chapter 8 off to the little hut

julian and dick were so sleepy after their long day in the cold air, and their enormous meal, that theycould not keep their eyes open for long.

'go to bed, both of you!' said anne, seeing them lying tired out in their chairs, when mrs. jones hadcleared away everything.

'yes. i think we'd better,' said julian, staggering up. 'oh, my legs! they're as stiff as sticks! goodnight, you two girls, and timmy. see you tomorrow - if we wake up!'

the two boys stumbled up the stone stairs to bed. george and anne stayed downstairs, talking andreading. timmy lay on the hearthrug, listening, his ears twitching towards anne when she spoke, andthen towards george as she answered. this little habit of his always made them laugh.

'it's exactly as if he was listening, but too lazy to join in our conversation!' said anne. 'oh, george - ireally am glad you're not going home tomorrow. it would be the first time you'd ever done a thinglike that! i'd just have had to come with you!'

'don't let's talk about it,' said george. 'i feel rather ashamed of making such a fuss now. all the samei shall be terrified if i see any of those dogs again when i'm with timmy. what a bit of luck the boyswent up to that hut today, anne - we'd never have known about it if they hadn't.'

'yes. it sounds fun,' said anne. 'don't let's be too late to bed, george. it will be quite a pull up themountainside tomorrow, with all our things!'

george went to the window.

'it's snowing hard,' she said. 'just as morgan said it would. i don't like him, do you?'

'oh - i think he's all right,' said anne. 'and what a voice he's got! he nearly made me jump out of myskin when he called his three dogs. he must have the loudest voice in the world!'

'timmy - you're yawning!' said george, as timmy opened his mouth widely and made a yawningnoise. 'how's your neck?'

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timmy was getting rather tired of having his neck examined. he lay still while george had anotherlook at it.

'healing beautifully!' she said. 'you'll be quite all right tomorrow. will you like going off to that hutall by ourselves, tim?'

timmy gave her a loving lick and yawned again. then he got up and trotted over to the door that ledto the stone stairs, looking back enquiringly at george.

'right. we're coming,' said george, laughing, and she and anne blew out the lamp on the table, andfollowed timmy up the stairs. they peeped in at the boys' room - and saw julian and dick absolutelysound asleep, dead to the world!

'a thunderstorm wouldn't wake them tonight!' said anne. 'come on - let's buck up and get into bedourselves. we've a nice wood-fire again, and i shall undress in front of it. move over, timmy, i wantto stand on the rug.'

in the morning the world was very white indeed! as morgan had prophesied, the snow had fallenthickly in the night, and everywhere was covered in a thick white blanket, that gleamed and sparkledin the weak january sun.

'this is something like!' said dick, as he looked out of his bedroom window. 'get up, ju - it's amarvellous morning! remember, we've got to take all our things up to that hut today! do stiryourself!'

mrs. jones gave them a fine breakfast - eggs, bacon and sausages.

'it's the last hot meal you'll have, if you're going up to that hut,' she said. 'though you'll be able tocook eggs in the little saucepan up there, if you set it on top of the oil-stove. and mind you don't getplaying about round that stove when it's alight, or the whole place might go up in flames!'

'we'll be very careful,' promised julian. 'i'll send anyone back if they upset the stove - yes, i will, sojust look out, timmy!'

'woof!' said tim, amiably. he was pleasantly excited with all the preparations for going, and ransniffing from one parcel to another.

the children were not taking all their things, of course, but mrs. jones had made them pack acomplete change of clothes each, besides their warmest night-clothes and dressing-gowns. they hadtorches too, and plenty of rope for hauling things up and down the hills. and also they had 34six loaves of new-baked bread, a large cheese, about three dozen eggs and a ham. so they were trulywell provided for.

'and there's plenty of butter packed in with the loaves,' said mrs. jones, 'and a large pot of cream. i'lltry and send up some milk if the shepherd comes down. he'll pass the hut when he goes up again.

there's only a quart in that bottle there - but you'll find plenty of orangeade and lemonade in the hut -and you can boil snow if you want to make cocoa or tea!'

it was quite clear that mrs. jones had no idea how many times the five had gone off on their own!

they smiled and winked at one another, and took all her advice in good part. she really was so kind,so very concerned about them all. she even packed some bones and dog biscuits for timmy!

'here's my morgan now,' said mrs. jones, when every single thing had been put in a pile outside thefront door, toboggans and skis as well. 'he's brought his snow-slide with him, to take all your goods.'

the snow-slide was like a long, flat cart with runners instead of wheels - an elongated sleigh.

the children piled on to it all the parcels, and two suit-cases. they were all going to walk up as thesnow was not yet too thick. timmy danced round in great excitement - though both he and georgekept a wary eye out for the other dogs, and timmy did not venture very far from george.

the giant like morgan arrived, his breath puffing before him like a smoke-cloud! he nodded at thechildren.

'morning,' he said, and that was all. he took hold of the ropes at the front of the snow-slide and ranthem over his shoulders.

'i'll take one,' said julian. 'it's much too heavy for one person to pull!'

'ha!' said morgan, scornfully, and walked off with the two ropes over his shoulder. the snow-slidefollowed easily.

'strong as a horse, my morgan is,' said old mrs. jones, proudly.

'strong as ten horses!' said julian, wishing he was as big and as strong as the broad-shoulderedfarmer.

george said nothing. she hadn't yet forgiven the farmer for being scornful about timmy's bite theday before. she followed the others, carrying her skis, and waved to kind old mrs. jones as she stoodanxiously watching them leave.

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it seemed a long trek up the mountainside, when things had to be pulled or carried! morgan wentfirst, pulling the big snow-slide easily. julian went next, pulling a toboggan and carrying his skis.

dick was next with another toboggan and skis, and the girls came last with their skis only.

timmy ran at the front or the back as he liked, enjoying everything.

morgan said nothing at all. julian addressed a few polite remarks to him, and received a grunt inreply, but that was all. he looked curiously at the great, strong fellow, wondering about him and hissilence. he looked intelligent and even kindly - but he seemed so dour and rough in his manners andbehaviour! oh well - they would soon say good-bye to him and be on their own!

they came at last to the little hut. the girls ran ahead to it, exclaiming in delight. george lookedthrough the windows.

'oh - it's a proper little house inside! oh, look at those bunks on the walls! and there's even a carpeton the floor! quick, julian, where's the key?'

'morgan's got it,' said julian, and they all stood by and waited while morgan unlocked the door forthem.

'thanks so much for helping to bring up our things,' said julian, politely. 'awfully good of you.'

morgan grunted, but looked pleased.

'shepherd comes by at times,' he said, in his great deep voice, and the five felt quite surprised to hearhim saying even a short sentence to them! 'he'll take messages for you if you so want.'

and with that he set off down the hill back to the farm, with enormous, swinging steps, like a giantfrom an old-time tale.

'he's queer,' said anne, looking after him. 'i don't know if i like him or not.'

'what does it matter?' said dick. 'come on, anne, old girl, give a hand. there's plenty to do.

what about you and george seeing what blankets and things are in those cupboards, and making upsome beds for tonight.'

anne loved that kind of thing, though george didn't. she would much rather have carried in thethings as the boys were doing. but she went to the cupboards with anne, and examined all theircontents with much interest.

'plenty of rugs and blankets and pillows,' said anne. 'and enough china and cutlery for half a dozenfamilies too! i suppose old mrs. jones has dozens of people here in the summer! george, i'll put thefood away, if you'll see to the beds.'

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'right,' said george, and went to make up four of the bunk-beds. there were six of these altogether,in rows of three - three on one wall, three on another, one above the other. george was soonstruggling with blankets and pillows, while anne set out the food they had brought with them,arranging it neatly on the cupboard shelves. then she went to look at the stove to see if it had oil in it,for it would be very cold that night.

'yes, it's full,' she said. 'i'll light it tonight, because i expect we'll be out as long as it's daylight, won'twe, dick?'

'rather!' said dick, unpacking some of the things out of his suit-case. 'by the way, there's a littlewooden bunker outside, with a can of extra oil and an enamel jug. i suppose the jug's for fetchingwater from some spring or other in the summer-time - but we can easily melt snow for water.

will you two girls be long, anne?'

'no. we've almost finished,' said anne. 'do you want something to eat before we go? or shall wetake some bread and ham with us, and have a good meal when we come back?'

'oh, take some sandwiches,' said julian. 'i don't want to stop for a meal. besides, we can't be hungryyet. make sandwiches, anne - and we'll take some of those apples with us too!'

the sandwiches were quickly made, and the boys filled their pockets with apples. timmy dancedround in delight.

'you won't be quite so pleased, tim, when you find yourself in deep snow!' said dick. 'i wonder ifhe'll like travelling down the hill on a toboggan, george!'

'oh, he'll love it!' said george. 'won't you, tim? are we ready? well, lock the door, ju, and off we'llgo!'