Read Online Sydney Bridge Upside Down by David Ballantyne - Free Book Online

I told her to sit down while I chased Dibs Kelly up the works stairs, I said I would wave to her from the top floor. She said she would keep looking and would wave back when she saw us. Well, I beat Dibs to the top, but when I looked down I couldn’t see Caroline or Cal. That damned Cal must have taken her inside the old killing-room, I thought; he was probably showing her where we had found the pistol, not caring about it being secret. But he had not taken her there, after all. Because then I noticed that they were with Sam Phelps and Sydney Bridge Upside Down. They must have gone to the railway line quickly because it certainly hadn’t taken Dibs and me long to get to the top of the works. ‘What do you know?’ I said to Dibs. I was so annoyed about what had happened I felt like giving Dibs a good push, they would come running back to the works if I did that, if I shouted to them as I did it. I didn’t push Dibs, though; it wasn’t his fault. I didn’t chase across to them, either; if Caroline preferred talking to Sam Phelps, that was her business, she would soon get tired of Sam Phelps and his old horse. ‘Going down?’ asked Dibs. ‘Think I’ll look at the scenery a while,’I said. ‘I’m going down,’ he said. ‘See you,’ I said. I knew the scenery too well to look at it long. Instead, I looked at the group by the railway line, and now at Dibs (I should have pushed him!) cutting across to be near her, near my cousin. And now at Dibs speeding up because Caroline and Cal had climbed into the freight wagon and Sydney Bridge Upside Down was moving. Sam Phelps was in his seat at the front of the wagon, holding the reins loosely, heading for the wharf with Caroline and Cal. What a dirty trick! Cal could have called me, he knew I’d like a ride. Caroline might think I didn’t care, but Cal knew better, he could easily have yelled to me. That kid played some dirty tricks, I thought. And what right had Dibs, jumping now into the wagon, to be travelling with my cousin? When I remembered how often I had tried to get a ride on his big brother’s Indian and how often I had been turned down, I reckoned it was damned cheeky of Dibs to help himself to a ride with my cousin. I got sulky, up there at the top of the works, while Sydney Bridge Upside Down plodded on. I stayed there. Eventually they rounded the bend, the cliff would hide them till they were nearer the wharf. At least, I took it for granted it would hide them that long. But they stayed hidden for longer than they should have, and at first I thought Sydney Bridge Upside Down must have stopped for a rest, being so bony and old, then I wondered, when they still didn’t appear near the wharf, if they’d been derailed, maybe Caroline had been tipped out. She might need help, I thought. I moved a few steps towards the stairwell before I reminded myself that no wagon could be derailed at the speed Sydney Bridge Upside Down went.So what were they doing? Where were they? I waited and watched. Nothing. It was no use, I would have to go down. I went down slowly, kicking the footholds to make them more dangerous. Serve her right if I crash, I thought. Poor Harry, she would think when they found my body. And all she could do then would be to give me a last kiss. Cal and Dibs would not be sad for long. Trust them to go on having fun, they would think themselves lucky to have got rid of me, they wouldn’t care if I fell. And of course I didn’t fall, I didn’t miss a foothold, not one. In the works yard I thought of heading for home, of leaving the others to whatever fun they had found. I would just walk to the line and look along it—but not walk along it, I certainly wouldn’t follow them, if they’d wanted me around they would have yelled to me. So I did that. And I had not been standing long near the line when I saw Dibs and Cal. They were on the line, walking towards me. I didn’t move. It seemed a good while before they reached me. ‘Where’s