see. And you did all the clucking and quacking and hrrr-umphing?" said Anne. She liked this idiot of a boy, with his broad friendly grin. „What are you doing - just camping - or hiking - or botanizing?"

„I"m digging," said the boy. „My father"s an archaeologist - he loves old buildings more than anything else in the world. I take after him, I suppose. There was once an old Roman camp on this common, you know - and I"ve found a place where part of it must have been, so I"m digging for anything I can find - pottery, weapons, anything like that. See, I found this yesterday - look at the date on it!"

He suddenly thrust an old coin at them - a queer, uneven one, rather heavy to hold.

„Its date is 292," he said. „At least, as far as I can make out. So the camp"s pretty old, isn"t it?"

„We"l come and see it," said Anne, excited.

„No, don"t," said the boy. „I don"t like people messing round me when I"m doing something serious. Please don"t come. I won"t bother you again. I promise."

„Al right. We won"t come," said Anne, quite understanding. „But don"t you play any more sil y tricks on us, see?"

„I promise," said the boy. „I tel you, I won"t come near you again. I only wanted to see whose dog this was. Well, I"m off. So long!"

And, whistling to Jet, he set off at a furious pace. George turned to Anne.

„What a peculiar boy!" she said. „Actually - I"d rather like to see him again. Wouldn"t you?"

It was now tea-time, according to Anne"s watch and also according to everyone"s feelings, including Timmy"s. Timmy felt the heat very much and was always wandering off to the little spring to lap the crystal-cold water. Anne wished that she and George had a big jug that they could fil - it was such a nuisance to have to keep running to and fro with just a mug.

They had tea - biscuits, a sandwich each, and a bar of rather soft chocolate. George examined Timmy"s ear for the hundredth time that day, and pronounced it very much better.

„Well, don"t take off that collar yet," said Anne. „He"l only open the wound by scratching if you do."

„I"m not going to take it off!" said George, touchily. „What shall we do now, Anne? Go for a walk?"

„Yes," said Anne. „Listen - you can hear those sharp, metal ic noises again - that"s the boy at work again, I expect. Funny boy he must be - coming to dig about all on his own with his comical little dog. I wish we could see what he"s doing."

„We promised we wouldn"t," said George. „So I don"t feel that we even ought to go and peep."

„Of course not!" said Anne. „Come on - let"s go in the opposite direction, George - right away from the boy. I hope we shan"t get lost!"

„Not while Timmy"s with us, sil y!" said George. „You"d find your way home from the moon, wouldn"t you, Tim?"

„Woof," agreed Timmy.

„He always says yes to whatever you say, George," said Anne. „I say - isn"t it a lovely evening? I wonder what Julian and Dick are doing?"

George immediately looked downcast. She felt that her two cousins had no right to go rushing across France when she wanted them at Kirrin. Didn"t they like Kirrin? Would they be having magnificent adventures on the Continent, and not want to spend even a week at Kirrin? She looked so lost in miserable thoughts that Anne laughed at her.

„Cheer up! At least I am here with you - though I agree that compared with Ju and Dick I"m very poor company, and not at all adventurous!"

They had a lovely walk, and sat down half-way to watch hordes of rabbits playing together. Timmy was very unhappy about this. Why sit down to watch sil y rabbits? Rabbits were made to chase, weren"t they? Why did George always put a restraining hand on his collar when she sat down to watch rabbits? He whined continual y, as he watched with her.

„Shut up, Timmy, you ass," said George. „You"d only spoil the entertainment if you sent them to their holes."

They watched for a long while and then got up to go back to the camp. When they came near, they heard the sound of low whistling. Someone was about that evening, quite near their camp. Who was it?

They came round a big gorse bush, and almost bumped into a boy. He got out of their way politely, but said nothing.

„Why - it"s you!" said George, in surprise. „I don"t know your name. What are you doing here? You said you wouldn"t come near us."

The boy stared, looking very surprised. His tousled hair fel right across his forehead, and he brushed it back.

„I said nothing of the sort," he said.

„Oh, you did!" said Anne. „You know you did. Well, if you break your promise, there"s no reason for us to keep ours. We shall come and visit your camp."

„I never made you any promise," said the boy, looking quite startled. „You"re mad!"

„Don"t be an idiot," said George, getting cross. „I suppose you"l be saying next that you didn"t act like a hen, and a duck, and a horse this afternoon..."

„And a cat," said Anne.

„Balmy!" said the boy, looking at them pityingly. „Quite balmy."

„Are you coming here again?" demanded George.

„If I want to," said the boy. „The water in this spring is better than the one over by my camp."

„Then we shall come and explore your camp," said George, firmly. „If you don"t keep your promise, we shan"t keep ours."

„By all means come if you want to," said the boy. „You seem quite mad, but I daresay you"re harmless. But don"t bring your dog. He might eat mine."

„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 real y had forgotten about his promise and everything?"

„I don"t know," said Anne, puzzled. „He was so perky and jol y 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"l sleep in the tent, George. You"l 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 al night long."

„I"l sleep in the open air as wel ," 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 pul ed 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"l 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. „Shal 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 mil ions of miles away. George, are you asleep?"

There was no answer. George hadn"t heard a word. She was fast asleep. Her hand fel 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 wel from the midnight sky. It was very quiet out there on the common, far away from streets and vil ages 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 stil 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"l 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, careful y and quietly. Surely she must be near their little camp now?

Then all at once she stood stil , 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 stil lying peaceful y asleep.

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

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

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 real y 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 wil 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.

Al three stood stil 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"l 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.

„Else Timmy would have sniffed them out. You"re an ass, Anne - you dreamt it al !"