Five Run Away Together by Enid Blyton Read Free Book Online Page B

mind—and I don't change it, any more than you. do, when I've made it up. You make me cross."
    "Well," said George, "I told you I'd got a plan—and you don't come into it, I'm afraid—and you'll find
    you'll have to go back home whether you mean to or not."
    "Don't be so mysterious, George!" said Julian, impatiently. "What is this strange plan?
    You'd better tell us, even if we're not in it. Can't you trust us?"
    "Yes, of course. But you might try to stop me," said George, looking sulky.
    "Then you'd certainly better tell us," said Julian feeling uneasy. George was such a madcap once she got ideas into her head. Goodness knows what she might do!
    But George wouldn't say another word. Julian gave it up at last, but secretly made up his mind not to let George out of his sight that day. If she was going to carry out some wild plan, then she would have to do it under his, Julian's, eye!
    But George didn't seem to be carrying out any wild plan. She bathed again with the others, went for a walk with them, and went for a row on the sea. She didn't want to go to Kirrin Island, so the others didn't press her, thinking that she didn't want to be out of sight of the beach in case Edgar came with a message from her father.
    It was quite a pleasant day. The children bought sausage rolls again, and fruit, and picnicked on the beach. Timmy had a large and juicy bone from the butcher's.
    "I've got a bit of shopping to do," said George, about tea-time. "You others go and see if Mrs. Stick is getting some tea for us, and I'll fly down to the shops and get what I want."
    Julian pricked up his ears at once. Was George sending them off so that she could be alone to carry out this mysterious plan of hers?
    "I'll come with you," said Julian, getting up. "Dick can tackle Mrs. Stick for once, and take Timmy with him."
    "No, you go," said George. "I won't be long."
    But Julian was determined not to go. In the end they all went with George, for Dick did not want to face Mrs. Stick without Julian or George.
    George went into the little general shop and got a new battery for her torch. She bought two boxes of matches, and a bottle of methylated spirit.
    "Whatever do you want that for?" said Anne in surprise.
    "Oh, it might come in useful," said George, and said no more.
    They all went back to Kirrin Cottage. Tea was actually on the table! True, it was not a thrilling tea, being merely bread and jam and a pot of hot tea—still it was there, and was eatable.
    It rained that evening. The children sat round the table and played cards. Their hearts were lighter now that they had had good news of George's mother. In the middle of the game Julian got up and rang the bell. The others stared at him in the greatest surprise.
    "What are you ringing the bell for?" asked George, her eyes wide with astonishment.
    "To tell Mrs. Stick to bring some supper," said Julian, with a grin. But no one answered the bell. So Julian rang again and then again.
    The kitchen door opened at last and Mrs. Stick came
    up the passage, evidently in a bad temper. She came into the sitting-room.
    . "You stop ringing that bell!" she said, angrily. "I'm not answering any bells rung by you."
    "I rang it to tell you that we wanted some supper," said Julian, "And to say that if you would rather I came and got it myself from the larder—with Timmy—as I did last night, I'll come with pleasure. But if not, you can bring a decent supper to us yourself."
    "If you come stealing things out of my larder again, I'll—I'll . . ." began Mrs. Stick.
    "You'll call in the police!" Julian finished for her. "Do. That would please us very much.
    I can see our local policeman taking down all the details in his notebook. I could give him quite a few."
    Mrs. Stick muttered something rude under her breath, glared at Julian as if she could kill him, and went off down the passage again. By the sound of the clattering .
    and crashing of crockery in the kitchen it was plain that Mrs. Stick was getting some sort