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Authors: Enid Blyton
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them deliberate lies, and I'm certainly not going to tell them the truth. I know what we'll do—there is a train that leaves the station about eight o'clock, which would be the one we'd catch if we were going back to our own home. We'll find a time-table, leave it open on the dining-room table, as if we'd been looking up a train, and then we'll all set off across the moor at the back of the house, as if we were going to the station."
"Oh yes—then the Sticks will think we've run away, and gone to catch; the train back home," said Anne. "They will never guess we've gone to the island."
"That's a good idea," said George, pleased. "But how shall we know when Father and Mother get back?"
"Is there anyone you could leave a message with—somebody you could really trust?"
asked Julian.
George thought hard. "There's Alf the fisher-boy," she said at last. "He used to look after Tim for me when I wasn't allowed to have him in the house. I know he'd not give us away."
"We'll call on Alf before we go then," said Julian. "Now, let's look for that time-table and lay it open on the table at the right place."
They hunted for the time-table, found the right page, and underlined the train they hoped that the Sticks would think they were catching. They found the tin and bottle openers,and put them into their pockets. Julian found two or three more boxes of matches too. He thought two would not last long enough.
By this time dawn had come and the house was being flooded with early sunshine. "I wonder if the baker is open," said Julian. "We might as well go and see. It's about six o'clock."
They went to the baker. He was not open, but the new loaves had already been made.
The baker was outside, sunning himself. He had baked his bread at night, ready to sell it new-made in the morning. He grinned at the children.
"Up early today," he said. "What, you want some of my loaves—how many? Six! Good gracious, whatever for?"
"To eat," said George, grinning. Julian paid for six enormous loaves, and they went to the butcher's. His shop was not open either, but the butcher himself was sweeping the path outside. "Could we buy a very big bone for Timmy, please?" asked George. She got an enormous one, and Timmy looked at it longingly. Such a bone would last him for days, he knew!
"Now," said Julian, as they set off to the boat, "we'll pack these things into the boat, then'go back to the house, and make a noise so that the Sticks know we're there.
Then we'll set off across the moors, and hope the Sticks will think we are making for the train."
They woke Dick, who was still sleeping peacefully in the boat, and packed in the bread and bone.
"Take the boat into the next cove," said George. "Can you do that? We shall be hidden there from anyone on the beach then. The fishermen are all out in their boats, fishing. We shan't be seen, if we set offin about an hour's time. We'll be back by then."
They went back to the house and made a noise as if they were just getting up. George whistled to Timmy, and Julian sang at the top of his voice. Then, with a great banging of doors they set out down the path and cut across the moors, in full sight of the kitchen window.
"Hope the Sticks won't notice Dick isn't with us," said Julian, seeing Edgar staring out of the window. "I expect they'll think he's gone ahead."
They kept to the path until they came to a dip, where they were hidden from any watcher at Kirrin Cottage. Then they took another path that led them, unseen, to the cove where Dick had taken the boat. He was there, waiting anxiously for them.
"Ahoy there!" yelled Julian, in excitement. "The adventure is about to begin."
Chapter Ten
KIRRIN ISLAND ONCE MORE!
THEY all clambered into the boat. Timothy leapt in lightly and ran to the prow, where he always stood. His tongue hung out in excitement. He knew quite well that something was up—and he was in it! No wonder he panted and wagged his tail hard.
"Off we go!" said Julian, taking the oars.
"Oh yes—then the Sticks will think we've run away, and gone to catch; the train back home," said Anne. "They will never guess we've gone to the island."
"That's a good idea," said George, pleased. "But how shall we know when Father and Mother get back?"
"Is there anyone you could leave a message with—somebody you could really trust?"
asked Julian.
George thought hard. "There's Alf the fisher-boy," she said at last. "He used to look after Tim for me when I wasn't allowed to have him in the house. I know he'd not give us away."
"We'll call on Alf before we go then," said Julian. "Now, let's look for that time-table and lay it open on the table at the right place."
They hunted for the time-table, found the right page, and underlined the train they hoped that the Sticks would think they were catching. They found the tin and bottle openers,and put them into their pockets. Julian found two or three more boxes of matches too. He thought two would not last long enough.
By this time dawn had come and the house was being flooded with early sunshine. "I wonder if the baker is open," said Julian. "We might as well go and see. It's about six o'clock."
They went to the baker. He was not open, but the new loaves had already been made.
The baker was outside, sunning himself. He had baked his bread at night, ready to sell it new-made in the morning. He grinned at the children.
"Up early today," he said. "What, you want some of my loaves—how many? Six! Good gracious, whatever for?"
"To eat," said George, grinning. Julian paid for six enormous loaves, and they went to the butcher's. His shop was not open either, but the butcher himself was sweeping the path outside. "Could we buy a very big bone for Timmy, please?" asked George. She got an enormous one, and Timmy looked at it longingly. Such a bone would last him for days, he knew!
"Now," said Julian, as they set off to the boat, "we'll pack these things into the boat, then'go back to the house, and make a noise so that the Sticks know we're there.
Then we'll set off across the moors, and hope the Sticks will think we are making for the train."
They woke Dick, who was still sleeping peacefully in the boat, and packed in the bread and bone.
"Take the boat into the next cove," said George. "Can you do that? We shall be hidden there from anyone on the beach then. The fishermen are all out in their boats, fishing. We shan't be seen, if we set offin about an hour's time. We'll be back by then."
They went back to the house and made a noise as if they were just getting up. George whistled to Timmy, and Julian sang at the top of his voice. Then, with a great banging of doors they set out down the path and cut across the moors, in full sight of the kitchen window.
"Hope the Sticks won't notice Dick isn't with us," said Julian, seeing Edgar staring out of the window. "I expect they'll think he's gone ahead."
They kept to the path until they came to a dip, where they were hidden from any watcher at Kirrin Cottage. Then they took another path that led them, unseen, to the cove where Dick had taken the boat. He was there, waiting anxiously for them.
"Ahoy there!" yelled Julian, in excitement. "The adventure is about to begin."
Chapter Ten
KIRRIN ISLAND ONCE MORE!
THEY all clambered into the boat. Timothy leapt in lightly and ran to the prow, where he always stood. His tongue hung out in excitement. He knew quite well that something was up—and he was in it! No wonder he panted and wagged his tail hard.
"Off we go!" said Julian, taking the oars.
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