Read Online Five Go Off in a Caravan by Enid Blyton - Free Book Online

was one steep bit that forced them back on to the track. They went along it to where the track turned a sharp corner round a cliff-like bend — and to their surprise and dismay they walked almost straight into Lou and Tiger Dan!

    'Take no notice,' said Julian, in a low voice. 'Keep together and walk straight on. Pretend that Timmy is somewhere just behind us.'

    'Tim, Tim!' called George, at once.

    Lou and Dan seemed just as surprised to see the children, as they had been to see the two men. They stopped and looked hard at them, but Julian hurried the others on.

    'Hey, wait a minute!' called Dan. 'I thought you had gone off — over the hill-top!'

    'Sorry we can't stop!' called back Julian. 'We're in rather a hurry!'

    Lou looked round for Timmy. He wasn't going to lose his temper and start shouting in case that mad dog came at him again. He spoke to the children loudly, forcing himself to appear good-tempered.

    'Where are your caravans? Are you camping up here anywhere?'

    But the children still walked on, and the men had to go after them to make them hear.

    'Hey! What's the matter? We shan't hurt you! We only want to know if you're camping here.
    It's better down below, you know.'

    'Keep on walking,' muttered Julian. 'Don't tell them anything. Why do they tell us it's better to camp down below when they were so anxious for us to clear out yesterday? They're mad!'

    'Timmy, Timmy!' called George, again, hoping that the men would stop following them if they heard her calling for her dog.

    It did stop them. They gave up going after the children, and didn't shout any more. They turned angrily and went on up the track.

    'Well, we've thrown them off all right,' said Dick, with relief. 'Don't look so scared, Anne. I wonder what they want up in the hills. They don't look the sort that would go walking for pleasure.'

    'Dick — we're not going to have another adventure, are we?' said Anne suddenly, looking very woebegone. 'I don't want one. I just want a nice ordinary, peaceful holiday.'

    ''Course we're not going to have an adventure!' said Dick, scornfully. 'Just because we meet two bad-tempered fel ows from a circus camp you think we're in for an adventure, Anne! Well, I jolly well wish we were! Every hols we've been together so far we've had adventures — and you must admit that you love talking about them and remembering them.'

    'Yes, I do. But I don't like it much when I'm in the middle of one,' said Anne. 'I don't think I'm a very adventurous person, really.'

    'No, you're not,' said Julian, pulling Anne over a very steep bit. 'But you're a very nice little person, Anne, so don't worry about it. And, anyway, you wouldn't like to be left out of any of our adventures, would you?'

    'Oh no,' said Anne. 'I couldn't bear it. Oh, look — we're at the bottom of the hill — and there's the lake, looking icy-cold!'

    It wasn't long before they were all in the water — and suddenly there was Nobby too, waving and yelling. 'I'm coming in! Lou and my uncle have gone off somewhere. Hurray!'

    Barker and Growler were with Nobby, but not Pongo the chimpanzee. Nobby was soon in the water, swimming like a dog, and splashing George as soon as he got up to her.

    'We met Lou and your uncle as we came down,' called George. 'Shut up, Nobby, and let me talk to you. I said, we met Lou and your uncle just now — going up into the hills.'

    'Up into the hills?' said Nobby, astonished. 'Whatever for? They don't go and fetch things from the farm. The women do that, early each morning.'

    'Well, we met those two,' said Dick swimming up. They seemed jolly surprised to see us. I hope they aren't going to bother us any more.'

    'I've had a bad day,' said Nobby, and he showed black bruises on his arms. 'My uncle hit me like anything for making friends with you. He says I'm not to go talking to strangers no more.'

    'Why ever not?' said Dick. 'What a surly, selfish fellow he is! Well, you don't seem to be taking much notice of him