Chapter Five A VISIT TO THE ISLAND
The children's aunt arranged a picnic for them the next day, and they all went off to a little cove notfar off where they could bathe and paddle to their hearts' content. They had a wonderful day, butsecretly Julian, Dick and Anne wished they could have visited George's island. They would ratherhave done that than anything!
George didn't want to go for the picnic, not because she disliked picnics, but because she couldn'ttake her dog. Her mother went with the children, and George had to pass a whole day without herbeloved Timothy.
"Bad luck!" said Julian, who guessed what she was brooding about. "I can't think why you don't tellyour mother about old Tim. I'm sure she wouldn't mind you letting someone else keep him for you. Iknow my mother wouldn't mind."
"I'm not going to tell anybody but you," said George. "I get into awful trouble at home always. I daresay it's my fault, but I get a bit tired of it. You see, Daddy doesn't make much money with the learnedbooks he writes, and he's always wanting to give mother and me things he can't afford. So that makeshim bad-tempered. He wants to send me away to a good school but he hasn't got the money. I'm glad.
I don't want to go away to school. I like being here. I couldn't bear to part with Timothy.""You'd like boarding school," said Anne. "We all go. It's fun.""No, it isn't," said George obstinately. "It must be awful to be one of a crowd, and to have other girlsall laughing and yelling round you. I should hate it.""No, you wouldn't," said Anne. "All that is great fun. It would be good for you, George, I shouldthink."
"If you start telling me what is good for me, I shall hate you," said George, suddenly looking veryfierce. "Mother and father are always saying that things are good for me— and they are always thethings I don't like."
"All right, all right," said Julian, beginning to laugh. "My goodness, how you do go up in smoke!
Honestly, I believe anyone could light a cigarette from the sparks that fly from your eyes!"That made George laugh, though she didn't want to. It was really impossible to sulk with good-tempered Julian.
23
They went off to bathe in the sea for the fifth time that day. Soon they were all splashing abouthappily, and George found time to help Anne to swim. The little girl hadn't got the right stroke, andGeorge felt really proud when she had taught her.
"Oh, thanks," said Anne, struggling along. "I'll never be as good as you— but I'd like to be as good asthe boys."
As they were going home, George spoke to Julian. "Could you say that you want to go and buy astamp or something?" she said. "Then I could go with you, and just have a peep at old Tim. He'll bewondering why I haven't taken him out today.""Right!" said Julian. "I don't want stamps, but I could do with an ice. Dick and Anne can go homewith your mother and carry the things. I'll just go and tell Aunt Fanny."He ran up to his aunt. "Do you mind if I go and buy some ice-creams?" he asked. "We haven't hadone today. I won't be long. Can George go with me?""I don't expect she will want to," said his aunt. "But you can ask her.""George, come with me!" yelled Julian, setting off to the little village at a great pace. George gave asudden grin and ran after him. She soon caught him up and smiled gratefully at him.
"Thanks," she said. "You go and get the ice-creams, and I'll have a look at Tim."They parted, Julian bought four ice-creams, and turned to go home. He waited about for George, whocame running up after a few minutes. Her face was glowing.
"He's all right," she said. "And you can't imagine how pleased he was to see me! He nearly jumpedover my head! I say— another ice-cream for me. You really are a sport, Julian. I'll have to sharesomething with you quickly. What about going to my island tomorrow?""Golly!" said Julian, his eye's shining. "That would be marvellous. Will you really take us tomorrow?
Come on, let's tell the others!"
The four children sat in the garden eating their ices. Julian told them what George had said. They allfelt excited. George was pleased. She had always felt quite important before when she had haughtilyrefused to take any of the other children to see Kirrin Island— but it felt much nicer somehow tohave consented to row her cousins there.
"I used to think it was much, much nicer always to do things on my own," she thought, as she suckedthe last bits of her ice. "But it's going to be fun doing things with Julian and the others."The children were sent to wash themselves and to get tidy before supper. They talked eagerly aboutthe visit to the island next day. Their aunt heard them and smiled.
24
"Well, I really must say I'm pleased that George is going to share something with you," she said.
"Would you like to take your dinner there, and spend the day? It's hardly worth while rowing all theway there and landing unless you are going to spend some hours there.""Oh, Aunt Fanny! It would be marvellous to take our dinner!" cried Anne.
George looked up. "Are you coming too, Mother?" she asked.
"You don't sound at all as if you want me to," said her mother, in a hurt tone. "You looked crossyesterday, too, when you found I was coming. No— I shan't come tomorrow— but I'm sure yourcousins must think you are a queer girl never to want your mother to go with you."George said nothing. She hardly ever did say a word when she was scolded. The other children saidnothing too. They knew perfectly well that it wasn't that George didn't want her mother to go— it wasjust that she wanted Timothy with her!
"Anyway, I couldn't come," went on Aunt Fanny. "I've some gardening to do. You'll be quite safewith George. She can handle a boat like a man."The three children looked eagerly at the weather the next day when they got up. The sun was shining,and everything seemed splendid.
"Isn't it a marvellous day?"said Anne to George,as they dressed. "I'm so looking forward to going tothe island."
"Well, honestly, I think really we oughtn't to go," said George, unexpectedly.
"Oh, but why?" cried Anne, in dismay.
"I think there's going to be a storm or something," said George, looking out to the south-west.
"But, George, why do you say that?" said Anne, impatiently. "Look at the sun— and there's hardly acloud in the sky!"
"The wind is wrong," said George. "And can't you see the little white tops to the waves out there bymy island? That's always a bad sign."
"Oh George— it will be the biggest disappointment of our lives if we don't go today," said Anne,who couldn't bear any disappointment, big or small. "And besides," she added, artfully, "if we hangabout the house, afraid of a storm, we shan't be able to have dear old Tim with us.""Yes, that's true," said George. "All right— we'll go. But mind, if a storm does come, you're not to bea baby. You're to try and enjoy it and not be frightened."25
"Well, I don't much like storms," began Anne, but stopped when she saw George's scornful look.
They went down to breakfast, and George asked her mother if they could take their dinner as theyhad planned.
"Yes," said her mother. "You and Anne can help to make the sandwiches. You boys can go into thegarden and pick some ripe plums to take with you. Julian, you can go down to the village whenyou've done that and buy some bottles of lemonade or ginger-beer, whichever you like.""Ginger-pop for me, thanks!" said Julian, and everyone else said the same. They all felt very happy.
It would be marvellous to visit the queer little island. George felt happy because she would be withTim all day.
They set off at last, the food in two kit-bags. The first thing they did was to fetch Tim. He was tied upin the fisher-boy's back yard. The boy himself was there, and grinned at George.
"Morning, Master George," he said. It seemed so queer to the other children to hear Georgina called'Master George'! 'Tim's been barking his head off for you. I guess he knew you were coming for himtoday."
"Of course he did," said George, untying him. He at once went completely mad, and tore round andround the children, his tail down and his ears flat.
"He'd win any race if only he was a greyhound," said Julian, admiringly. "You can hardly see him fordust. Tim! Hie, Tim! Come and say "Good-morning"."Tim leapt up and licked Julian's left ear as he passed on his whirlwind way. Then he sobered downand ran lovingly by George as they all made their way to the beach. He licked George's bare legsevery now and again, and she pulled at his ears gently.
They got into the boat, and George pushed off. The fisher-boy waved to them. "You won't be verylong, will you?" he called. "There's a storm blowing up. Bad one it'll be, too.""I know," shouted back George. "But maybe we'll get back before it begins. It's pretty far off yet."George rowed all the way to the island. Tim stood at each end of the boat in turn, barking when thewaves reared up at him. The children watched the island coming closer and closer. It looked evenmore exciting than it had the other day.
"George, where are you going to land?" asked Julian. "I simply can't imagine how you know yourway in and out of these awful rocks. I'm afraid every moment we'll bump into them!"26
"I'm going to land at the little cove I told you about the other day," said George. "There's only oneway to it, but I know it very well. It's hidden away on the east side of the island."The girl cleverly worked her boat in and out of the rocks, and suddenly, as it rounded a low wall ofsharp rocks, the children saw the cove she had spoken of. It was like a natural little harbour, and wasa smooth inlet of water running up to a stretch of sand, sheltered between high rocks.
The boat slid into the inlet, and at once stopped rocking, for here the water was like glass, and hadhardly a wrinkle.
"I say— this is fine!" said Julian, his eyes shining with delight. George looked at him and her eyesshone too, as bright as the sea itself. It was the first time she had ever taken anyone to her preciousisland, and she was enjoying it.
They landed on the smooth yellow sand. "We're really on the island!" said Anne, and she caperedabout, Tim joining her and looking as mad as she did. The others laughed. George pulled the boathigh up on the sand.
"Why so far up?" said Julian, helping her. "The tide's almost in, isn't it? Surely it won't come as highas this."
"I told you I thought a storm was coming," said, George. "If one does, the waves simply tear up thisinlet and we don't want to lose our boat, do we?""Let's explore the island, let's explore the island!" yelled Anne, who was now at the top of the littlenatural harbour, climbing up the rocks there. "Oh do come on!"They all followed her. It really was a most exciting place. Rabbits were everywhere! They scuttledabout as the children appeared, but did not go into their holes.
"Aren't they awfully tame?" said Julian, in surprise.
"Well, nobody ever comes here but me," said George, "and I don't frighten them. Tim! Tim, if you goafter the rabbits, I'll spank you."
Tim turned big sorrowful eyes on to George. He and George agreed about every single thing exceptrabbits. To Tim rabbits were made for one thing—to chase! He never could understand why Georgewouldn't let him do this. But he held himself in and walked solemnly by the children, his eyeswatching the lolloping rabbits longingly.
"I believe they would almost eat out of my hand," said Julian.
But George shook her head.
27
"No, I've tried that with them," she said. "They won't. Look at those baby ones. Aren't they lovely?""Woof!" said Tim, agreeing, and he took a few steps towards them. George made a warning noise inher throat, and Tim walked back, his tail down.
"There's the castle!" said Julian. "Shall we explore that now? I do want to.""Yes, we will," said George. "Look— that is where the entrance used to be— through that big brokenarchway."
The children gazed at the enormous old archway, now half-broken down. Behind it were ruined stonesteps leading towards the centre of the castle.
"It had strong walls all round it, with two towers," said George. "One tower is almost gone, as youcan see, but the other is not so bad. The jackdaws build in that every year. They've almost filled it upwith their sticks!"
As they came near to the better tower of the two the jackdaws circled round them with loud cries of"Chack, chack, chack!" Tim leapt into the air as if he thought he could get them, but they only calledmockingly to him.
"This is the centre of the castle," said George, as they entered through a ruined doorway into whatlooked like a great yard, whose stone floor was now overgrown with grass and other weeds.
"Here is where the people used to live. You can see where the rooms were— look, there's one almostwhole there. Go through that little door and you'll see it."They trooped through a doorway and found themselves in a dark, stone-walled, stone-roofed room,with a space at one end where a fire-place must have been. Two slit-like windows lighted the room. Itfelt very queer and mysterious.
"What a pity it's all broken down," said Julian, wandering out again. "That room seems to be the onlyone quite whole. There are some others here— but all of them seem to have either no roof, or one orother of the walls gone. That room is the only liveable one. Was there an upstairs to the castle,George?"
"Of course," said George. "But the steps that led up are gone, Look! You can see part of an upstairsroom there, by the jackdaw tower. You can't get up to it, though, because I've tried. I nearly broke myneck trying to get up. The stones crumble away so.""Were there any dungeons?" asked Dick.
28
"I don't know," said George. "I expect so. But nobody could find them now— everywhere is soovergrown."
It was indeed overgrown. Big blackberry bushes grew here and there, and a few gorse bushes forcedtheir way into gaps and corners. The coarse green grass sprang everywhere, and pink thrift grew itscushions in holes and crannies.
"Well, I think it's a perfectly lovely place," said Anne. "Perfectly and absolutely lovely!""Do you really?" said George, pleased. "I'm so glad. Look! We're right on the other side of the islandnow, facing the sea. Do you see those rocks, with those queer big birds sitting there?"The children looked. They saw some rocks sticking up, with great black shining birds sitting on themin queer positions.
"They are cormorants," said George. "They've caught plenty of fish for their dinner, and they'resitting there digesting it. Hallo— they're all flying away. I wonder why!"She soon knew— for, from the southwest there suddenly came an ominous rumble.
"Thunder!" said George. "That's the storm. It's coming sooner than I thought
The children's aunt arranged a picnic for them the next day, and they all went off to a little cove notfar off where they could bathe and paddle to their hearts' content. They had a wonderful day, butsecretly Julian, Dick and Anne wished they could have visited George's island. They would ratherhave done that than anything!
George didn't want to go for the picnic, not because she disliked picnics, but because she couldn'ttake her dog. Her mother went with the children, and George had to pass a whole day without herbeloved Timothy.
"Bad luck!" said Julian, who guessed what she was brooding about. "I can't think why you don't tellyour mother about old Tim. I'm sure she wouldn't mind you letting someone else keep him for you. Iknow my mother wouldn't mind."
"I'm not going to tell anybody but you," said George. "I get into awful trouble at home always. I daresay it's my fault, but I get a bit tired of it. You see, Daddy doesn't make much money with the learnedbooks he writes, and he's always wanting to give mother and me things he can't afford. So that makeshim bad-tempered. He wants to send me away to a good school but he hasn't got the money. I'm glad.
I don't want to go away to school. I like being here. I couldn't bear to part with Timothy.""You'd like boarding school," said Anne. "We all go. It's fun.""No, it isn't," said George obstinately. "It must be awful to be one of a crowd, and to have other girlsall laughing and yelling round you. I should hate it.""No, you wouldn't," said Anne. "All that is great fun. It would be good for you, George, I shouldthink."
"If you start telling me what is good for me, I shall hate you," said George, suddenly looking veryfierce. "Mother and father are always saying that things are good for me— and they are always thethings I don't like."
"All right, all right," said Julian, beginning to laugh. "My goodness, how you do go up in smoke!
Honestly, I believe anyone could light a cigarette from the sparks that fly from your eyes!"That made George laugh, though she didn't want to. It was really impossible to sulk with good-tempered Julian.
23
They went off to bathe in the sea for the fifth time that day. Soon they were all splashing abouthappily, and George found time to help Anne to swim. The little girl hadn't got the right stroke, andGeorge felt really proud when she had taught her.
"Oh, thanks," said Anne, struggling along. "I'll never be as good as you— but I'd like to be as good asthe boys."
As they were going home, George spoke to Julian. "Could you say that you want to go and buy astamp or something?" she said. "Then I could go with you, and just have a peep at old Tim. He'll bewondering why I haven't taken him out today.""Right!" said Julian. "I don't want stamps, but I could do with an ice. Dick and Anne can go homewith your mother and carry the things. I'll just go and tell Aunt Fanny."He ran up to his aunt. "Do you mind if I go and buy some ice-creams?" he asked. "We haven't hadone today. I won't be long. Can George go with me?""I don't expect she will want to," said his aunt. "But you can ask her.""George, come with me!" yelled Julian, setting off to the little village at a great pace. George gave asudden grin and ran after him. She soon caught him up and smiled gratefully at him.
"Thanks," she said. "You go and get the ice-creams, and I'll have a look at Tim."They parted, Julian bought four ice-creams, and turned to go home. He waited about for George, whocame running up after a few minutes. Her face was glowing.
"He's all right," she said. "And you can't imagine how pleased he was to see me! He nearly jumpedover my head! I say— another ice-cream for me. You really are a sport, Julian. I'll have to sharesomething with you quickly. What about going to my island tomorrow?""Golly!" said Julian, his eye's shining. "That would be marvellous. Will you really take us tomorrow?
Come on, let's tell the others!"
The four children sat in the garden eating their ices. Julian told them what George had said. They allfelt excited. George was pleased. She had always felt quite important before when she had haughtilyrefused to take any of the other children to see Kirrin Island— but it felt much nicer somehow tohave consented to row her cousins there.
"I used to think it was much, much nicer always to do things on my own," she thought, as she suckedthe last bits of her ice. "But it's going to be fun doing things with Julian and the others."The children were sent to wash themselves and to get tidy before supper. They talked eagerly aboutthe visit to the island next day. Their aunt heard them and smiled.
24
"Well, I really must say I'm pleased that George is going to share something with you," she said.
"Would you like to take your dinner there, and spend the day? It's hardly worth while rowing all theway there and landing unless you are going to spend some hours there.""Oh, Aunt Fanny! It would be marvellous to take our dinner!" cried Anne.
George looked up. "Are you coming too, Mother?" she asked.
"You don't sound at all as if you want me to," said her mother, in a hurt tone. "You looked crossyesterday, too, when you found I was coming. No— I shan't come tomorrow— but I'm sure yourcousins must think you are a queer girl never to want your mother to go with you."George said nothing. She hardly ever did say a word when she was scolded. The other children saidnothing too. They knew perfectly well that it wasn't that George didn't want her mother to go— it wasjust that she wanted Timothy with her!
"Anyway, I couldn't come," went on Aunt Fanny. "I've some gardening to do. You'll be quite safewith George. She can handle a boat like a man."The three children looked eagerly at the weather the next day when they got up. The sun was shining,and everything seemed splendid.
"Isn't it a marvellous day?"said Anne to George,as they dressed. "I'm so looking forward to going tothe island."
"Well, honestly, I think really we oughtn't to go," said George, unexpectedly.
"Oh, but why?" cried Anne, in dismay.
"I think there's going to be a storm or something," said George, looking out to the south-west.
"But, George, why do you say that?" said Anne, impatiently. "Look at the sun— and there's hardly acloud in the sky!"
"The wind is wrong," said George. "And can't you see the little white tops to the waves out there bymy island? That's always a bad sign."
"Oh George— it will be the biggest disappointment of our lives if we don't go today," said Anne,who couldn't bear any disappointment, big or small. "And besides," she added, artfully, "if we hangabout the house, afraid of a storm, we shan't be able to have dear old Tim with us.""Yes, that's true," said George. "All right— we'll go. But mind, if a storm does come, you're not to bea baby. You're to try and enjoy it and not be frightened."25
"Well, I don't much like storms," began Anne, but stopped when she saw George's scornful look.
They went down to breakfast, and George asked her mother if they could take their dinner as theyhad planned.
"Yes," said her mother. "You and Anne can help to make the sandwiches. You boys can go into thegarden and pick some ripe plums to take with you. Julian, you can go down to the village whenyou've done that and buy some bottles of lemonade or ginger-beer, whichever you like.""Ginger-pop for me, thanks!" said Julian, and everyone else said the same. They all felt very happy.
It would be marvellous to visit the queer little island. George felt happy because she would be withTim all day.
They set off at last, the food in two kit-bags. The first thing they did was to fetch Tim. He was tied upin the fisher-boy's back yard. The boy himself was there, and grinned at George.
"Morning, Master George," he said. It seemed so queer to the other children to hear Georgina called'Master George'! 'Tim's been barking his head off for you. I guess he knew you were coming for himtoday."
"Of course he did," said George, untying him. He at once went completely mad, and tore round andround the children, his tail down and his ears flat.
"He'd win any race if only he was a greyhound," said Julian, admiringly. "You can hardly see him fordust. Tim! Hie, Tim! Come and say "Good-morning"."Tim leapt up and licked Julian's left ear as he passed on his whirlwind way. Then he sobered downand ran lovingly by George as they all made their way to the beach. He licked George's bare legsevery now and again, and she pulled at his ears gently.
They got into the boat, and George pushed off. The fisher-boy waved to them. "You won't be verylong, will you?" he called. "There's a storm blowing up. Bad one it'll be, too.""I know," shouted back George. "But maybe we'll get back before it begins. It's pretty far off yet."George rowed all the way to the island. Tim stood at each end of the boat in turn, barking when thewaves reared up at him. The children watched the island coming closer and closer. It looked evenmore exciting than it had the other day.
"George, where are you going to land?" asked Julian. "I simply can't imagine how you know yourway in and out of these awful rocks. I'm afraid every moment we'll bump into them!"26
"I'm going to land at the little cove I told you about the other day," said George. "There's only oneway to it, but I know it very well. It's hidden away on the east side of the island."The girl cleverly worked her boat in and out of the rocks, and suddenly, as it rounded a low wall ofsharp rocks, the children saw the cove she had spoken of. It was like a natural little harbour, and wasa smooth inlet of water running up to a stretch of sand, sheltered between high rocks.
The boat slid into the inlet, and at once stopped rocking, for here the water was like glass, and hadhardly a wrinkle.
"I say— this is fine!" said Julian, his eyes shining with delight. George looked at him and her eyesshone too, as bright as the sea itself. It was the first time she had ever taken anyone to her preciousisland, and she was enjoying it.
They landed on the smooth yellow sand. "We're really on the island!" said Anne, and she caperedabout, Tim joining her and looking as mad as she did. The others laughed. George pulled the boathigh up on the sand.
"Why so far up?" said Julian, helping her. "The tide's almost in, isn't it? Surely it won't come as highas this."
"I told you I thought a storm was coming," said, George. "If one does, the waves simply tear up thisinlet and we don't want to lose our boat, do we?""Let's explore the island, let's explore the island!" yelled Anne, who was now at the top of the littlenatural harbour, climbing up the rocks there. "Oh do come on!"They all followed her. It really was a most exciting place. Rabbits were everywhere! They scuttledabout as the children appeared, but did not go into their holes.
"Aren't they awfully tame?" said Julian, in surprise.
"Well, nobody ever comes here but me," said George, "and I don't frighten them. Tim! Tim, if you goafter the rabbits, I'll spank you."
Tim turned big sorrowful eyes on to George. He and George agreed about every single thing exceptrabbits. To Tim rabbits were made for one thing—to chase! He never could understand why Georgewouldn't let him do this. But he held himself in and walked solemnly by the children, his eyeswatching the lolloping rabbits longingly.
"I believe they would almost eat out of my hand," said Julian.
But George shook her head.
27
"No, I've tried that with them," she said. "They won't. Look at those baby ones. Aren't they lovely?""Woof!" said Tim, agreeing, and he took a few steps towards them. George made a warning noise inher throat, and Tim walked back, his tail down.
"There's the castle!" said Julian. "Shall we explore that now? I do want to.""Yes, we will," said George. "Look— that is where the entrance used to be— through that big brokenarchway."
The children gazed at the enormous old archway, now half-broken down. Behind it were ruined stonesteps leading towards the centre of the castle.
"It had strong walls all round it, with two towers," said George. "One tower is almost gone, as youcan see, but the other is not so bad. The jackdaws build in that every year. They've almost filled it upwith their sticks!"
As they came near to the better tower of the two the jackdaws circled round them with loud cries of"Chack, chack, chack!" Tim leapt into the air as if he thought he could get them, but they only calledmockingly to him.
"This is the centre of the castle," said George, as they entered through a ruined doorway into whatlooked like a great yard, whose stone floor was now overgrown with grass and other weeds.
"Here is where the people used to live. You can see where the rooms were— look, there's one almostwhole there. Go through that little door and you'll see it."They trooped through a doorway and found themselves in a dark, stone-walled, stone-roofed room,with a space at one end where a fire-place must have been. Two slit-like windows lighted the room. Itfelt very queer and mysterious.
"What a pity it's all broken down," said Julian, wandering out again. "That room seems to be the onlyone quite whole. There are some others here— but all of them seem to have either no roof, or one orother of the walls gone. That room is the only liveable one. Was there an upstairs to the castle,George?"
"Of course," said George. "But the steps that led up are gone, Look! You can see part of an upstairsroom there, by the jackdaw tower. You can't get up to it, though, because I've tried. I nearly broke myneck trying to get up. The stones crumble away so.""Were there any dungeons?" asked Dick.
28
"I don't know," said George. "I expect so. But nobody could find them now— everywhere is soovergrown."
It was indeed overgrown. Big blackberry bushes grew here and there, and a few gorse bushes forcedtheir way into gaps and corners. The coarse green grass sprang everywhere, and pink thrift grew itscushions in holes and crannies.
"Well, I think it's a perfectly lovely place," said Anne. "Perfectly and absolutely lovely!""Do you really?" said George, pleased. "I'm so glad. Look! We're right on the other side of the islandnow, facing the sea. Do you see those rocks, with those queer big birds sitting there?"The children looked. They saw some rocks sticking up, with great black shining birds sitting on themin queer positions.
"They are cormorants," said George. "They've caught plenty of fish for their dinner, and they'resitting there digesting it. Hallo— they're all flying away. I wonder why!"She soon knew— for, from the southwest there suddenly came an ominous rumble.
"Thunder!" said George. "That's the storm. It's coming sooner than I thought
