Tags:
General,
People & Places,
Action & Adventure,
Juvenile Fiction,
Nature & the Natural World,
Europe,
Children's stories,
Sports & Recreation,
Adventure stories,
Mysteries & Detective Stories,
Holidays & Celebrations,
Camping & Outdoor Activities,
Famous Five (Fictitious Characters)
pardon,' said Mr Luffy, solemnly. 'Well - what are you going to do?'
'We'll go over to the farm and get more food,' said Julian. 'And ask that farm-boy if he's heard the tale of the spook-trains. And perhaps look round the farm and get to know the animals there. I always like a farm.'
'Right,' said Mr Luffy, beginning to light his pipe. 'Don't worry about me if I'm not back til dusk. When I'm bug-hunting I lose count of the time.'
'You're sure you won't get lost?' said Anne, anxiously. She didn't really feel that Mr Luffy could take proper care of himself.
'Oh yes. My right ear always warns me if I'm losing my way,' said Mr Luffy. 'It waggles hard.'
He waggled it at Anne and she laughed. '\ wish you'd tel me how you do that,' she said. 'I'm sure you know. You can't think how thril ed the girls at school would be if I learnt that trick. They'd think it was super.'
Mr Luffy grinned and got up. 'Well, so long,' he said. 'I'm off before Anne makes me give her a lesson in ear-waggles.'
He went off down the slope to his own tent. George and Anne washed-up, while the boys tightened some tent ropes that had come loose, and general y tidied up.
'I suppose it's quite al right leaving everything unguarded like this,' said Anne, anxiously.
'Well, we did yesterday,' said Dick. 'And who's likely to come and take anything up here in this wild and lonely spot, I'd like to know? You don't imagine a spook-train wil come along and bundle everything into its luggage-van, do you, Anne?'
Anne giggled. 'Don't be sil y. I just wondered if we ought to leave Timmy on guard, that's all.'
'Leave Timmy!' said George, amazed. 'You don't real y think I'd leave Timmy behind every time we go off anywhere, Anne? Don't be an idiot.'
'No, I didn't real y think you would,' said Anne. 'Well, I suppose nobody wil come along here. Throw over that tea-cloth, George, if you've finished with it.'
Soon the tea-cloths were hanging over the gorse bushes to dry in the sun. Everything was put away neatly in the tents. Mr Luffy had cal ed a loud goodbye and gone. Now the five were ready to go off to the farm.
Anne took a basket, and gave one to Julian too. 'To bring back the food,' said she. 'Are you ready to go now?'
They set off over the heather, their knees brushing through the honeyed flowers, and sending scores of busy bees into the air. It was a lovely day again, and the children felt free and happy.
They came to the trim little farm. Men were at work in the fields, but Julian did not think they were very industrious. He looked about for the farm-boy.
The boy came out of a shed and whistled to them. 'Hallo! You come for some more eggs? I've col ected quite a lot for you.'
He stared at Anne. 'You didn't come yesterday. What's your name?'
'Anne,' said Anne. 'What's yours?'
'Jock,' said the boy, with a grin. He was rather a nice boy, Anne thought, with straw-coloured hair, blue eyes, and rather a red face which looked very good-tempered.
'Where's your mother?' said Julian. 'Can we get some bread and other things from her today? We ate an awful lot of our food yesterday, and we want to stock up our larder again!'
'She's busy just now in the dairy,' said Jock. 'Are you in a hurry? Come and see my pups.'
They all walked off with him to a shed. In there, right at the end, was a big box lined with straw. A collie dog lay there with five lovely little puppies. She growled at Timmy fiercely, and he backed hurriedly out of the shed. He had met fierce mother-dogs before, and he didn't like them!
The four children exclaimed over the fat little puppies, and Anne took one out very gently. It cuddled into her arms and made funny little whining noises.
'! wish it was mine,' said Anne. 'I should cal it Cuddle.'
'What a frightful name for a dog,' said George scornfully. 'Just the kind of sil y name you would think of, Anne. Let me hold it. Are they all yours, Jock?'
'Yes,' said Jock, proudly. 'The mother's mine, you see. Her name's Biddy.'
Biddy pricked up