Читать книгу The Rat-a-Tat Mystery - Enid blyton - Страница 7

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The car had to go slowly along some of the roads because they were already slippery. It took about an hour to reach the little village of Boffame, which was two or three miles from Rat-a-Tat House.

“Now we shall soon be there,” said Barney’s father, who was at the wheel. “My word, we had some fun at Rat-a-Tat House when I was a boy, and played there with my brother and sisters and cousins. You’ll have fun too, Barnabas, with your friends.”

They went through the little village, and then up a small, very steep hill. The car stopped half-way up, and would not go on. Its wheels slid round and round in the same slippery place.

“Get the sacks out and the spade, children,” said Mr. Martin. “I thought this might happen, so we’ve come prepared!”

They got the spade and dug away the snow under the wheels, slipping the sacks beneath them instead. Then Mr. Martin started up the car again, the wheels gripped the sacks instead of the slippery snow, and the car slowly reached the top of the hill. It stopped and Mr. Martin waited for the children to come along to the car with the sacks and spade.

“It’s a good thing I took all the goods yesterday that you’ll need at Rat-a-Tat House,” he said. “I doubt if a car will be able to get through if we have any more snow.”

“Perhaps we shall be cut off from everywhere!” said Snubby in delight. “Lost in the snowy hills. Marooned in Rat-a-Tat House. We shan’t be able to go back to school. Hurrah!”

Loony barked joyfully. If anyone said “hurrah” it meant they were happy, so he had to join in too. Miranda leaned across the car and tweaked one of his long ears, and there was a scrimmage immediately. Mr. Martin looked round for a moment. “I don’t know what’s happening at the back, but it’s most disturbing to the driver,” he remarked, and Loony at once got a smack from Snubby, and yelped in surprise.

The car went slowly on. They came to another hill—would the car stick half-way up this time? No, it went up steadily and everyone gave a sigh of relief.

The countryside looked enchanting in its thick blanket of dazzling white snow. Every little twig was outlined in white, and every sharp outline of fence or roof was softened by the snow. Diana looked out of the window and thought how beautiful it was.

“We’ll have marvellous tobogganing,” said Roger. “Best we’ve ever had. And plenty of skating if the frost holds.”

“It’s sure to,” said Barney’s father, driving the car down into a little valley surrounded by snow-clad hills on every side. “Now we’re nearly there—you’ll see Rat-a-Tat House in a minute—it’s round this corner. Ah, there’s the frozen lake, look.”

“Oh, it’s quite a big lake!” said Diana, surprised. “What a pity we can’t go boating and swimming, as well as skating.”

Everyone laughed. “Rather impossible,” said Barney’s father. “Perhaps you can come again in the summer and have some fun here with Barney and his cousins then.”

“So this is the house,” said Snubby, in approval, as they swung in at a small drive. “Ha—I like it! It’s—it’s rather odd looking, isn’t it? All those turrets and towers and tucked-in windows and things.”

“It’s old,” said Mr. Martin; “but was so very sturdily built that it has lasted well for a great many years. It’s seen a bit of history too. Oliver Cromwell once stayed here, and it is said that a celebrated Spaniard, who was taken prisoner, was brought here and hidden—and what is more, was never heard of again.”

“Gosh!” said Snubby, thrilled. “I hope he isn’t still there. I can’t speak a word of Spanish. I like the look of Rat-a-Tat House. I feel as if plenty of exciting things have happened here.”

As they swung slowly up the drive, the front door opened, and someone stood there smiling at them—a very small woman with plaits of dark hair wound round her head, and merry dark eyes. She wore a flowered overall, and over it a spotless white apron. The children liked her at once.

“Is that Mrs. Tickle?” asked Snubby, leaping out of the car before anyone else.

“Yes,” said Barney. “But don’t ask her if she’s ticklish, because hundreds of people have asked that already and she’s tired of it. Hallo, Mrs. Tickle! I hope you haven’t been lonely.”

“Not a bit, I’ve been too busy!” said the little woman, coming to help with the suit-cases. “Are you cold? Come away in, then, I’ve a fine fire for you. Good afternoon, Mr. Martin, sir—I’m right down glad to see you all, I was afeard you’d not get through the snow.”

“We were only stuck once,” said Mr. Martin. “I’ll just see the children in safely, Mrs. Tickle, and then I must go, because I want to get away before more snow falls. It looks as if the sky is full of it again.”

“That’s right, sir, you get home before it’s dark,” said little Mrs. Tickle. “Oh, my word, who’s this?”

It was Loony, prancing round in the snow, getting into everyone’s way as usual.

“I didn’t know you were bringing a dog,” said Mrs. Tickle. “I’ve got no dog biscuits for him.”

“Oh, he doesn’t mind having what we have,” Snubby assured her. “He loves a slice off the joint or a chop.”

Mrs. Tickle looked quite horrified. “He won’t get anything like that while I’m in charge!” she said, leading them all indoors. “I like dogs to be kept in their place. And monkeys too,” she said, with a look at Miranda sitting on Barney’s shoulder. “Well, here you are—sit down and warm yourselves!”

She led them into a big, panelled room, at one end of which was an enormous fireplace with a fire of logs, crackling and blazing.

“Oh, it’s lovely!” said Diana, glancing all round. “It’s like a house in a story book. And how light the room is!”

“That’s the reflection of the snow outside,” said Mrs. Tickle. “Bless us all, what’s the matter with that dog?”

Loony was growling in a most peculiar manner, and backing away from the fireplace, towards which he had run for warmth. Barney gave a bellow of laughter.

“He’s just seen the bearskin rug in front of the fire! It’s got a bear’s head at one end and he thinks it’s real!”

Certainly poor Loony had had a terrible shock! He had run towards the fire, and had suddenly seen the bear’s head at the end of the rug, its two glass eyes shining balefully at him. Loony imagined that the bear was crouching down ready to spring, and had backed away at once, producing his fiercest growls.

“Idiot,” said Snubby. “Look at Miranda—she’s braver than you are, Loony!”

Miranda had also seen the bear—but she had seen bearskin rugs before and was not at all worried. She leapt down and sat on the bear’s head, chattering away at Loony, and jigging up and down.

“She’s telling you not to be such a coward, Loony,” said Snubby, severely. “Really, I’m ashamed of you!”

“Well, children, Mrs. Tickle will take you all round the house and show you your rooms,” said Barney’s father, looking at his watch. “And no doubt she has a fine tea waiting. Help her all you can, please. Barney, you are in charge here, remember, and if anything goes wrong, let me know at once.”

“Yes, sir,” said Barney. “I suppose Rat-a-Tat House is on the telephone?”

“Yes,” said his father. “So you’ll be quite all right. Mrs. Tickle knows where the toboggans are, and your skates—we brought them here when we drove her over with all the food and bedclothes and so on. Well, have a good time. Mrs. Tickle, keep them in order—and don’t stand any nonsense.”

“I’ll keep them in order all right, sir,” said little Mrs. Tickle, looking quite fierce. Then she smiled. “I’ll enjoy having them round me,” she said. “Mine are all grown up now, and it will be like old times to have them rampaging round. I hope you get back all right, sir.”

They all went to see Mr. Martin off in the car. It was getting dark already, though the gleaming snow threw its white light everywhere. “Good-bye!” shouted everyone, and waved till the car had crawled out of the gate.

They all went back into the fire-lit sitting-room, with its wide window-seats, its enormous fireplace, and gleaming old furniture. Snubby stood by the fire, rubbing his hands in glee.

“Isn’t this smashing?” he said. “I wish we could go out into the snow now, and toboggan. Fancy sliding down those hills at top speed. Loony, do you think you’ll like tobogganing?”

Loony had no idea what tobogganing was, but he was sure he would like anything that Snubby liked. He felt the general excitement and decided to show off. He rushed round the room at top speed, barking, then suddenly lost his footing on the highly polished floor, rolled over and finished by sliding along swiftly on his back. Everyone roared.

“Is that how you’re going to slide over the snow?” said Snubby. “You’ll get along fine like that, Loony.”

“Would you like to come and unpack?” said Mrs. Tickle’s voice at the door. “And by that time, you’ll be ready for tea, I’ve no doubt!”

She was right—they certainly would!