Five Go to Mystery Moor (5 page)

„Look, that"s the fel ow who woke us up in the stable last night," said Julian to Dick.

„Sniffer"s father! What a nasty bit of work he is! Why doesn"t he get a haircut?"

„Good morning!" called Dick, as they rode up to the caravans on their horses. „Nice day!"

There was no answer. The gypsies driving their caravans and those walking alongside, looked sourly at the four riders.

„Where are you going?" asked Henry. „To the coast?"

„It"s naught to do with you," said one of the gypsies, an old man with curly grey hair.

„Surly folk, aren"t they?" said Dick to Julian. „I suppose they think we"re spying on them, or something. I wonder how they manage about food on this moor, no shops or anything. I suppose they take it al with them."

„I"l ask them," said Henry, not at all put off by the surly looks. She rode right up to Sniffer"s father.

„How do you manage about food, and water?" she asked.

„We got food there," said Snifler"s father, jerking his head back towards one of the caravans. „As for water, we know where the springs are."

„Are you camping on the moor for a long time?" asked Henry, thinking that a gypsy"s life might be a fine one, for a time! Fancy living out here on this lovely moor with gorse blazing gold al around, and primroses by the thousand in the sheltered corners!

„That"s naught to do with you!" shouted the old man with curly grey hair. „You clear off and let us alone!"

„Come on, Henry," said Julian, swinging round to go off. „They don"t like us asking them questions. They think it"s prying, not interest. Maybe they have lots of things to hide, and don"t want us poking around - one or two chickens from a farm, a duck or so from some pond. They live from hand to mouth, these folk."

Some dark-eyed children peered from the vans as they went by. One or two were running outside, but they sheered off like frightened rabbits when Henry cantered towards them.

„Oh well, they simply don"t want to be friendly," she said, and went to join the other three.

„What a strange life they lead, in their houses on wheels! Never staying anywhere for long, always on the move. Get up, there, Sultan. Go after the others!"

Her horse obediently followed the other three, taking care not to step into any rabbit-holes! What fun it was to be out here in the sunshine, jogging up and down on a horse"s back, without a care in the world! Henry was very happy.

The other three were enjoying their day, but they were not quite so happy. They kept wondering about George. They missed Timmy too. He should be trotting beside them, enjoying the day as well!

They lost sight of the caravans after a time. Julian kept track of the way they went, half-afraid of being lost. He had a compass with him, and checked their direction continually.

„It would never do to have to spend a night out here!" he said. „Nobody would ever find us!"

They had a magnificent lunch about half-past twelve. Really, Mrs Johnson had surpassed herself! Egg and sardine sandwiches, tomato and lettuce, ham - there seemed no end to them! Great slices of cherry cake were added too, and a large, juicy pear each.

„I like this kind of cherry cake," said Dick, looking at his enormous slice. „The cherries have all gone to the bottom. They make a very nice last mouthful!"

„Any drinks?" said Henry, and was handed a bottle of ginger-beer. She drank it thirstily.

„Why does ginger-beer taste so nice on a picnic?" she said. „Much nicer than drinking it sitting down in a shop, even if it"s got ice in it!"

„There"s a spring or something nearby," said Julian. „I can hear it bubbling."

They all listened. Yes, there was a little bubbling, tinkling noise. Anne got up to trace it. She found it in a few minutes and called the others. There was a round pool, cool and blue, lying two or three feet down, and into it, from one side, fel a crystal clear spring of water, tinkling as it fel .

„One of the springs that the gypsies use, when they travel this deserted moor, I expect,"

said Julian. He cupped his hands under the fal ing water and got his palms ful . He carried the water to his mouth and sipped it.

„Delicious! Cool as an ice-box," he said. „Taste it, Anne."

They rode a little farther, but the moor seemed the same everywhere, heather, wiry grass, gorse, a clear spring fal ing into a pool or tiny stream here and there, and a few trees, mostly silver birch.

Larks sang all the time, soaring high in the air, almost too far up to see.

„Their song fal s down like raindrops," said Anne, holding out her hands as if to catch them.

Henry laughed. She liked this family, and was very glad they had asked her to come out with them. She thought George was sil y to have stayed at the stables.

„I think we ought to go home," said Julian at last, looking at his watch. „We"re a good way away. Let me see now. We want to make more or less for the setting sun. Come on!"

He led the way, his horse picking its own path over the heather. The others fol owed. Dick stopped after a while.

„Are you sure we"re quite right, Ju? I don"t somehow feel that we are. The moor is different here, rather sandy and not so much gorse."

Julian stopped his horse and looked round and about. „Yes, it does look a bit different," he said. „But yet we seem to be going in the right direction. Let"s go a bit more to the west. If only there was something on the horizon to guide us. But this moor hasn"t a thing that stands out anywhere!"

They went on again, and then Henry gave an exclamation. „I say! What"s this? Do come here."

The two boys and Anne swerved over to Henry. She was now off her horse, and was bending over, scraping away at the heather.

„Look, it seems like rails, or something," said Henry. „Very old and rusty. But they can"t be, surely?"

Everyone was now down on their knees, scraping sand and heather away. Julian sat back and considered.

„Yes, it"s rails. Old ones, as you say. But what in the world were rails laid down here for?"

„I can"t think," said Henry. „I only caught sight of them by chance, they"re so overgrown. I couldn"t believe my eyes!"

„They must lead from somewhere to somewhere!" said Dick. „Perhaps there was a quarry, or something on the moor and they ran little engines with trucks there, to fetch the sand, and take it back to town to sell."

„That"s about it," said Julian. „It"s very sandy here, as we noticed. Good, fine sand. Maybe there is a quarry on the moor. Well, that way, behind us goes right out on the moor, so this way must lead back to some town or vil age, probably Mil ing Green or somewhere like that."

„Yes. You"re right," said Dick. „In which case, if we follow the lines along, we"ll get back to civilization sooner or later!"

„Well, seeing that we seem to be more or less lost, that would be quite a good idea!" said Henry. She mounted her horse again and rode along the lines.

„They"re fairly easy to see!" she cal ed. „If you ride between them, that is, because they go so straight."

The lines ran steadily over the moor, sometimes very overgrown, and in about half an hour"s time Henry gave a cry and pointed forward. „Houses! I thought we"d soon come to some place!"

„It is Mil ing Green!" said Julian, as the rails came to a sudden end, and they rode out into a small cart-road.

„Well, we haven"t far to go now, to get to the stables," said Henry, pleased. „I say, wouldn"t it be fun to follow those lines al across the moor and see where they real y lead to?"

„Yes. We might do that one day," said Julian. „Gosh, it"s getting late. I wonder how old George has been getting on today!"

They walked quickly along to the stables, thinking of George. Would she have retired to bed? Would she stil be cross, or worse stil , hurt and grieved? It was anybody"s guess!

George had had quite an interesting day. First she had gone down to help Captain Johnson do Clip"s leg again and bandage it up. The little skewbald stood very patiently, and George felt a sudden liking for the ugly little creature.

„Thanks, George," said Captain Johnson, who, to her relief, had said nothing about her not having gone riding with the others. „Now would you like to come and put jumps up for the youngsters? They"re longing to do some more jumping."

George found that it was quite amusing to teach the younger ones how to jump. They were so very very proud of themselves when they went over even a foot-high jump on their little ponies.

After that Sniffer arrived, accompanied by a peculiar little mongrel cal ed Liz. Liz was a bit of a spaniel, a bit of a poodle, and odd bits of something else - and looked rather like a small, walking hearth-rug of black curly fur.

Timmy was amazed to see this walking mat, and sat and watched Liz sniffing here and there for some time, before he came to the conclusion that it real y was some kind of dog. He gave a sharp little bark to see what this comical creature would do when she heard it.

Liz took no notice at all. She had unearthed a small bone, which smelt extremely interesting. Timmy considered that al bones within the radius of at least a mile, belonged to him and him alone. So he ran over to Liz at once and gave a small, warning growl.

Liz immediately dropped the bone humbly at his feet, then sat up on her hind-legs and begged. Timmy eyed her in astonishment. Then Liz stood up on her hindlegs and walked daintily all round Timmy and back again.

Timmy was astounded. He had never seen a dog do that before. Could this hearthrug affair be a dog after al ?

Liz saw that Timmy was real y impressed, and went on with yet another trick she had learnt during the time she had been with the circus.

She turned head-over-heels, yapping al the time. Timmy retreated a few steps into the bushes. This was going too far! What was this animal doing? Trying to stand on its head?

Liz went on turning head-over-heels very rapidly and ended up almost on Timmy"s front paws. He had now backed into the bush as far as he could.

Liz remained on her back, paws in air, tongue hanging out, panting. She gave a very small, beseeching whine.

Timmy bent his head down and sniffed at her paws. Behind him his tail began to move a little, yes, it had a wag in it! He sniffed again. Liz leapt on to her four feet and pranced al round Timmy, yapping as if to say „Come on and play! Do come!"

And then suddenly Timmy fel upon the absurd little creature and pretended to worry it. Liz gave a delighted volley of yaps and rolled over and over. They had a marvel ous game, and when it was al over, Timmy sank down panting for breath, in a sunny corner of the yard and Liz settled herself between his front paws, as if she had known him all her life!

When George came out of the stable with Sniffer, she could hardly believe her eyes.

„What"s that Timmy"s got between his paws?" she said. „It"s surely not a dog!"

„It"s Liz," said Sniffer. „She can get round any dog there is, Master George! Liz! You"re a monkey, aren"t you! Walk, then, walk!"

Liz left Timmy and ran over to Sniffer, walking daintily on her hind legs. George laughed.

„What a funny little creature, like a bit cut out of a furry hearthrug!"

„She"s clever," said Sniffer and patted Liz. „Well, Master George, when can I have Clip, do yon think? My father has gone off with the other caravans and he"s left me with ours. So it doesn"t matter whether it"s today or tomorrow, or even the next day."

„Well, it won"t be today, that"s certain," said George, pleased that Sniffer cal ed her Master George not Miss. „It might perhaps be tomorrow. Haven"t you got a hanky, Sniffer?

I never on my life heard anyone sniff as often as you do."

Sniffer rubbed his sleeve across his nose. „I never had no hanky," he said. „But I"ve got my sleeve, see?"

„I think you"re quite disgusting," said George. „I"m going to give you one of my own hankies, and you"re to use it. You"re not to keep sniffing like that."

„Didn"t know I did," said Sniffer, half sulkily. „What"s it matter, anyway?"

But George had gone indoors and up the stairs. She chose a large hanky, in red and white stripes. That would do nicely for Sniffer! She took it down to him. He looked at it in surprise.

„That"s a scarf for my neck!" he said.

„No, it isn"t. It"s a hanky for your nose," said George. „Haven"t you a pocket to put it in?

That"s right. Now, use it instead of sniffing, for goodness" sake!"

„Where are the others?" asked Sniffer, putting the hanky careful y into his pocket, almost as if it were made of glass.

„Gone riding," said George, shortly.

„They said they would come and see my caravan," said Sniffer. „They said so!"

„Well, they won"t be able to today," said George. „They"l be back too late, I expect. I"l come and see it, though. There"s nobody in it, is there?"

George was not keen on meeting Sniffer"s father or any other of his relations! He shook his head. „No, it"s empty. My father"s gone, I told you, and my aunt and my grandma too."

„What do you do on the moor?" asked George, as she followed Sniffer across the field and up the hil to where the caravans had stood. Now only one was left - Sniffer"s.

„Play around," said Sniffer, and gave an enormous sniff. George gave him a shove in the back.

„Sniffer! What did I give you the hanky for? Don"t do that! It gets on my nerves!"

Sniffer used his sleeve at once, but fortunately George didn"t notice. She had now come to the caravan and was staring at it. She thought of Sniffer"s answer to her question a minute or two back.

„You said you just played around on the moor. But what does your father do, and your uncle and grandad and all the rest of the men? There"s nothing to do there at all, as far as I can see, and no farmhouse to beg eggs or milk or anything from."

Sniffer shut up like a clam. He was just about to sniff and thought better of it. He stared at George, his mouth set in an obstinate line.

George looked at him impatiently. „Captain Johnson said you and your caravans went there every three months," she said. „What for? There must be some reason?"