stay out all day? It"s a nice day, and you"l enjoy it."
Nothing could be better! Julian had already planned to make his way to the old tower once used by the Wreckers, and explore it. Now they would have al day to do it in!
„Oh, yes, Mrs Penruthlan, we"d love to do that," he said. „Let the girls get the picnic stuff ready for us. You"ve plenty to do!"
But no, Mrs Penruthlan wouldn"t let anyone deal with food but herself. She proceeded to pack up enough food for twelve people, or so Julian thought when he saw her preparations!
They set off together happily, with Timmy at their heels. The four farm dogs accompanied them for some way, tearing on in front and then tearing back trying to make Timmy as mad as they were. But Timmy was sedate, walking along as if to say, „I"m taking these children for a walk, I"ve no time to play with you. You"re only farm dogs!"
„Do we want Yan with us if he turns up?" asked George. „Do we particularly want him to know what we are doing today?"
Julian considered. „No, I don"t think we do want him with us. We may find out something we don"t want him to know, or to spread around."
„Right," said George. „Well, just you send him off, then, if he comes. I"m fed up with him.
Thank goodness he"s a bit cleaner than he was!"
Yan did appear, of course. He came up silently on his bare feet. Nobody would have known he was trotting behind if it hadn"t been for Timmy. Timmy quite happily left George"s heels and went to say how-do-you-do to Yan, jumping up at him in delight.
George turned round to see where Timmy was, and saw Yan. „Julian, there"s Yan!" she said.
„Hal o, Yan," said Julian. „Buzz off today. We"re going somewhere alone."
„I come too," said Yan, strutting along behind. He stil looked fairly clean.
„No, you don"t come too," said Julian. „You buzz off. See? Off you go. We don"t want you today."
Yan"s face took on a sullen look. He turned to Anne. „I come too?" he said, pleadingly.
Anne shook her head. „No, not today," she said. „Another time. Take this sweet, Yan, and go away."
Yan took the sweet and turned away, his face sulky. He disappeared over the field and was soon lost to sight.
The four children and Timmy went on together, glad of their warm jerseys when the wind blew strongly. Julian gave a sudden groan.
„I shall be jol y glad when we"ve had our lunch," he said. „This bag of food is so heavy it"s cutting into my shoulders."
„Well, let"s wait til we get to the tower and we can put the bags down," said Dick. „We"ll do a little exploring before we have our lunch. I should think Mrs Penruthlan meant us to stay out to dinner, tea and supper, the amount she"s packed for us!"
They hoped they were going in the right direction. They had looked at a map, and found various lanes which they thought would eventually lead to the tower, and had worked out which was the best direction to take.
Julian had his compass and was going by that, leading them down lanes, across fields, along little paths, and sometimes along no paths at all! He felt sure, however, that they were going right. They were making for the coast, anyway.
„Look, there are two hil s side by side, or cliffs, are they?" said Anne, pointing. „I believe they are the hil s between which we saw that tower."
„Yes, you"re right," said Dick. „We"re nearly there. I wonder how people got there when the tower and the house were lived in. There appears to be no proper road at al ."
They walked on, over a rough field. They soon found themselves in a very narrow, overgrown lane, deep-set between hedges that almost met overhead.
„A green tunnel," said Anne, pleased. „Look out for those enormous nettles, Ju."
At the end of the lane an overgrown path swung sharply right, and there, not far from them, was the tower! They stood and stared at it. This was where the light had flashed a hundred years ago to bring ships to their doom, and where the light had flashed only the other
Nothing could be better! Julian had already planned to make his way to the old tower once used by the Wreckers, and explore it. Now they would have al day to do it in!
„Oh, yes, Mrs Penruthlan, we"d love to do that," he said. „Let the girls get the picnic stuff ready for us. You"ve plenty to do!"
But no, Mrs Penruthlan wouldn"t let anyone deal with food but herself. She proceeded to pack up enough food for twelve people, or so Julian thought when he saw her preparations!
They set off together happily, with Timmy at their heels. The four farm dogs accompanied them for some way, tearing on in front and then tearing back trying to make Timmy as mad as they were. But Timmy was sedate, walking along as if to say, „I"m taking these children for a walk, I"ve no time to play with you. You"re only farm dogs!"
„Do we want Yan with us if he turns up?" asked George. „Do we particularly want him to know what we are doing today?"
Julian considered. „No, I don"t think we do want him with us. We may find out something we don"t want him to know, or to spread around."
„Right," said George. „Well, just you send him off, then, if he comes. I"m fed up with him.
Thank goodness he"s a bit cleaner than he was!"
Yan did appear, of course. He came up silently on his bare feet. Nobody would have known he was trotting behind if it hadn"t been for Timmy. Timmy quite happily left George"s heels and went to say how-do-you-do to Yan, jumping up at him in delight.
George turned round to see where Timmy was, and saw Yan. „Julian, there"s Yan!" she said.
„Hal o, Yan," said Julian. „Buzz off today. We"re going somewhere alone."
„I come too," said Yan, strutting along behind. He stil looked fairly clean.
„No, you don"t come too," said Julian. „You buzz off. See? Off you go. We don"t want you today."
Yan"s face took on a sullen look. He turned to Anne. „I come too?" he said, pleadingly.
Anne shook her head. „No, not today," she said. „Another time. Take this sweet, Yan, and go away."
Yan took the sweet and turned away, his face sulky. He disappeared over the field and was soon lost to sight.
The four children and Timmy went on together, glad of their warm jerseys when the wind blew strongly. Julian gave a sudden groan.
„I shall be jol y glad when we"ve had our lunch," he said. „This bag of food is so heavy it"s cutting into my shoulders."
„Well, let"s wait til we get to the tower and we can put the bags down," said Dick. „We"ll do a little exploring before we have our lunch. I should think Mrs Penruthlan meant us to stay out to dinner, tea and supper, the amount she"s packed for us!"
They hoped they were going in the right direction. They had looked at a map, and found various lanes which they thought would eventually lead to the tower, and had worked out which was the best direction to take.
Julian had his compass and was going by that, leading them down lanes, across fields, along little paths, and sometimes along no paths at all! He felt sure, however, that they were going right. They were making for the coast, anyway.
„Look, there are two hil s side by side, or cliffs, are they?" said Anne, pointing. „I believe they are the hil s between which we saw that tower."
„Yes, you"re right," said Dick. „We"re nearly there. I wonder how people got there when the tower and the house were lived in. There appears to be no proper road at al ."
They walked on, over a rough field. They soon found themselves in a very narrow, overgrown lane, deep-set between hedges that almost met overhead.
„A green tunnel," said Anne, pleased. „Look out for those enormous nettles, Ju."
At the end of the lane an overgrown path swung sharply right, and there, not far from them, was the tower! They stood and stared at it. This was where the light had flashed a hundred years ago to bring ships to their doom, and where the light had flashed only the other
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