Read Online Five on a Treasure Island by Enid Blyton - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Enid Blyton
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two barrels floated in the water, but they had burst open and were quite empty.
"I expect they were water-barrels, or barrels of pork or biscuit," said George. "Let's go round the other part of the ship again— where the cabins are. Isn't it strange to see bunks there that sailors have slept in— and look at that old wooden chair. Fancy it still being here after all these years! Look at the things on those hooks too— they are all rusty now, and covered with seaweedy stuff— but they must have been the cook's pans and dishes!"
It was a very queer trip round the old wreck. The children were all on the look-out for boxes which might contain bars of gold— but there didn't seem to be one single box of any kind anywhere!
They came to a rather bigger cabin than the others. It had a bunk in one corner, in which a large crab rested. An old bit of furniture looking rather like a tablet with two legs, all encrusted with greyish shells, lay against the bunk. Wooden shelves, festooned with grey-green seaweed, hung crookedly on the walls of the cabin.
"This must have been the captain's own cabin," said Julian. "It's the biggest one. Look, what's that in the corner?"
"An old cup!" said Anne, picking it up. "And here's half of a saucer. I expect the captain was sitting here having a cup of tea when the ship went down."
This made the children feel rather queer. It was dark and smelly in the little cabin, and the floor was wet and slippery to their feet. George began to feel that her wreck was really more pleasant sunk under the water than raised above it!
"Let's go," she said, with a shiver. "I don't like it much. It is exciting, I know— but it's a bit frightening too."
They turned to go. Julian flashed his torch round the little cabin for the last time. He was about to switch it off and follow the others up to the deck above when he caught sight of something that made him stop. He flashed his torch on to it, and then called to the others.
"I say! Wait a bit. There's a cupboard here in the wall. Let's see if there's anything in it!"
The others turned back and looked. They saw what looked like a small cupboard let in level with the wall of the cabin. What had caught Julian's eye was the keyhole. There was no key there, though.
"There just might be something inside," said Julian. He tried to prise open the wooden door with his fingers, but it wouldn't move. "It's locked," he said. "Of course it would be!"
"I expect the lock is rotten by now," said George, and she tried too. Then she took out her big strong pocket-knife and inserted it between the cupboard door and the cabin-wall.
She forced back the blade— and the lock of the cupboard suddenly snapped! As she had said, it was quite rotten. The door swung open, and the children saw a shelf inside with a few curious things on it.
There was a wooden box, swollen with the wet sea-water in which it had lain for years. There were two or three things that looked like old, pulpy books. There was some sort of glass drinking-vessel, cracked in half— and two or three funny objects so spoilt by sea-water that no one could possibly say what they were.
"Nothing very interesting— except the box," said Julian, and he picked it up.
"Anyway, I expect that whatever is inside is ruined. But we may as well try and open it."
He and George tried their best to force the lock of the old wooden box. On the top of it were stamped initials—H.J. K.
"I expect those were the captain's initials," said Dick.
"No, they were the initials of my great-great-greatgrandfather!" said George, her eyes shining suddenly. "I've heard all about him. His name was Henry John Kirrin. This was his ship, you know. This must have been his very-private box in which he kept his old papers or diaries. Oh,we simply must open it!"
But it was quite impossible to force the lid up with the tools they had there. They soon gave it up, and Julian picked up the box to carry it to the boat.
"We'll open it at home," he
"I expect they were water-barrels, or barrels of pork or biscuit," said George. "Let's go round the other part of the ship again— where the cabins are. Isn't it strange to see bunks there that sailors have slept in— and look at that old wooden chair. Fancy it still being here after all these years! Look at the things on those hooks too— they are all rusty now, and covered with seaweedy stuff— but they must have been the cook's pans and dishes!"
It was a very queer trip round the old wreck. The children were all on the look-out for boxes which might contain bars of gold— but there didn't seem to be one single box of any kind anywhere!
They came to a rather bigger cabin than the others. It had a bunk in one corner, in which a large crab rested. An old bit of furniture looking rather like a tablet with two legs, all encrusted with greyish shells, lay against the bunk. Wooden shelves, festooned with grey-green seaweed, hung crookedly on the walls of the cabin.
"This must have been the captain's own cabin," said Julian. "It's the biggest one. Look, what's that in the corner?"
"An old cup!" said Anne, picking it up. "And here's half of a saucer. I expect the captain was sitting here having a cup of tea when the ship went down."
This made the children feel rather queer. It was dark and smelly in the little cabin, and the floor was wet and slippery to their feet. George began to feel that her wreck was really more pleasant sunk under the water than raised above it!
"Let's go," she said, with a shiver. "I don't like it much. It is exciting, I know— but it's a bit frightening too."
They turned to go. Julian flashed his torch round the little cabin for the last time. He was about to switch it off and follow the others up to the deck above when he caught sight of something that made him stop. He flashed his torch on to it, and then called to the others.
"I say! Wait a bit. There's a cupboard here in the wall. Let's see if there's anything in it!"
The others turned back and looked. They saw what looked like a small cupboard let in level with the wall of the cabin. What had caught Julian's eye was the keyhole. There was no key there, though.
"There just might be something inside," said Julian. He tried to prise open the wooden door with his fingers, but it wouldn't move. "It's locked," he said. "Of course it would be!"
"I expect the lock is rotten by now," said George, and she tried too. Then she took out her big strong pocket-knife and inserted it between the cupboard door and the cabin-wall.
She forced back the blade— and the lock of the cupboard suddenly snapped! As she had said, it was quite rotten. The door swung open, and the children saw a shelf inside with a few curious things on it.
There was a wooden box, swollen with the wet sea-water in which it had lain for years. There were two or three things that looked like old, pulpy books. There was some sort of glass drinking-vessel, cracked in half— and two or three funny objects so spoilt by sea-water that no one could possibly say what they were.
"Nothing very interesting— except the box," said Julian, and he picked it up.
"Anyway, I expect that whatever is inside is ruined. But we may as well try and open it."
He and George tried their best to force the lock of the old wooden box. On the top of it were stamped initials—H.J. K.
"I expect those were the captain's initials," said Dick.
"No, they were the initials of my great-great-greatgrandfather!" said George, her eyes shining suddenly. "I've heard all about him. His name was Henry John Kirrin. This was his ship, you know. This must have been his very-private box in which he kept his old papers or diaries. Oh,we simply must open it!"
But it was quite impossible to force the lid up with the tools they had there. They soon gave it up, and Julian picked up the box to carry it to the boat.
"We'll open it at home," he
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