Read Online The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Hugh Lofting
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that before—not in eleven years. He has always told me
everything—Strange—very strange!"
"Do you mean you think he knows all about the Hermit, the big mystery
about him which folks hint at and all that?"
"I shouldn't wonder if he did," the Doctor answered slowly. "I noticed
something in his expression the moment we found that door open and the
hut empty. And the way he sniffed the floor too—it told him something,
that floor did. He saw signs we couldn't see—I wonder why he won't tell
me. I'll try him again. Here, Jip! Jip!—Where is the dog? I thought he
went on in front."
"So did I," I said. "He was there a moment ago. I saw him as large as
life. Jip—Jip—Jip—JIP!"
But he was gone. We called and called. We even walked back to the hut.
But Jip had disappeared.
"Oh well," I said, "most likely he has just run home ahead of us. He
often does that, you know. We'll find him there when we get back to the
house."
But the Doctor just closed his coat-collar tighter against the wind and
strode on muttering, "Odd—very odd!"
The Third Chapter. Jip and the Secret
*
WHEN we reached the house the first question the Doctor asked of Dab-Dab
in the hall was,
"Is Jip home yet?"
"No," said Dab-Dab, "I haven't seen him."
"Let me know the moment he comes in, will you, please?" said the Doctor,
hanging up his hat.
"Certainly I will," said Dab-Dab. "Don't be long over washing your
hands; the lunch is on the table."
Just as we were sitting down to luncheon in the kitchen we heard a great
racket at the front door. I ran and opened it. In bounded Jip.
"Doctor!" he cried, "come into the library quick. I've got something
to tell you—No, Dab-Dab, the luncheon must wait. Please hurry, Doctor.
There's not a moment to be lost. Don't let any of the animals come—just
you and Tommy."
"Now," he said, when we were inside the library and the door was closed,
"turn the key in the lock and make sure there's no one listening under
the windows."
"It's all right," said the Doctor. "Nobody can hear you here. Now what
is it?"
"Well, Doctor," said Jip (he was badly out of breath from running), "I
know all about the Hermit—I have known for years. But I couldn't tell
you."
"Why?" asked the Doctor.
"Because I'd promised not to tell any one. It was Bob, his dog, that
told me. And I swore to him that I would keep the secret."
"Well, and are you going to tell me now?"
"Yes," said Jip, "we've got to save him. I followed Bob's scent just now
when I left you out there on the marshes. And I found him. And I said to
him, 'Is it all right,' I said, 'for me to tell the Doctor now? Maybe he
can do something.' And Bob says to me, 'Yes,' says he, 'it's all right
because—'"
"Oh, for Heaven's sake, go on, go on!" cried the Doctor. "Tell us what
the mystery is—not what you said to Bob and what Bob said to you. What
has happened? Where IS the Hermit?"
"He's in Puddleby Jail," said Jip. "He's in prison."
"In prison!"
"Yes."
"What for?—What's he done?"
Jip went over to the door and smelt at the bottom of it to see if any
one were listening outside. Then he came back to the Doctor on tiptoe
and whispered,
"HE KILLED A MAN!"
"Lord preserve us!" cried the Doctor, sitting down heavily in a chair
and mopping his forehead with a handkerchief. "When did he do it?"
"Fifteen years ago—in a Mexican gold-mine. That's why he has been a
hermit ever since. He shaved off his beard and kept away from people
out there on the marshes so he wouldn't be recognized. But last week, it
seems these new-fangled policemen came to Town; and they heard there was
a strange man who kept to himself all alone in a shack on the fen. And
they got suspicious. For a long time people had been hunting all over
the world for the man that did that killing in the Mexican gold-mine
fifteen years ago. So these policemen went out to the shack, and they
recognized Luke by a mole on his arm. And they took him to prison."
"Well, well!" murmured the Doctor. "Who would have
everything—Strange—very strange!"
"Do you mean you think he knows all about the Hermit, the big mystery
about him which folks hint at and all that?"
"I shouldn't wonder if he did," the Doctor answered slowly. "I noticed
something in his expression the moment we found that door open and the
hut empty. And the way he sniffed the floor too—it told him something,
that floor did. He saw signs we couldn't see—I wonder why he won't tell
me. I'll try him again. Here, Jip! Jip!—Where is the dog? I thought he
went on in front."
"So did I," I said. "He was there a moment ago. I saw him as large as
life. Jip—Jip—Jip—JIP!"
But he was gone. We called and called. We even walked back to the hut.
But Jip had disappeared.
"Oh well," I said, "most likely he has just run home ahead of us. He
often does that, you know. We'll find him there when we get back to the
house."
But the Doctor just closed his coat-collar tighter against the wind and
strode on muttering, "Odd—very odd!"
The Third Chapter. Jip and the Secret
*
WHEN we reached the house the first question the Doctor asked of Dab-Dab
in the hall was,
"Is Jip home yet?"
"No," said Dab-Dab, "I haven't seen him."
"Let me know the moment he comes in, will you, please?" said the Doctor,
hanging up his hat.
"Certainly I will," said Dab-Dab. "Don't be long over washing your
hands; the lunch is on the table."
Just as we were sitting down to luncheon in the kitchen we heard a great
racket at the front door. I ran and opened it. In bounded Jip.
"Doctor!" he cried, "come into the library quick. I've got something
to tell you—No, Dab-Dab, the luncheon must wait. Please hurry, Doctor.
There's not a moment to be lost. Don't let any of the animals come—just
you and Tommy."
"Now," he said, when we were inside the library and the door was closed,
"turn the key in the lock and make sure there's no one listening under
the windows."
"It's all right," said the Doctor. "Nobody can hear you here. Now what
is it?"
"Well, Doctor," said Jip (he was badly out of breath from running), "I
know all about the Hermit—I have known for years. But I couldn't tell
you."
"Why?" asked the Doctor.
"Because I'd promised not to tell any one. It was Bob, his dog, that
told me. And I swore to him that I would keep the secret."
"Well, and are you going to tell me now?"
"Yes," said Jip, "we've got to save him. I followed Bob's scent just now
when I left you out there on the marshes. And I found him. And I said to
him, 'Is it all right,' I said, 'for me to tell the Doctor now? Maybe he
can do something.' And Bob says to me, 'Yes,' says he, 'it's all right
because—'"
"Oh, for Heaven's sake, go on, go on!" cried the Doctor. "Tell us what
the mystery is—not what you said to Bob and what Bob said to you. What
has happened? Where IS the Hermit?"
"He's in Puddleby Jail," said Jip. "He's in prison."
"In prison!"
"Yes."
"What for?—What's he done?"
Jip went over to the door and smelt at the bottom of it to see if any
one were listening outside. Then he came back to the Doctor on tiptoe
and whispered,
"HE KILLED A MAN!"
"Lord preserve us!" cried the Doctor, sitting down heavily in a chair
and mopping his forehead with a handkerchief. "When did he do it?"
"Fifteen years ago—in a Mexican gold-mine. That's why he has been a
hermit ever since. He shaved off his beard and kept away from people
out there on the marshes so he wouldn't be recognized. But last week, it
seems these new-fangled policemen came to Town; and they heard there was
a strange man who kept to himself all alone in a shack on the fen. And
they got suspicious. For a long time people had been hunting all over
the world for the man that did that killing in the Mexican gold-mine
fifteen years ago. So these policemen went out to the shack, and they
recognized Luke by a mole on his arm. And they took him to prison."
"Well, well!" murmured the Doctor. "Who would have
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