got into the bus. Lou was still watching, a small figure very far away. Dick felt inclined to wave cheekily to him, but didn't.
The bus set off. They took three tickets for the town and one for the nearest stop. Timmy had a ticket, too, which he wore proudly in his collar. He loved going in a bus.
Julian got out at the first stop. 'Well, see you this evening!' he said. 'Send Timmy on ahead to the caravans when you come back — just in case the men are anywhere about. I may not be able to warn you.'
'Right,' said Dick. 'Good-bye — and good luck!'
Julian waved and set off back down the road he had come. He saw a little lane leading off up into the hills and decided to take it. It led him not very far from Mrs Mackie's farm, so he soon knew where he was. He went back to the caravans, and quickly made himself some sandwiches and cut some cake to take to his hiding-place. He might have a long wait!
'Now — where shall I hide?' thought the boy. 'I want somewhere that will give me a view of the track so that I can see when the men come up it. And yet it must be somewhere that gives me a good view of their doings, too. What would be the best place?'
A tree? No, there wasn't one that was near enough or thick enough. Behind a bush? No, the men might easily come round it and see him. What about the middle of a thick gorse bush? That might be a good idea.
But Julian gave that up very quickly, for he found the bush far too prickly to force his way into the middle. He scratched his arms and legs terribly.
'Blow!' he said. 'I really must make up my mind, or the men may be here before I'm in hiding!'
And then he suddenly had a real brainwave, and he crowed in delight. Of course! The very place!
'I'll climb up on to the roof of one of the caravans!' thought Julian. 'Nobody will see me there
— and certainly nobody would guess I was there! That really is a fine idea. I shall have a fine view of the track and a first-rate view of the men and where they go!'
It wasn't very easy to climb up on to the high roof. He had to get a rope, loop it at the end, and try to lasso the chimney in order to climb up.
He managed to lasso the chimney, and the rope hung down over the side of the caravan, ready for him to swarm up. He threw his packet of food up on to the roof and then climbed up himself.
He pulled up the rope and coiled it beside him.
Then he lay down flat. He was certain that nobody could see him from below. Of course, if the men went higher up the hill and looked down on the caravans, he could easily be spotted — but he would have to chance that.
He lay there quite still, watching the lake, and keeping eyes and ears open for anyone coming up the hillside. He was glad that it was not a very hot sunny day, or he would have been cooked up on the roof. He wished he had thought of filling a bottle with water in case he was thirsty.
He saw spires of smoke rising from where the circus camp lay, far below. He saw a couple of boats on the lake, a good way round the water — people fishing, he supposed. He watched a couple of rabbits come out and play on the hillside just below.
The sun came out from behind the clouds for about ten minutes and Julian began to feel uncomfortably hot. Then it went in again and he felt better.
He suddenly heard somebody whistling and stiffened himself in expectation — but it was only someone belonging to the farm, going down the hill some distance away. The whistle had carried clearly in the still air.
Then he got bored. The rabbits went in, and not even a butterfly sailed by. He could see no birds except a yellow-hammer that sat on the topmost spray of a bush and sang: ' Little-bit-of-bread-and-no-cheese', over and over again in a most maddening manner.
Then it gave a cry of alarm and flew off. It had heard something that frightened it.
Julian heard something, too, and glued his eyes to the track that led up the hill. His heart began to beat. He could see two men. Were
The bus set off. They took three tickets for the town and one for the nearest stop. Timmy had a ticket, too, which he wore proudly in his collar. He loved going in a bus.
Julian got out at the first stop. 'Well, see you this evening!' he said. 'Send Timmy on ahead to the caravans when you come back — just in case the men are anywhere about. I may not be able to warn you.'
'Right,' said Dick. 'Good-bye — and good luck!'
Julian waved and set off back down the road he had come. He saw a little lane leading off up into the hills and decided to take it. It led him not very far from Mrs Mackie's farm, so he soon knew where he was. He went back to the caravans, and quickly made himself some sandwiches and cut some cake to take to his hiding-place. He might have a long wait!
'Now — where shall I hide?' thought the boy. 'I want somewhere that will give me a view of the track so that I can see when the men come up it. And yet it must be somewhere that gives me a good view of their doings, too. What would be the best place?'
A tree? No, there wasn't one that was near enough or thick enough. Behind a bush? No, the men might easily come round it and see him. What about the middle of a thick gorse bush? That might be a good idea.
But Julian gave that up very quickly, for he found the bush far too prickly to force his way into the middle. He scratched his arms and legs terribly.
'Blow!' he said. 'I really must make up my mind, or the men may be here before I'm in hiding!'
And then he suddenly had a real brainwave, and he crowed in delight. Of course! The very place!
'I'll climb up on to the roof of one of the caravans!' thought Julian. 'Nobody will see me there
— and certainly nobody would guess I was there! That really is a fine idea. I shall have a fine view of the track and a first-rate view of the men and where they go!'
It wasn't very easy to climb up on to the high roof. He had to get a rope, loop it at the end, and try to lasso the chimney in order to climb up.
He managed to lasso the chimney, and the rope hung down over the side of the caravan, ready for him to swarm up. He threw his packet of food up on to the roof and then climbed up himself.
He pulled up the rope and coiled it beside him.
Then he lay down flat. He was certain that nobody could see him from below. Of course, if the men went higher up the hill and looked down on the caravans, he could easily be spotted — but he would have to chance that.
He lay there quite still, watching the lake, and keeping eyes and ears open for anyone coming up the hillside. He was glad that it was not a very hot sunny day, or he would have been cooked up on the roof. He wished he had thought of filling a bottle with water in case he was thirsty.
He saw spires of smoke rising from where the circus camp lay, far below. He saw a couple of boats on the lake, a good way round the water — people fishing, he supposed. He watched a couple of rabbits come out and play on the hillside just below.
The sun came out from behind the clouds for about ten minutes and Julian began to feel uncomfortably hot. Then it went in again and he felt better.
He suddenly heard somebody whistling and stiffened himself in expectation — but it was only someone belonging to the farm, going down the hill some distance away. The whistle had carried clearly in the still air.
Then he got bored. The rabbits went in, and not even a butterfly sailed by. He could see no birds except a yellow-hammer that sat on the topmost spray of a bush and sang: ' Little-bit-of-bread-and-no-cheese', over and over again in a most maddening manner.
Then it gave a cry of alarm and flew off. It had heard something that frightened it.
Julian heard something, too, and glued his eyes to the track that led up the hill. His heart began to beat. He could see two men. Were
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