Читать книгу The Adventurous Four Again - Enid blyton - Страница 4

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The next few days were lovely. Andy took them sailing in his boat, which he insisted belonged to them all—a quarter each.

“I’ll have the red sail for my quarter,” said Jill. “I do love it so! Andy, can’t we go out with the rest of the boats, when they go fishing?”

“Oh yes,” said Andy, and out they went the next time the little fleet went out. Andy taught the children how to let down the nets. They watched with excitement the jumping, slithering, silvery fish caught in the meshes of the great net.

The fisher-boy taught them how to set lobster-pots, too, in the right places. They took home enough fish and lobsters, scallops and crabs to keep them in food for a week!

The sun shone. They grew brown. They climbed the rocky cliffs all about, and had a wonderful time. Then Tom grew restless and wanted to go off on a much longer trip.

“Let’s go somewhere exciting,” he said. “Can’t we take the Andy and go on a trip somewhere? Don’t you know anywhere thrilling, Andy, you could take us to?”

“Well,” said Andy, “I promised your mother I wouldn’t take you right out to sea any more, to visit any of our islands—in case a storm came up, like last year, and wrecked us. So it would have to be somewhere along the coast.”

“Do think of somewhere,” begged the twins. “Somewhere that nobody goes to.”

“There’s the Cliff of Birds,” said Andy suddenly. The others stared at him.

“The Cliff of Birds,” said Jill. “What a funny name!”

“It’s a good name,” said Andy. “There are thousands of birds there—I couldn’t tell you how many—all kinds! Gulls, shags, cormorants, puffins—they nest there and all round and about—on the cliffs, in the cliffs, over the cliffs—everywhere. They say you can’t walk a step this season of the year without treading on a nesting-bird. They’re a sight to see.”

All the three children were fond of birds. Their eyes shone.

“Let’s go there!” said Tom. “What a sight it would be! I’ll take my camera. We’re having a snap-shot competition at my school next term, and I could enter some bird pictures for it.”

“Yes, do let’s go,” said Jill. “It sounds exciting. I wonder you never told us about the Cliff of Birds before, Andy!”

“Well, last time you were here, it was full summer,” said Andy. “The birds have left their nesting-places on the cliffs by then, and are out on the open sea. There’s not much to see. But at nesting-time it’s different. They’re all there.”

“Well, we’ll go,” said Tom. “How far is it? Can we get there and back in a day?”

“We’ll have to,” said Jill. “Mother won’t let us go off for a night, I’m sure!”

“If we start early in the morning we’d be back before dark,” said Andy. “It’s a long way—and it’s a lonely part of the coast too. We’ll have to be careful, because there are rocks all about. But there’s a passage between them that my father knows. I’ll get him to tell me. I’ve been twice with him.”

“When shall we go?” asked Jill, beginning to feel excited. “Tomorrow?”

“No. I’m wanted on the boat with my father,” said Andy. “But maybe the next day. You’ll have to do without me tomorrow. You get out your book on birds and read it well, then you’ll know the birds on the cliff when you see them.”

So, all the next day, the children pored over their books on birds, looking up each sea-bird, studying it, and learning its name. Tom got out his camera and put a new roll of films into it. They told their mother where they were going.

“It certainly sounds exciting,” she said. “I hope Andy knows the way down the coast well. It’s rather dangerous round here.”

“Oh, Mother, Andy could sail a boat anywhere!” said Tom. “He’s been twice before, anyway. Won’t it be exciting to go somewhere that nobody ever goes to?”

“The Cliff of Birds,” said Mary. “Thousands of them, Mother. You’ll see them if Tom gets some good snaps. I suppose we shall climb the cliff.”

“I’d better have a word with Andy about that,” said her mother, and she did. But Andy assured her that he would not let anyone do anything they couldn’t do safely and easily.

Two days later the children awoke with a jump, as the alarm clock went off. It had been set for dawn—how early it was! Tom slipped into the girls’ room to make sure they were awake, and not going off to sleep again.

“The sky’s just turning silvery in the east,” he said. “Hurry up. We’ve got to be at the jetty in a few minutes. I bet Andy’s already there.”

Their mother appeared in her dressing-gown, looking sleepy. “I thought I would just see you off,” she said. “Now, you do promise to be careful, don’t you? Andy’s got life-belts on board, hasn’t he?”

“Oh, Mother, you know we can all swim like fish!” said Jill.

“Yes—in calm or slightly rough water,” said her mother. “But if you fell overboard in stormy waters you’d find things much more difficult. You’ve packed the food on board, haven’t you?”

“Oh yes,” said Tom, who could always be trusted to look after the food side. “We put it on board yesterday evening—everything you gave us, Mother. It will last us nicely for a day.”

“It would last most families for a week!” said his mother. “Now—are you ready? Take woollen coats with you, because it isn’t summer, you know. Tom, where’s your mack?”

Soon they were off. The sky was much lighter now. The children could see golden fingers coming up from the east. The sun was just below the rim of the world there. They raced down to the jetty, feeling the wind quite cold on their faces and their bare legs.

Andy was there, of course, waiting for them patiently. He grinned when he saw their excited faces. “Get on board,” he said. “Everything’s ready. I’ll cast off.”

The children tumbled on board the fishing-boat they loved. It was roomy, but not too big for them to handle. It had a small, cosy cabin below. All three children were good at helping Andy now, and could be trusted with anything.

The boat slid away from the jetty. The breeze billowed out the red sails. Then, quite suddenly it seemed, the sun appeared above the sky-line, a dazzling rounded edge, and at once the water flashed with golden lines and twinkled brilliantly as the boat plunged forward.

“The sun’s rising,” said Jill, and caught her breath at the sudden beauty of it all. “The world’s all new again. Look at the sun—it seems to be climbing out of the sea itself!”

Soon the children could no longer look at the sun, it was so big and bright. The boat went slipping along in waves that seemed made of golden light and blue shadows. It was worth coming out so early just to see the enchanting beauty of the rising sun.

“Heaps of people have never seen the sun rise,” said Jill, as she leaned over the side of the boat to look at the gold-flecked waves. “Hardly any of the girls at my school have. They’ve missed something! I think there ought to be a law that says everyone must watch a sunrise, and everyone must see a bluebell wood, and a buttercup field, and ...”

“Look out for the sail!” yelled Andy, as the big red sail swung across. Jill ducked, and forgot what she was saying. Andy was at the tiller, looking browner than ever. His dark hair blew straight upright in the wind, and his eyes shone as blue as the sea.

“I say,” began Tom, “isn’t it about time to ...”

Everyone interrupted him. “To ... have something to eat!” they all chanted, knowing Tom’s ways very well indeed.

“I wasn’t going to say that,” said Tom, aggrieved. “I was going to say—oughtn’t we to keep closer to the shore now? We’re heading right out to sea.”

“Got to,” said Andy, keeping a firm hold on the tiller, as the boat swept into a strong current. “There are rocks farther in. Can’t risk them in this boat. We must keep out a fair bit, then, when I see the spot my father told me of, I’ll swing inland a bit.”

Andy had a rough chart with him. He pushed it across to Tom, holding on to it till the boy had it safely, because of the rushing wind.

“Look at that,” he said. “Those dots are rocks. See how the sea nearer in is peppered with them. Sly rocks they are—just below the surface. They’ll scratch a hole in the bottom of a boat in the twinkling of an eye. It takes us longer to go out to sea, and then turn in, but it’s safer. We’ve got to look out for three tall pine-trees on a cliff, before we turn in. They’re marked on the map.”

Everyone studied the map with interest. What a long way down the coast the Cliff of Birds was! No wonder Andy said they must start early.

“What time shall we be there?” said Mary.

“We should be there about eleven, with luck,” said Andy. “Maybe before. We’ll have our dinner then. We’ll be hungry!”

Tom looked really alarmed. “What! Are we to wait till then? We’ll be starved!”

“Oh, we’ll have breakfast first,” said Andy. “We’ll have it at seven, or half-past. Maybe a few biscuits now would be nice. What do you say, girls?”

Everyone thought it was a very good idea. “Biscuits and chocolate!” said Jill. “They go so well together. I’ll get them.”

She disappeared into the little cabin below, and came back again with four rations of biscuits and chocolate. Everyone was soon munching, Andy still at the tiller. He said he was not going to let anyone else steer the boat that day, it was too dangerous!

The sun was much higher in the sky now. It was warmer, though the strong sea-breeze was cold. Everyone was glad of woollen jerseys, cardigans and macks on top.

“Now—here’s where we head inland,” said Andy suddenly. “See those three pine-trees on the cliff, far away over there?”

“You’ve got eyes like a hawk, Andy,” said Tom, screwing his up to try to see the pine-trees on the distant coast. He could just make them out. But neither of the girls could see them clearly.

Andy swung the boat round a little. The sail flapped hard. The boat now ran even more quickly, and the children felt thrilled with the speed, and the up-and-down swing of the fine little boat.

“Breakfast-time!” said Andy. “We’re doing very well—we deserve a jolly good breakfast!”

“We do!” said Tom, and scurried to get the food.