chapter 4 george is worried

they lazed for some time in the sun after they had finished their meal. there were three sandwicheseach left, and half a piece each of the fruit cake. no one had been able to manage a whole piece,much as they would have liked to.

timmy seemed to think he could finish all the cake that was left, but julian said no. 'it's such agorgeous cake it would be really wasted on timmy,' he said. 'you've had enough, tim. greedy dog!'

'woof,' said timmy, wagging his tail, and eyeing the cake watchfully. he sighed when he saw itbeing packed up. he had only had a bit of george's half-slice - what a cake!

'i'll pack three sandwiches and a half-slice of the cake into each of four bags,' said julian,'anyone can eat his or hers whenever they like. i expect we shall have a good meal at the farmhousei've chosen for tonight, so you can eat when you like before then.'

'i don't feel as if i could eat anything till tomorrow morning,' said anne, putting her bag of food intoher rucksack. 'but it's odd how hungry you keep on getting, even if you feel you can't possibly be forhours and hours.'

'well, timmy can wolf anything you don't want,' said julian. 'nothing wasted when tim's about.

now are we all ready? we're going through a little village soon, where we'll stop for a drink. i 14could do with a ginger-beer. and then on we go to our farm-house. we ought to try and arrive aboutfive, because it gets dark so soon.'

'what's the farm-house called?' asked anne.

'blue pond farm,' said julian. 'nice name, isn't it? i hope it's still got a blue pond.'

'suppose they haven't room for us?' said anne.

'oh, they can always put a couple of girls somewhere,' said julian. 'dick and i can sleep in a barn ifnecessary. we're not particular!'

'i'd like to sleep in a barn too,' said anne, 'i'd love to. let's not ask for a bedroom, let's all sleep in abarn - on straw or hay or something.'

'no,' said julian. 'you girls will have to be in the house. it gets cold at night, and we've brought norugs. we boys will be all right with our macs over us. i'm not letting you two girls do that.'

'it's stupid being a girl!' said george, for about the millionth time in her life. 'always having to becareful when boys can do as they like! i'm going to sleep in a barn, anyway. i don't care what yousay, ju!'

'oh yes you do,' said julian, 'you know quite well that if ever you go against the orders of the chief -that's me, my girl, in case you didn't know it - you won't come out with us again. you may look like aboy and behave like a boy, but you're a girl all the same. and like it or not, girls have got to be takencare of.'

'i should have thought that boys hated having to take care of girls,' said george, sulkily.

'especially girls like me who don't like it.'

'well, decent boys like looking after their girl cousins or their sisters,' said julian, 'and oddly enoughdecent girls like it. but i won't count you as a girl, george, decent or otherwise. i'll merely count youas a boy who's got to have an eye on him - my eye, see? so take that look off your face, and don'tmake yourself any more difficult than you already are.'

george couldn't help laughing, and the sulky look went at once. she gave julian a punch. 'all right.

you win. you're so jolly domineering these days i feel quite afraid of you!'

'you're not afraid of anyone,' said dick. 'you're the bravest girl i ever knew! aha! that's made oldgeorge blush like a girl! let me warm my hands, george!'

and dick held his hands up in front of george's scarlet face, pretending to warm them at her fieryblush. she didn't know whether to be pleased or angry. she pushed his hands away and got up,looking more like a boy than ever with her short tousled hair and her well-freckled face!

15

the others got up and stretched. then they settled their rucksacks on their backs again, with theirmacs fastened to them, threw their blazers over their shoulders and set off down fallaway hill.

timmy followed, but he didn't bound about as usual. he went slowly and carefully. george lookedround for him, and frowned.

'what is the matter with timmy?' she said. 'look at him! not a jump or a scamper in him!'

they all stopped and watched him. he came towards them and they saw that he was limping slightlywith his left hind leg. george dropped down beside him and felt the leg carefully.

'i think he must have twisted it - sprained it or something, when he was down that rabbit- hole,'

she said. she patted him gently on the back and he winced.

'what's the matter, tim?' said george, and she parted the hair on his back, examining the white skinunderneath to see why he had winced when she had patted him.

'he's got an awful bruise here,' she said at last, and the others bent to see. 'something must have hurthis back down in that hole. and anne must have hurt one of his legs when she held on to them anddragged him out. i told you not to hold on to his legs, anne.'

'well, how were we to get him out if i didn't?' demanded anne, feeling cross but rather guilty.

'did you want him to stick there for days and days?'

'i don't think there's much damage done,' said julian, feeling the hind leg. 'i honestly think he's onlyjust twisted it a bit, george. he'll be all right after tonight, i'm sure.'

'but i must be certain,' said george. 'did you say we come to a village soon, ju?'

'yes - beacons village,' said julian, 'we can ask if there's a vet anywhere in the district if you like.

he'll look at timmy's leg and tell you if there's anything much wrong. but i don't think there is.'

'we'll go on to the village then,' said george. 'oh dear - the only time i ever wish timmy was a littledog is when he's hurt - because he's so very very heavy to carry.'

'well, don't think of carrying him yet,' said dick. 'he can walk on three legs even if he can't on four!

he's not as bad as all that, are you, timmy?'

'woof,' said timmy, mournfully. he was rather enjoying all the fuss. george patted his head.

'come on,' she said, 'we'll soon get that leg put right. come on, tim.'

they all went on, looking round to see how timmy was getting on. he followed slowly, and thenbegan to limp more badly. finally he lifted his left hind leg up from the ground and ran on three legsonly.

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'poor boy,' said george. 'poor timmy! i do hope his leg will be all right tomorrow. i can't possibly goon with the hike if it isn't.'

it was rather a gloomy company that came to beacons village. julian made his way to a little inn thatstood in the middle, called three shepherds.

a woman was shaking a duster out of a window. julian called up to her.

'i say! is there a vet anywhere in this district? i want someone to have a look at our dog's leg.'

'no. no vet here,' answered the woman. 'not one nearer than marlins over six miles away.'

george's heart sank. timmy would never be able to walk six miles.

'is there a bus?' she called.

'no. not to marlins,' said the woman. 'no bus goes there, missy. but if you want your dog's leg seento, you go up to spiggy house, up along there. mr. gaston lives there with his horses, and he knowsabout dogs too. you take the dog there. he'll know what to do.'

'oh thank you,' said george, gratefully. 'is it very far?'

'about half a mile,' said the woman. 'see that hill? you go up there, take the turning to the right andyou'll see a big house. that's spiggy house. you can't mistake it because of the stables built all roundit. ask for mr. gaston. he's nice, he is. maybe you'll have to wait a little if he's out with his horsesthough - he may not be in till it's almost dark.'

the four held a little council. 'we'd better go up to this mr. gaston's, i think,' said julian. 'but i thinkyou and anne, dick, should go on to the farm-house i planned to stay in for the night, and makearrangements for us. we don't want to leave it till the last minute. i'll go with george and timmy, ofcourse.'

'right,' said dick. 'i'll take anne now. it will be dark pretty soon. got your torch, julian?'

'yes,' said julian. 'and i'm pretty good at finding my way, as you know. i shall come back to thisvillage after we've been to mr. gaston's, and then make straight for the farm-house. it's about a mileand a half away.'

'thanks awfully for saying you'll come with me, julian,' said george. 'let's go now, shall we?

well, dick and anne - see you later!'

julian set off with george and timmy up the hill to spiggy house. timmy went on three legs, andstill seemed very sorry for himself. anne and dick watched him, feeling sorry for him.

'i hope he's all right tomorrow,' said dick. 'it will spoil our week-end if he's not, no doubt about that!'

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they turned away and walked through the little village of beacons. 'now for blue pond farmhouse,'

said dick. 'julian didn't give me very clear directions, i think i'll ask someone exactly where it is.'

but they met nobody except a man driving a little cart. dick hailed him and he pulled up his horse.

'are we on the right road for blue pond farm-house?' shouted dick. 'ar,' answered the man, noddinghis head.

'is it straight on - or do we take any paths or little lanes?' asked dick, 'ar,' said the man, noddingagain.

'what does he mean - ''ar''?' said dick. he raised his voice again. 'is it this way?' and he pointed.

'ar,' said the man again. he raised his whip and pointed up the road where the two were going, andthen across to the west.

'oh, i see - we turn to the right up there?' called dick.

'ar,' said the man, nodding, and drove on so suddenly that the horse almost stepped on dick's foot.

'well - if we find the farm-house after all those ''ars'' we'll be clever,' said dick. 'come on!'