Читать книгу Three Boys and a Circus - Enid blyton - Страница 4

CHAPTER 2
DICK MAKES FRIENDS WITH PEDRO

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Dick jumped down from the window, picked up Bouncer, opened the door of the caravan and went inside. He looked round.

“What a lovely place!” he said. “Much better than living in a house, isn’t it? It’s got everything in it that anyone could want—tables, chairs, bunks, a stove, cupboards—everything! I wish I lived in a caravan like this.”

“What’s your dog’s name?” asked the boy in the bunk. “Isn’t he a fine dog! Come here, good fellow!”

“Look out!” said Dick warningly. “He won’t let anybody pet him but me.”

The boy in the bunk laughed. He pulled Bouncer on to his bed, and patted him with strong, kind hands. Bouncer whined with delight and licked the boy’s face.

“Well, I’ve never seen Bouncer do that before to anyone but me,” said Dick, rather jealous.

“I know all about dogs,” said the boy. “I’ve got eight!”

“Eight! Good gracious! Where are they?” asked Dick.

The boy pushed Bouncer away, lay down again and looked miserable.

“Somebody else is looking after them,” he said. “I’ve hurt my legs and I can’t see to them. But the awful part is I know the dogs hate the boy who’s looking after them. Look here—I’ll tell you all about it if you like!”

“Go on then,” said Dick, and he sat down, with Bouncer beside him.

“My uncle is Mr. Ravelini, who owns this circus,” said the boy. “I’m Pedro Ravelini, and this is my uncle’s caravan. Well, I’m in charge of the dogs, and you should see the way they learn for me! I’ve got one dog that gets in a wooden train I made, and drives it round the ring by himself!”

“Have you really?” said Dick, astonished. “Do you go into the ring, then?”

“Of course,” said Pedro. “I’m a circus boy. That’s why your dog loved me when he saw me—he smells that I love dogs and animals of all kinds. I love horses, too—and that’s how I hurt my legs.”

“What happened?” asked Dick.

“Well, my uncle bought a fine new black horse,” said Pedro. “He forbade me to ride it—but I did, and the horse threw me off and rolled on my legs. They do that sometimes, you know. Now I’ve got to stay here till my legs are better, and Uncle has put Larry in charge of my precious dogs, and I know they hate him!”

Pedro banged the bedclothes as if he were hitting Larry. Dick laughed. Bouncer jumped up on the bed and licked Pedro’s chin over and over again.

“You’re a nice fellow,” said Pedro, hugging Bouncer. “You’re a clever dog, too, I can see. I wish you were mine. How did you get him?”

“He’s been mine ever since I found him in the road, hurt by a car,” said Dick. “I ran away because of him!”

“Ran away! What do you mean?” said Pedro, puzzled. “Haven’t you got a home, then?”

“No,” said Dick. “I haven’t a father or mother, and I was sent to a Home for Poor Children. When I found Bouncer hurt in the road, I smuggled him into a shed belonging to the Home, and looked after him; but when the Head found out he was angry, and said Bouncer must go to a Dogs’ Home. So I ran away with him.”

“Did you really?” said Pedro. “How long is it since you’ve run away?”

“About three weeks,” said Dick. “I’m always afraid somebody will find me and take me back to the Home again—without Bouncer. You see, Pedro, it’s so lovely to have something to love, something that’s your very own. That’s why I wanted him so badly—and anyway, I always loved animals.”

“I love animals, too,” said Pedro. “All true circus people love them. We are kind to them, and—— Oh, listen—what’s that?”

Such a noise of shouting and barking had broken out! Pedro sat up in his bunk, his face white.

“One of my dogs has bitten Larry,” he groaned. “I knew that would happen. He isn’t a real circus lad. He doesn’t really belong to us. Oh, quick, Dick, go and see what’s happening and come back and tell me.”

Dick sped out of the caravan with Bouncer. The two big elephants were standing up now, wondering what the excitement was about. The five monkeys were grouped together on the roof of their caravan chattering in fright.

A half-grown lad was rubbing his leg and shouting angrily to a group of people around him. “Bit me on the ankle, the brute! Just flew at me for nothing. Ah, but I gave him a good kick; serve him right! I won’t look after the dogs any more.”

“Go to Madame Sara and ask her to see to your leg,” said Mr. Ravelini in a sharp voice. “Our dogs don’t fly at people unless there is a good cause. In future you will help with the horses, Larry.”

Larry limped off, his face red and angry, muttering all kinds of things to himself. Dick didn’t like the look of him at all. He heard the sound of whimpering, and looked round. It came from a large cage nearby. The side was down, and a crowd of dogs ran excitedly to and fro in the cage. They were all smooth-haired fox terriers—bright-eyed little things, eager and sharp.

One little dog lay in a corner whimpering. “I expect that’s the one that horrid Larry hit,” said Dick, feeling angry. He went over to the cage. Nobody paid any attention to him—so quick as thought he slipped open the door, walked in, and went up to the little hurt dog.

“I’ll take you to Pedro,” said Dick, and he picked it up. Bouncer jumped up and sniffed. Then, trotting at Dick’s heels, he went back to Pedro’s caravan with him.

Dick told Pedro what had happened. Pedro was so angry that he tried to get out of his bunk, but he couldn’t. His dog lay contentedly beside him.

“Get me that big pot of ointment, Dick,” said Pedro, pointing to a large jar on a shelf. Dick got it, and together the two boys gently rubbed some of the ointment into the dog’s skin.

“That awful Larry kicked you, didn’t he?” said Pedro gently. “Well, he won’t look after you any more. But who will? Everyone’s so busy in the circus. Oh, bother my legs! Why did I try to ride that horse!”

Somebody looked into the caravan. It was Mr. Ravelini. When he saw Dick there he frowned.

“Wasn’t it you I told to go away not so long ago?” he asked angrily. “Go on—run off or I’ll soon make you!”

“Oh, but Uncle——” began Pedro, seeing Dick’s scared face—but the ringmaster roared at Pedro to be quiet.

“Am I master in my own circus or am I not?” he shouted. “If you had obeyed me, you would not have hurt yourself, and all this trouble to-day would not have happened!” He pushed Dick out of the caravan.

“Go, and don’t come back!” he commanded. “Strangers upset our animals and make them restless. Take that dog with you!”

Dick picked up Bouncer and slipped down the caravan steps without even saying good-bye to Pedro. But he made up his mind to see him before the circus went on its way.

He hid behind a bush until he saw Mr. Ravelini leave the caravan and go to look at his beautiful horses. Then he shot up the steps of the caravan again and poked his head inside.

“Good-bye, Pedro!” he said. “Good luck!”

“Wait, wait!” called Pedro. “Come here—oh, wait a minute, Dick!”

Dick stood there, and Pedro spoke to him pleadingly.

“Dick! Would you just see if my dogs have fresh water in their cage?”

“Right!” said Dick. “Hope I don’t get caught by your uncle, that’s all!”