Five Go Off to Camp by Enid Blyton Read Free Book Online Page B

railway yard with you and see Wooden-Leg Sam,' said Jock longingly. 'Why, that would be a real adventure to me, you know -just talking to a funny old man like that, and wondering if he was suddenly going to throw cinders at us.
    Take me with you next time you go.'
    'Well -1 don't know that we meant to go again,' said Julian. 'There's really nothing much in his story except imagination - the old watchman's gone peculiar in the head through being alone there so much, guarding a yard where nothing and nobody ever comes.
    He's just remembering the trains that used to go in and out before the line was given up.'
    'But the shepherd said the same as Sam,' said Jock. 'I say - what about going down there one night and watching for a spook-train!'
    'NO!' said Anne, in horror.
    'You needn't come,' said Jock. 'Just us three boys.'
    'And me,' said George at once. 'I'm as good as any boy, and I'm not going to be left out. Timmy's coming, too.'
    'Oh, please don't make these awful plans,' begged poor Anne. 'You'l make an adventure come, if you go on like this.'
    Nobody took the least notice of her. Julian looked at Jock's excited face. 'Well,' he said,
    'if we do go there
    again, we'll tel you. And if we think we'll go watching for spook-trains, we'll take you with us.'

    Jock looked as if he could hug Julian. 'That would be terrific,' he said. 'Thanks a lot.
    Spook-trains! I say, just suppose we real y did see one! Who'd be driving it? Where would it come from?'
    'Out of the tunnel, Wooden-Leg Sam says,' said Dick. 'But I don't see how we'd spot it, except by the noise it made, because apparently the spook-trains only arrive in the dark of the night. Never in the daytime. We wouldn't see much, even if we were there.'
    It was such an exciting subject to Jock that he persisted in talking about it al the afternoon. Anne got tired of listening, and went to sleep with Biddy's puppy in her arms.
    Timmy curled up by George and went to sleep too. He wanted to go for a walk, but he could see that there was no hope with al this talking going on.
    It was tea-time before any of them had expected it. The bel rang, and Jock looked most surprised.
    'Tea! Would you believe it? Well, I have had an exciting afternoon talking about al this.
    And look here, if you don't make up your minds to go spook-train hunting I'll jol y wel go off by myself. If only I could have an adventure like the kind you've had, I'd be happy.'
    They went in to tea, after waking Anne up with difficulty. She took the puppy back to Biddy, who received it gladly and licked it all over.
    Julian was surprised to find that he was quite hungry again. 'Well,' he said, as he sat down at the table, 'I didn't imagine I'd feel hungry again for a week - but I do. What a marvel ous tea, Mrs Andrews. Isn't Jock lucky to have meals like this always!'
    There were home-made scones with new honey. There were slices of bread thickly spread with butter, and new-made cream cheese to go with it. There was sticky brown gingerbread, hot from the oven, and a big solid fruit cake that looked almost like a plum pudding when it was cut, it was so black.
    'Oh dear! I wish now I hadn't had so much dinner,' sighed Anne. 'I don't feel hungry enough to eat a bit of everything and I would so like to!'
    Mrs Andrews laughed. 'You eat what you can, and I'l give you some to take away, too,'
    she said. 'You can have some cream cheese, and the scones and honey - and some of the bread I made this morning. And maybe you'd like a slab of the gingerbread. I made plenty.'
    'Oh, thanks,' said Julian. 'We'll be all right tomorrow with all that. You're a marvel ous cook, Mrs Andrews. I wish I lived on your farm.'
    There was the sound of a car coming slowly up the rough track to the farmhouse, and Mrs Andrews looked up. 'That's Mr Andrews come back,' she said. 'My husband, you know, Jock's stepfather.'
    Julian thought she looked a little worried. Perhaps Mr Andrews didn't like children and wouldn't be pleased to see them sitting round