The Circus of Adventure by Enid Blyton Read Free Book Online Page B

stared at Kiki, amazed. ‘Does she spik English now?’ he demanded. ‘What does she spik?’
    ‘She’s spikking a lot of nonsense, like you!’ said Jack. ‘Be quiet, Kiki. Don’t show off!’
    Bill and Mrs. Cunningham had already set off down the hill. The girls followed, giggling. Gus was annoying but he really did provide them with a lot of amusement.
    Gus followed them at last, shaking back his long hair defiantly. He spat now and again as if he still had grass in his mouth, and Kiki copied him with joy, going off into cackles of laughter every now and again.
    It was about half-past five when they got back to Quarry Cottage. ‘If any of you want tea after that enormous lunch, will you please get yourself a glass of milk, and some biscuits?’ said Mrs. Cunningham. ‘Or a bit of fruit-cake if you feel real pangs of hunger?’
    All the five children apparently felt real pangs, for they raided the larder and reduced the fruitcake to a mere fragment of itself. They also drank all the milk, much to Mrs. Cunningham’s dismay.
    ‘Now we’ve none for your cocoa tonight or for breakfast tomorrow!’ she said.
    ‘I’ll get some at the farm when I slip up this evening,’ said Bill. ‘It will be a good excuse to go up and ask a few questions.’
    ‘Any mystery on?’ enquired Dinah. ‘I’m never sure about you, Bill! Even in the middle of a holiday I always wonder if you’ve got a hush-hush job on as well.’
    ‘Mystery or not, Bill always keeps his eyes open!’ said Philip. ‘It’s part of your job, isn’t it, Bill?’
    ‘Let’s play a game,’ said Dinah. ‘Where are the cards? Let’s play Racing Demon. Do you play it, Gus?’
    ‘I play it,’ said Gus. ‘I played it at school last term. I am good with this game. Very good. I go as fast as this.’
    He pretended to be putting cards down, and was so vigorous that his hair fell over his eyes. He pushed it back. He was always doing that, and it got on Dinah’s nerves.
    ‘Your awful hair!’ she said. ‘You ought to be a girl.’
    ‘Now don’t start anything,’ said Jack. ‘A spark is enough to set him off. Talk about being touchy! Don’t glare like that, Gus, you make me shake at the knees!’
    ‘Poof!’ said Gus, rudely.
    ‘Poof!’ said Kiki at once. ‘Poof, poof, poof!’
    ‘That’ll do,’ said Jack. ‘One poofer is quite enough in the family. Got the cards, Di? Oh, good!’
    They were soon sitting in a ring on the floor, playing Racing Demon. Kiki couldn’t understand the game at all and wandered off into a corner because Jack wouldn’t let her pick up any of the cards.
    ‘Poof!’ they heard her say to herself quietly. ‘Poof!’
    Surprisingly enough Gussy was good at Racing Demon. He was very deft with his cards, and very sharp to see which pile he could put them on. He got very excited, and panted loudly. His hair fell over his eyes, and he pushed it back. Jack calmly put a card on a pile that Gus was just about to put one on, and Gus exclaimed in annoyance.
    ‘I was going to put mine there—but my hair fell over me!’
    ‘Why do you have hair like that then?’ said Dinah. ‘You look like a girl. Why don’t you get it cut?’
    ‘Yes, that’s a good idea,’ said Philip, putting a card down. ‘We’ll go into the village tomorrow and see if there’s a barber. He’ll cut it nice and short for you, Gus. You’ll get a crick in your neck, tossing your hair about like that!’
    ‘Yes. Good idea! We’ll have it cut tomorrow,’ said Jack, grinning at Gus.
    Gus surprised them. He flung down his cards, stood up, and went scarlet in the face. ‘Short hair is for boys like you,’ he said, scornfully. ‘It is not for me. Never must I have my hair short. In my country always it is the custom for such boys as me to wear their hair long!’
    ‘Such boys as you!’ echoed Jack. ‘What do you mean? You’ve got a very high opinion of yourself, my lad. You may come from a rich family, but you act like royalty, and it won’t