chapter 3 a lovely day - and a lovely night

the five of them had a lovely time that evening. they had tea about half past five, and then boughtwhat they wanted for supper and breakfast. new rolls, anchovy paste, a big round jam-tart in acardboard box, oranges, lime-juice, a fat lettuce and some ham sandwiches - it seemed a very niceassortment indeed.

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'let's hope we don't eat it all for supper, and have no breakfast left,' said george, packing thesandwiches into her basket. 'get down, timmy. these sandwiches are not for you. i've bought you awhacking big bone - that will keep you busy for hours!'

'well, don't let him have it when we settle down for the night,' said anne. 'he makes such a row,crunching and munching. he'd keep me awake.'

'nothing would keep me awake tonight,' said dick. 'i believe i could sleep through an earthquake. i'malready thinking kindly of my sleeping-bag.'

'i don't think we need to put up our tents tonight,' said julian, looking up at the perfectly clear sky. 'i'llask someone what the weather forecast was on the radio at six. honestly i think we could justsnuggle into our sleeping-bags and have the sky for a roof.'

'how smashing!' said anne. 'i'd love to lie and look at the stars.'

the weather forecast was good. 'fine and clear and mild'.

'good,' said julian. 'that will save us a lot of trouble - we don't even need to unpack our tents.

come on - have we got everything now? does anyone feel as if we ought to buy any more food?'

the baskets were all full. nobody thought it advisable to try and get anything more into them.

'we could get lots more in if timmy would only carry his own bones,' said anne. 'half my basket iscrammed with enormous bones for him. why can't you rig up something so that timmy could carryhis own food, george? i'm sure he's clever enough.'

'yes, he's clever enough,' said george. 'but he's much too greedy, anne. you know that. he'd stopand eat all his food at once if he had to carry it. dogs seem to be able to eat anything at any time.'

'they're lucky,' said dick. 'wish i could. but i just have to pause between my meals!'

'now for the lake,' said julian, folding up the map which he had just been examining. 'it's only aboutfive miles away. it's called the green pool, but it looks a good bit bigger than a pool. i could do witha bathe. i'm so hot and sticky.'

they came to the lake at about half past seven. it was in a lovely place, and had beside it a small hutwhich was obviously used in summer-time for bathers to change into bathing-suits. now it waslocked, and curtains were drawn across the windows.

'i suppose we can go in for a dip if we like?' said dick rather doubtfully. 'we shan't be trespassing oranything, shall we?'

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'no. it doesn't say anything about being private,' said julian. 'the water won't be very warm, youknow, because it's only mid-april! but after all, we're used to cold baths every morning, and idaresay the sun has taken the chill off the lake. come on - let's get into bathing-things.'

they changed behind the bushes and then ran down to the lake. the water was certainly very coldindeed. anne skipped in and out, and wouldn't do any more than that.

george joined the boys in a swim, and they all came out glowing and laughing. 'brrr, that was cold!'

said dick. 'come on - let's have a sharp run. look at anne - dressed already. timmy, where are you?

you don't mind the cold water, do you?'

they all tore up and down the little paths by the green pool like mad things. anne was getting thesupper ready. the sun had disappeared now, and although the evening was still very mild the radiantwarmth of the day had gone. anne was glad of her sweater.

'good old anne,' said dick, when at last he and the others joined her, dressed again, with theirsweaters on for warmth. 'look, she's got the food all ready. proper little housewife, aren't you, anne?

i bet if we stayed here for more than one night anne would have made some kind of larder, and havearranged a good place to wash everything - and be looking for somewhere to keep her dusters andbroom!'

'you're so silly, dick,' said anne. 'you ought to be glad i like messing about with the food andgetting it ready for you. oh timmy! shoo! get away! look at him, he's shaken millions andmillions of drops of lakewater all over the food. you ought to have dried him, george. you knowhow he shakes himself after a swim.'

'sorry,' said george. 'tim, say you're sorry. why must you be so violent about everything? if i shookmyself like that my ears and fingers would fly off into the air!'

it was a lovely meal, sitting there in the evening light, watching the first stars come out in the sky.

the children and timmy were all tired but happy. this was the beginning of their trip - andbeginnings were always lovely - the days stretched out before you endlessly, and somehow you feltcertain that the sun would shine every single day!

they were not long in snuggling into their sleeping-bags when they had finished the meal. they hadset them all together in a row, so that they could talk if they wanted to. timmy was thrilled.

he walked solemnly across the whole lot, and was greeted with squeals and threats.

'timmy! how dare you! when i've had such a big supper too!'

'timmy! you brute! you put all your great big feet down on me at once!'

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'george, you really might stop timmy from walking all over us like that! i only hope he's not goingto do it all night long.'

timmy looked surprised at the shouts. he settled down beside george, after a vain attempt to get intoher sleeping-bag with her. george turned her face away from his licks.

'oh timmy, i do love you but i wish you wouldn't make my face so wet. julian, look at that gloriousstar - like a little round lamp. what is it?'

'it's not a star really - it's venus, one of the planets,' said julian, sleepily. 'but it's called the eveningstar. fancy you not knowing that, george. don't they teach you anything at your school?'

george tried to kick julian through her sleeping-bag, but she couldn't. she gave it up and yawned soloudly that she set all the others yawning too.

anne fell asleep first. she was the smallest and was more easily tired with long walks and rides thanthe others, though she always kept up with them valiantly. george gazed unblinkingly at the brightevening star for a minute and then fell asleep suddenly. julian and dick talked quietly for a fewminutes. timmy was quite silent. he was tired out with his miles and miles of running.

nobody stirred at all that night, not even timmy. he took no notice of a horde of rabbits who playednot far off. he hardly pricked an ear when an owl hooted nearby. he didn't even stir when a beetleran over his head.

but if george had waked and spoken his name timmy would have been wide awake at once,standing over george and licking her, whining gently! george was the centre of his world, night andday.

the next day was fair and bright. it was lovely to wake up and feel the warm sun on their cheeks, andhear a thrush singing his heart out. 'it might be the very same thrush,' thought dick, drowsily. 'he'ssaying, "mind how you do-it, do-it, do-it!" just like the other one did.'

anne sat up cautiously. she wondered if she should get up and have breakfast ready for the others -or would they want a bathe first?

julian sat up next and yawned as he wriggled himself half out of his sleeping-bag. he grinned atanne.

'hallo,' he said. 'had a good night? i feel fine this morning!'

'i feel rather stiff,' said anne. 'but it will soon wear off. hallo, george - you awake?'

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george grunted and snuggled down farther in her sleeping-bag. timmy pawed at her, whining.

he wanted her to get up and go for a run with him.

'shut up, timmy,' said george from the depth of her bag. i'm asleep!'

'i'm going for a bathe,' said julian. 'anyone else coming?'

'i won't,' said anne. 'it will be too cold for me this morning. george doesn't seem to want to, either.

you two boys go by yourselves. i'll have breakfast ready for you when you come back.

sorry i shan't be able to have anything hot for you to drink - but we didn't bring a kettle or anythinglike that.'

julian and dick went off to the green pool, still looking sleepy. anne got out of her sleeping-bag anddressed quickly. she decided to go down to the pool with her sponge and flannel and wake herself upproperly with the cold water. george was still in her sleeping-bag.

the two boys were almost at the pool. ah, now they could see it between the trees, shining a brightemerald green. it looked very inviting indeed.

they suddenly saw a bicycle standing beside a tree. they looked at it in astonishment. it wasn't oneof theirs. it must belong to someone else.

then they heard splashings from the pool, and they hurried down to it. was someone else bathing?

a boy was in the pool, his golden head shining wet and smooth in the morning sun. he wasswimming powerfully across the pool, leaving long ripples behind him as he went. he suddenly sawdick and julian, and swam over to them.

'hallo,' he said, wading out of the water. 'you come for a swim too? nice pool of mine, isn't it?'

'what do you mean? it isn't really your pool, is it? said julian.

'well - it belongs to my father, thurlow kent,' said the boy.

both julian and dick had heard of thurlow kent, one of the richest men in the country. julian lookeddoubtfully at the boy.

'if it's a private pool we won't use it,' he said.

'oh come on!' cried the boy, and splashed cold water all over them. 'race you to the other side!'

and off all three of them went, cleaving the green waters with their strong brown arms - what a finebeginning to a sunny day!