Read Online Five Go To Smuggler's Top by Enid Blyton - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Enid Blyton
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light, and the boys could not see anything except the moonshine.
But when the moon went in again, there was the line of tiny, pricking lights again! 'A bit nearer, surely!' whispered Sooty. 'Smugglers - coming over a secret path from the sea to Castaway Hill! Smugglers!'
Chapter Ten
TIMMY MAKES A NOISE
THE three girls were very excited the next day when the boys told them their adventure of the night before.
'Gracious!' said Anne, her eyes wide with surprise. 'Who can it be signalling like that? And wherever did he go to? Fancy him going into Block's room, with Block there in bed!'
'It's very peculiar,' said George. 'I wish you had come and told me and Anne.'
'There wasn't time - and anyway, we couldn't have Timmy about at night. He might have flown at the signaller,' said Dick.
'The man must have been signalling to the smugglers,' said Julian, thoughtfully. 'Let me see - probably they came over from France in a ship - came as near to the marsh as they could - waited for a signal to tell them that the coast was clear - probably the signal from the tower - and then waded across a path they knew through the marsh. Each man must have carried a torch to prevent himself from leaving the path and falling into the marsh. No doubt there was someone waiting to receive the goods they brought - someone at the edge of the marsh below the hill.'
'But who?' said Dick. 'It can't have been Mr Barling, who, Sooty says, is known to be a smuggler. Because the signal lights came from our house, not his. It's all very puzzling.'
'Well, we'll do our best to solve the mystery,' said George. 'There's some queer game going on in this very house, with or without your father's knowledge, Sooty. We'll keep a jolly good lookout and see if we can find out what it is.'
They were at breakfast alone, when they discussed the night's adventure. Block came in to see if they had finished at that moment. Anne did not notice him.
'What does Mr Barling smuggle?' she asked Sooty. Immediately she got a hard kick on her ankle, and stared in pain and surprise. 'Why did you...?' she began, and got another kick, harder still. Then she saw Block.
'But he's deaf,' she said. 'He can't hear anything we say.'
Block began to clear away, his face as usual showing no expression. Sooty glared at Anne. She was upset and cross, but said no more. She rubbed her bruised ankle hard. As soon as Block went out of the room she turned on Sooty.
'You mean thing! You hurt my ankle like anything! Why shouldn't I say things in front of Block? He's quite deaf!' said Anne, her face very red.
'I know he's supposed to be,' said Sooty. 'And I think he is. But I saw a funny look come over his face when you asked me what Mr Barling smuggled - almost as if he had heard what you said, and was surprised.'
'You imagined it!' said Anne, crossly, still rubbing her ankle. 'Anyway, don't kick me so hard again. A gentle push with your toe would have been enough. I won't talk in front of Block if you don't want me to, but it's quite plain he's as deaf as a post!'
'Yes, he's deaf all right,' said Dick. 'I dropped a plate off the table yesterday, by accident, just behind him, and it smashed to bits, if you remember. Well, he didn't jump or turn a hair, as he would have done if he could have heard.'
'All the same - I never trust Block, deaf or not,' said Sooty. 'I always feel he might read our lips or something. Deaf people can often do that, you know.'
They went off to take Timmy for his usual morning walk. Timmy was quite used to being shut in the laundry basket by now, and lowered into the pit. In fact, he always jumped straight into the basket as soon as the lid was opened, and lay down.
That morning they again met Block, who stared with great interest at the dog. He plainly recognised it as the same dog as before.
'There's Block,' said Julian, in a low voice. 'Don't drive Timmy off this time. We'll pretend he's a stray who always meets us each morning.'
So they let Timmy
But when the moon went in again, there was the line of tiny, pricking lights again! 'A bit nearer, surely!' whispered Sooty. 'Smugglers - coming over a secret path from the sea to Castaway Hill! Smugglers!'
Chapter Ten
TIMMY MAKES A NOISE
THE three girls were very excited the next day when the boys told them their adventure of the night before.
'Gracious!' said Anne, her eyes wide with surprise. 'Who can it be signalling like that? And wherever did he go to? Fancy him going into Block's room, with Block there in bed!'
'It's very peculiar,' said George. 'I wish you had come and told me and Anne.'
'There wasn't time - and anyway, we couldn't have Timmy about at night. He might have flown at the signaller,' said Dick.
'The man must have been signalling to the smugglers,' said Julian, thoughtfully. 'Let me see - probably they came over from France in a ship - came as near to the marsh as they could - waited for a signal to tell them that the coast was clear - probably the signal from the tower - and then waded across a path they knew through the marsh. Each man must have carried a torch to prevent himself from leaving the path and falling into the marsh. No doubt there was someone waiting to receive the goods they brought - someone at the edge of the marsh below the hill.'
'But who?' said Dick. 'It can't have been Mr Barling, who, Sooty says, is known to be a smuggler. Because the signal lights came from our house, not his. It's all very puzzling.'
'Well, we'll do our best to solve the mystery,' said George. 'There's some queer game going on in this very house, with or without your father's knowledge, Sooty. We'll keep a jolly good lookout and see if we can find out what it is.'
They were at breakfast alone, when they discussed the night's adventure. Block came in to see if they had finished at that moment. Anne did not notice him.
'What does Mr Barling smuggle?' she asked Sooty. Immediately she got a hard kick on her ankle, and stared in pain and surprise. 'Why did you...?' she began, and got another kick, harder still. Then she saw Block.
'But he's deaf,' she said. 'He can't hear anything we say.'
Block began to clear away, his face as usual showing no expression. Sooty glared at Anne. She was upset and cross, but said no more. She rubbed her bruised ankle hard. As soon as Block went out of the room she turned on Sooty.
'You mean thing! You hurt my ankle like anything! Why shouldn't I say things in front of Block? He's quite deaf!' said Anne, her face very red.
'I know he's supposed to be,' said Sooty. 'And I think he is. But I saw a funny look come over his face when you asked me what Mr Barling smuggled - almost as if he had heard what you said, and was surprised.'
'You imagined it!' said Anne, crossly, still rubbing her ankle. 'Anyway, don't kick me so hard again. A gentle push with your toe would have been enough. I won't talk in front of Block if you don't want me to, but it's quite plain he's as deaf as a post!'
'Yes, he's deaf all right,' said Dick. 'I dropped a plate off the table yesterday, by accident, just behind him, and it smashed to bits, if you remember. Well, he didn't jump or turn a hair, as he would have done if he could have heard.'
'All the same - I never trust Block, deaf or not,' said Sooty. 'I always feel he might read our lips or something. Deaf people can often do that, you know.'
They went off to take Timmy for his usual morning walk. Timmy was quite used to being shut in the laundry basket by now, and lowered into the pit. In fact, he always jumped straight into the basket as soon as the lid was opened, and lay down.
That morning they again met Block, who stared with great interest at the dog. He plainly recognised it as the same dog as before.
'There's Block,' said Julian, in a low voice. 'Don't drive Timmy off this time. We'll pretend he's a stray who always meets us each morning.'
So they let Timmy
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