Part 10 (2/2)

But the children still walked on, and the men had to go after them to make them hear.

'Hey! What's the matter? We shan't hurt you! We only want to know if you're camping here. It's better down below, you know.'

'Keep on walking,' muttered Julian. 'Don't tell them anything. Why do they tell us it's better to camp down below when they were so anxious for us to clear out yesterday? They're mad!'

'Timmy, Timmy!' called George, again, hoping that the men would stop following them if they heard her calling for her dog.

It did stop them. They gave up going after the children, and didn't shout any more. They turned angrily and went on up the track.

'Well, we've thrown them off all right,' said d.i.c.k, with relief. 'Don't look so scared, Anne. I wonder what they want up in the hills. They don't look the sort that would go walking for pleasure.'

'd.i.c.k - we're not going to have another adventure, are we?' said Anne suddenly, looking very woebegone. 'I don't want one. I just want a nice ordinary, peaceful holiday.'

''Course we're not going to have an adventure!' said d.i.c.k, scornfully. 'Just because we meet two bad-tempered fellows from a circus camp you think we're in for an adventure, Anne! Well, I jolly well wish we were! Every hols we've been together so far we've had adventures - and you must admit that you love talking about them and remembering them.'

'Yes, I do. But I don't like it much when I'm in the middle of one,' said Anne. 'I don't think I'm a very adventurous person, really.'

'No, you're not,' said Julian, pulling Anne over a very steep bit. 'But you're a very nice little person, Anne, so don't worry about it. And, anyway, you wouldn't like to be left out of any of our adventures, would you?'

'Oh no,' said Anne. 'I couldn't bear it. Oh, look - we're at the bottom of the hill - and there's the lake, looking icy-cold!'

It wasn't long before they were all in the water - and suddenly there was n.o.bby too, waving and yelling. 'I'm coming in! Lou and my uncle have gone off somewhere. Hurray!'

Barker and Growler were with n.o.bby, but not Pongo the chimpanzee. n.o.bby was soon in the water, swimming like a dog, and splas.h.i.+ng George as soon as he got up to her.

'We met Lou and your uncle as we came down,' called George. 'Shut up, n.o.bby, and let me talk to you. I said, we met Lou and your uncle just now - going up into the hills.'

'Up into the hills?' said n.o.bby, astonished. 'Whatever for? They don't go and fetch things from the farm. The women do that, early each morning.'

'Well, we met those two,' said d.i.c.k swimming up. They seemed jolly surprised to see us. I hope they aren't going to bother us any more.'

'I've had a bad day,' said n.o.bby, and he showed black bruises on his arms. 'My uncle hit me like anything for making friends with you. He says I'm not to go talking to strangers no more.'

'Why ever not?' said d.i.c.k. 'What a surly, selfish fellow he is! Well, you don't seem to be taking much notice of him now!'

''Course not!' said n.o.bby. 'He's safe up in the hills, isn't he? I'll have to be careful he doesn't see me with you, that's all. n.o.body else at the camp will split on me - they all hate Lou and Tiger Dan.'

'We saw you out in your boat with Pongo,' said Julian, swimming up to join in the conversation. 'We thought that if ever you wanted to signal to us you could easily do it by going out in your boat, and waving a handkerchief or something. We've got field-gla.s.ses, and we can easily see you. We could come along down if you signalled. We'd know it would be safe.'

'Right,' said n.o.bby. 'Come on, let's have a race. Bet you I'm on the sh.o.r.e first!'

He wasn't, of course, because he didn't swim properly. Even Anne could race him. Soon they were all drying themselves vigorously.

'Golly, I'm hungry!' said Julian. 'Come on up the hill with us, n.o.bby, and share our supper!'

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