Five Go to Mystery Moor (8 page)

They cantered up on to the moor, passing the place where the caravans had stood. They knew the direction they had taken, and here and there they saw wheel-marks. It was fairly easy to follow their trail, because five caravans made quite a path to follow.

„Here"s where they camped first," said Julian, riding up to a blackened spot that showed where a fire had been lighted. „We ought to find a message left somewhere here."

They searched for one. George found it. „It"s here, behind this tree!" she cal ed. „Out of the wind."

They dismounted and came round George. On the ground was the patrin, the shape of a cross, the long stick pointing forwards, in the direction they were going. Other single sticks lay there, to show that a caravan had gone that way, and beside them were the large and the smal leaf, weighted with tiny stones.

„What did those leaves show now, oh yes, Sniffer and his dog!" said Dick. „Well, we"re on the right way, though we"d know that anyhow, by the fire!"

They mounted again and went on. It proved quite easy to find and follow the patrins.

Only once did they find any difficulty and that was when they came to a place, marked by two trees, where there was no apparent sign in the heather of any caravan marks.

„The heather"s so jol y thick here that it"s taken the caravans as if it were a feather-bed, springing up when they had gone, and giving no sign of where they had passed," said Julian. He dismounted and had a good look round. No, there was no sign.

„We"ll go on a little way," he said. „We may come to a camping place, then we"ll know."

But they came to no old camping place, and stopped at last in bewilderment. „We"ve lost the trail," said Dick. „We"re not such good gypsies after al !"

„Let"s go back to those two trees," said George. „We can stil just see them. If it"s so easy to lose the way there, there might be a patrin, although there are no camp-marks. After all, a patrin is left to show the way, in case the ones following take the wrong route."

So back they rode to the two trees, and there, sure enough, was Sniffer"s patrin! Henry found it set careful y between the trees, so that nothing could disturb it.

„Here"s the cross, and the single sticks, and the leaves!" she said. „But look, the long stick of the cross points to the east and we went off to the north. No wonder we found no signs of the caravans!"

They set off to the east this time, across the thick, springy heather, and almost at once found signs of the passing of caravans, twigs broken off the bushes, a wheel rut on a soft piece of ground.

„We"re right now," said Julian, pleased. „I was beginning to think it was all too easy for words! But it isn"t!"

They rode for two hours, and then decided to have tea. They sat down in a little glade of silver birches, with an unexpected copse of pale primroses behind. Timmy had to make up his mind which to choose, a rabbit-chase, or titbits from the children"s tea!

He chose both, racing after an imaginary rabbit, and then coming back for a sandwich!"

„You know, it"s a lot better for us when Mrs Johnson makes sandwiches of tomato or lettuce or something like that," said Henry. „We do get them all then, but when we have meat or sardine or egg sandwiches Timmy gets as much as we do!"

„Well, surely you don"t mind that, Henrietta," said George at once. „You make Timmy sound very greedy. After all, you don"t need to give him any of your sandwiches!"

„Now, Georgina!" murmured Dick, in her ear,

„Sorry, Georgina," said Henry, with a grin. „I just can"t help giving him a sandwich or two when he comes and sits down and looks at me so longingly."

„Woof," said Timmy, and at once sat down in front of Henry, his tongue out, and his eyes fixed unblinkingly on her.

„He sort of hypnotizes me," complained Henry. „Make him go away, George, I shan"t be able to keep a single sandwich or bit of cake for myself. Go and stare at someone else, Timmy, for goodness" sake!"

Julian looked at his watch. „I don"t think we ought to spend too long over tea," he said. „I know we"ve got summertime now, and the evenings are nice and light, but we haven"t reached the gypsy camp yet, and after that we"ve got to go all the way back. What about starting off again?"

„Right," said everyone and remounted their horses. They set off through the heather. Soon they found it unexpectedly easy to follow the caravan route, because the soil became sandy, and there were many bare patches on which the marks of the wheels could plainly be seen.

„Goodness, if we go to the east much more, we"ll come to the sea!" said Dick.

„No, it"s stil some miles away," said Julian. „Hal o, there"s a little hil or something in the distance. First time we"ve seen anything but complete flatness!"

The wheel-marks led steadily towards the little hil , which, as they came near, seemed to grow considerably bigger. „I bet the caravans are there," said George. „That hil would give a nice bit of shelter from the wind that came from the sea. I believe I can see one!"

George was right. The caravans were there. They showed up wel against the hil , in their bright colours.

„They"ve even got up a washing-line as usual!" said Anne. „Clothes flapping in the wind!"

„Let"s go and ask if Clip is al right," said Julian. „It wil be a very good excuse for going right up to the camp."

So they cantered straight up to the little group of five caravans. Four or five men appeared as soon as they heard the sound of hooves. They looked silent and rather forbidding. Sniffer ran out and shouted.

„Hal o! Clip"s fine! Quite all right again!"

His father gave him a push and said something sharp to him. He disappeared under the nearest caravan.

Julian rode up to Sniffer"s father. „Did I hear Sniffer say that Clip was quite all right?" he asked. „Where is he?"

„Over there," said the man, with a nod of his head. „No need for you to see him. He"s mended fine."

„Al right, al right! I"m not going to take him away from you!" said Julian. „This is a nice sheltered place you"ve got, isn"t it? How long are you staying?"

„What"s that to do with you?" said an old gypsy, unpleasantly.

„Nothing," said Julian, surprised. „Just a polite question, that"s al !"

„How do you get water?" called George. „Is there a good spring here?"

There was no reply at all. The four or five men had now been joined by others, and there were three mangy-looking dogs growling round. Timmy was beginning to growl back.

„You"d better go before our dogs get at you," said Sniffer"s father, sourly.

„Where"s Liz?" said George, remembering Sniffer"s dog, but before she got an answer the three dogs suddenly made an attack on Timmy! They pounced on him and he had hard work to keep them off. He was far bigger than they were, but they were nippy little things.

„Cal off those dogs!" yelled Julian, seeing that George was dismounting to go to Timmy"s help. She would get bitten. „Do you hear me? Cal off those dogs."

Sniffer"s father whistled. The three dogs reluctantly left Timmy and went over to the men, their tails down. George had reached Tim and had now got her hand on his col ar to stop him from chasing the other three dogs.

„Mount your horse, whistle Timmy, and we"ll go," shouted Julian, not at all liking the silent, sour-looking gypsies. George did as she was told. Timmy ran beside her, and they all cantered away from the unpleasant camp.

The men stood watching them in complete silence. „What"s up with them?" said Dick puzzled. „Anyone would think they were planning another Bartle affair!"

„Don"t!" said Anne. „They"re planning something, all alone out here, far away from anywhere! I shan"t go near them again."

„They thought we were prying and spying," said Dick. „That"s all. Poor old Sniffer. What a life he has!"

„We couldn"t even tel him that we found his patrins useful," said George. „Oh well, there"s probably nothing in it, not even an adventure!"

Was she right or wrong? Julian looked at Dick and Dick looked back, his eyebrows raised.

They didn"t know. Oh well, time would tel !

The five of them told Captain and Mrs Johnson about their afternoon"s experience, as they were having supper.

„Patrins!" said Mrs Johnson. „So Sniffer told you about those? But I real y don"t think you should visit the gypsy camp. Those particular gypsies are a surly, bad-tempered lot."

„Did you ever hear the tale of the Big Bartles?" said Henry, getting ready to relate it, and add little bits of her own, here and there!

„No. But it can wait, I"m sure," said Mrs Johnson, knowing Henry"s habit of leaving her food quite uneaten once she began on some marvellous tale. „Is it one of your tales? You can tell it after supper."

„It"s not Henry"s tale," said George, annoyed that Henry should get all the limelight again, and take the blacksmith"s tale for her own. „It"s one old Ben told us. Ju, you tell it!"

„Nobody is to tell it now," said Captain Johnson. „You came in late for supper, we waited for you, and the least you can do is to get on with your eating."

The five juniors at the other table were disappointed. They had hoped to hear another of Henry"s marvel ous stories. But Captain Johnson was hungry and tired.

„Old Ben is a great age, as you said," began Henry, after a few mouthfuls. „He -"

„Not another word, please, Henrietta," said the captain, curtly. Henry went red and George grinned, kicking at Dick under the table. Unfortunately she kicked Henry instead, and the girl glared at her for a whole minute.

„Oh dear!" thought Anne. „Just as we"d had such a lovely day! I suppose we"re all tired and scratchy."

„Why did you kick me'?" began Henry in a cross voice, as soon as she and George left the table with the others.

„Shut up, you two," said Julian. „She probably meant to kick me or Dick, not you."

Henry shut up. She didn"t like Julian to tick her off. George looked mutinous and went off with Timmy.

Dick yawned. „What jobs are there to do, if any?" he said. „Don"t say there"s washing-up again. I feel I might break a few things."

Mrs Johnson heard him and laughed. „No, there"s no washing-up. The woman has come in to do it tonight. Have a look at the horses - and see that Jenny the mare is not with Flash, you know she doesn"t like her for some reason, and wil kick out at her. She must always be kept in another field."

„That"s all right, Mrs Johnson," said Wil iam, suddenly appearing, stolid and competent as ever. „I"ve seen to that. I"ve seen to everything, real y."

„You"re better than any stable-boy, Wil iam," said Mrs Johnson, smiling at him. „I wish you"d take a permanent job here!"

„I wish you meant that," said Wil iam, earnestly. There was nothing he would have liked better! He went off looking pleased.

„I think you"d better al go to bed then, as Wil iam appears to have done everything necessary," said Mrs Johnson. „Any plans for tomorrow?"

„Not yet," said Julian, trying to stop a yawn. „So if you want anything done, we"ll do it."

„We"ll see what tomorrow brings," said Mrs Johnson and said good night. The boys said good night to the three girls and went off to the stable.

„Gosh, we"ve forgotten to undress and wash and everything," said Julian, half-asleep.

„What"s the matter with us at this place? I can"t seem to keep my eyes open after half-past eight!"

The next day certainly brought a few things. It brought a letter for Henry that fil ed her with disgust. It brought two letters for Mrs Johnson that made her start fussing and worrying. It brought a telegram for Captain Johnson that sent him down to the station at once.

Henrietta"s letter was from two of her great-aunts. They announced that as they would be near the stables that day and the following, they would like to fetch her and take her out with them.

„Blow!" said Henrietta, ungrateful y. „Great-Aunts Hannah and Lucy would choose this very week to come along and see me! Just when Julian and Dick are here, and everything is such fun. Can"t I phone and say I"m too busy, Mrs Johnson?"

„Certainly not," said Mrs Johnson, shocked. „That would be very rude, Henry, and you know it. You"re having the whole of the Easter holidays here, and yet you think you can"t spare two days. As a matter of fact I shal be glad if your aunts do take you off my hands for a couple of days."

„Why?" asked Henry, astonished. „Have I been a nuisance?"

„Oh no, but I"ve had two letters this morning telling me that four children are coming unexpectedly," said Mrs Johnson. „They were not supposed to come til three of the others left this week-end, but there you are! These things happen. Where I am to put them I real y don"t know!"

„Oh dear!" said Anne. „Do you think Dick and Julian ought to go home, Mrs Johnson? You didn"t plan for them, you know, they just came."

„Yes. I know," said Mrs Johnson. „But we"re more or less used to that, and I do like having bigger boys, I must say, they"re such a help. Now let me see. What can we do?"

Captain Johnson came in, looking hurried. „I"ve just had a telegram, dear," he said. „I"ve got to go down to the station. Those two new horses have arrived. Two days before I wanted them - what a nuisance!"

„This is one of those days!" said Mrs Johnson, desperately. „Good gracious, how many shal we be in the house? And however many horses shal we have? No, I can"t count this morning. I"m al muddle-headed!"

Anne felt that it was a pity that she and George and the boys couldn"t immediately pack and go home. After all, poor Mrs Johnson had thought that she and George would have gone home three or four days ago, and instead of that they had stayed on and the boys had arrived as wel !

Anne hurried to find Julian. He would know what to do. She found him with Dick, carrying straw for the stables.

„Julian! Listen! I want to talk to you," said Anne. Julian let the load of straw slip to the ground, and turned to Anne.

„What"s up?" he said. „Don"t tell me it"s a row between George and Henry again, because I shan"t listen!"

„No. Nothing like that," said Anne. „It"s Mrs Johnson. She"s got four children coming unexpectedly, before the others go. She"s in a great state about it, and I wondered what we could do to help. You see, she didn"t expect any of us four to be here this week."