chapter 8 all round the farm

the five thoroughly enjoyed their ride over the big farm. it spread out in all directions overundulating hills, and the van swung up and down and continually lurched round corners. it stoppedevery now and again so that the children might see the magnificent views.

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bill told them the names of the great fields as they passed them. 'that's oak-tree field - that'shangman's copse over there - that's tinker's wood field - and that's faraway field - the furthestfrom the farm-house.'

name after name came from his lips, and it seemed as if the sight of the fields he knew and lovedsuddenly set his tongue going. he told them about the stock too. 'them's the new cows over there- give good milk they do - helps a farmer no end to get money every week for milk, you know.

and them's the bulls, down in that field. fine creatures, too - cost a mint of money. but mesterphilpot, he believes in good animals. he'd rather go without a new car than buy poor stock.

them's the sheep right away over there - see, dotted about on those slopes. can't take you to see'em today, though. you'd like shepherd. he's been here so long and is so old, he knows every inch ofthe farm!'

he relapsed into silence after this unusual spate of talk, and turned down a path that took the childrenback towards the farm-house, using a different route, to show them even more fields.

there were glorious fields of corn, golden in the sun, waving in the breeze with a wonderful rustlingnoise. 'i could sit here for hours and look at that, and listen,' said anne.

'then don't you marry a farmer, if so be you wants to do that, for a farmer's wife has no time to sit!'

said bill dryly, and was silent again.

they jolted along, shaken to the bones, but loving every minute. 'cows, calves, sheep, lambs, bulls,dogs, ducks, chickens,' chanted anne. 'corn, kale, beet, cauliflower - ooh, bill, look out!'

the van had gone at such speed into a deep rut that anne was nearly flung out. timmy shot throughthe back entrance of the van, and landed on the ground, rolling over and over. he got slowly to hisfeet, looking most amazed.

'timmy! it's all right! it was only a bigger hole than usual!' shouted george. 'buck up - jump in!'

as the land-rover didn't stop, timmy had to gallop after it, and enter with a flying leap from theback. bill gave a snort of laughter, which made the wheel wobble dangerously. 'this here old car'salmost human,' he said. 'just jigs about for joy on a day like this!'

and he drove headlong over a slanting path and straight down into a hollow, making poor annegroan again. 'all very well for bill!' she said, in julian's ear. 'he's got the wheel to hang on to!'

in spite of the jolting and bumping the five immensely enjoyed their ride round the farm. 'now wereally know what it's like!' said julian, as the land-rover came to a very sudden stop near the farm-house, throwing them all on top of one another. 'my word - no wonder old great-grand-33dad, and mr. and mrs. philpot love the place. it's grand! thanks awfully, bill. we've enjoyed ittremendously! wish my people had a farm like this!'

'farm like this? ay. it's taken centuries to grow,' said bill. 'all them names i told you - they'mcenturies old too. nobody knows now who was hanged down in hangman's copse - or what tinkerscame to tinkers wood. but they'm not forgot as long as they fields are there!'

anne stared at bill in wonder. why, that was almost poetry, she thought. he turned and saw hergazing at him. he nodded at her.

'you unnerstand all right, miss, don't you?' he said. 'there's some that don't, though. that mr.

henning, he raves about it all - but he don't unnerstand a thing. as fer that boy of his!' and to anne'ssurprise he turned and spat into the ditch, 'that's what i thinks of him!'

'oh - it's just the way he's been brought up, i expect,' said anne. 'i've met heaps of fine americanchildren, and ...'

'well, that one wants a hiding!' said bill, grimly. 'and if it wasn't that mrs. philpot begged me tokeep my hands offen him, he'd be black and blue, that boy! and so i tell you! trying to ride on themscarey calves and chasing the hens till they're scared off egg-laying - and stoning the ducks, poorcritturs - and slitting sacks of seed just for the fun of seeing it dribble out and waste! hoo, wouldn't ilike to shake him till his bones rattled!'

the four listened in silence, horrified. junior was much worse than they had thought, then.

george felt very very pleased that she had taught him a lesson that morning.

'don't you worry any more about junior,' said julian grimly. 'we'll keep him in order while we'rehere!'

they said good-bye and walked back to the farmhouse, stiff and sore from the bumpy, bone-shakingride, but with their minds full of the lovely sloping hills, the blue distance, the waving corn, and thefeel of a farmland in good heart.

'that was good,' said julian, voicing the feelings of the others. 'very good. i somehow feel moreenglish for having seen those dorset fields, set about by hedges, basking in the sun.'

'i liked bill,' said anne. 'he's so - so solid and real. he belongs to the land, just as the land belongs tohim. they're one!'

'ah - anne has discovered what farming really means!' said dick. 'i say, i'm most awfully hungry,but i really don't like to go and ask for anything at the farm-house. let's go down to the village andget buns and milk at the dairy.'

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'oh yes!' said anne and george, and timmy gave a few sharp, short barks as if he thoroughly agreed.

they set off down the lane that led to the village, and soon came to the little ice-cream shop, halfbaker's half dairy. janie, the small talkative girl, was there again. she smiled at them in delight.

'you're here again!' she said, in pleasure. 'mum's made some macaroons this morning. see - all gooeyand fresh!'

'now how did you guess that we are all very partial to macaroons?' said dick, sitting down at one ofthe two little tables there. 'we'll have a plateful, please.'

'what, a whole plateful?' exclaimed janie. 'but there's about twenty on a plate!'

'just about right,' said dick. 'and an ice-cream each, please. large. and don't forget our dog, willyou?'

'oh no, i won't,' said janie. 'he's a very nice dog, isn't he? have you noticed what lovely smiley eyeshe has?'

'well, yes, we have. we know him quite well, you see,' said dick, amused. george looked pleased.

she did so like timmy to be praised. timmy liked it too. he actually went up to janie and licked herhand!

soon they had a plateful of delicious macaroons in front of them - and they were indeed nice, andvery 'gooey' inside, as janie had so rightly said. george gave timmy one, but it was really wasted onhim, because he gave one crunch, and then swallowed it! he also chased his ice-cream all over thefloor again, much to janie's delight.

'how do you like it at mrs. philpot's?' she asked. 'kind, isn't she?'

'very!' said everyone together.

'we love being at the farm,' said anne. 'we've been all over it this morning, in the land-rover.'

'did bill take you?' asked janie. 'he's my uncle. but he don't usually say much to strangers.'

'well, he said plenty to us,' said julian. 'he was most interesting. does he like macaroons?'

'oooh yes,' said janie, rather astonished. 'everyone likes mum's macaroons.'

'could he eat six, do you think?' asked julian.

'ooooh yes,' said janie, still astonished, her blue eyes opened wide.

'right. put six in a bag for me,' said julian. 'i'll give them to him in return for a jolly fine ride.'

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'that's right down nice of you,' said janie, pleased. 'my uncle's been on finniston farm all his life.

you ought to get him to show you where finniston castle used to stand, before it was burnt down,and...'

'finniston castle!' exclaimed george, in surprise. 'we went all over the farm this morning, and sawevery field - but we didn't see any ruined castle.'

'oh no, you wouldn't see anything!' said janie. 'i told you - it was burnt down. right to the ground,ages ago. finniston farm belonged to it, you know. there's some pictures of it in a shop down theroad. i saw them, and...'

'now janie, janie, how many times have i told you not to chatter to customers?' said janie's mother,bustling in, frowning. 'that tongue of yours! can't you learn that people don't want to hear yourchatter, chatter, chatter?'

'we like talking to janie,' said julian, politely. 'she's most interesting. please don't send her away.'

but janie had fled, red-cheeked and scared. her mother began to arrange the goods on the counter.

'let's see now - what did you have?' she said. 'good gracious, where are all those macaroons gone?

there were at least two dozen there!'

'er - well - we had almost twenty - and the dog helped, of course - and janie put six in a bag for us -let's see now...'

'there were twenty-four on that plate,' said janie's mother, still amazed. 'twenty-four! i countedthem!'

'and five ice-creams,' said julian. 'how much is that altogether? most delicious macaroons theywere!'

janie's mother couldn't help smiling. she totted up the bill, and julian paid. 'come again,' she said,'and don't you let that little gas-bag of mine bore you!'

they set off down the street, feeling very pleased with life. timmy kept licking his lips as if he couldstill taste macaroon and ice-cream! they walked to the end of the street, and came to the little lanethat led up to the farm. anne stopped.

'i'd like to go and look at the horse-brasses in this little antique shop,' she said. 'you go on. i'll comelater.'

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'i'll come in with you,' said george, and she turned to the little shop-window. the boys walked on bythemselves. 'we'll probably be helping on the farm somewhere!' shouted back dick. 'so long!'

just as anne and george were going into the shop, two people came out and almost bumped intothem. one was mr. henning the american, the other was a man they hadn't seen before. 'goodmorning,' mr. henning said to them, and went into the street with his friend. anne and georgewalked into the dark little shop.

there was an old man there, drumming on the counter, looking quite angry. he gave the two girlssuch a glare that they felt quite frightened!

'that man!' said the old man, and frowned so fiercely that his glasses fell off. anne helped him to findthem among the clutter of quaint old trinkets on his counter. he fixed them on his nose again andlooked sternly at the two girls and timmy.

'if you've come to waste my time, please go,' he said. 'i'm a busy man. children are no good to me.

just want to nose round and touch this and that, and never buy anything! that american boy now -he's... ah, but you don't know what i'm talking about, do you? i'm upset. i'm always upset whenpeople want to buy our beautiful old things and take them away to a country they don't belong to.

now...'

'it's all right, mr. finniston,' said anne, in her gentle voice. 'you are mr. finniston, aren't you? i justwanted to look at those lovely old horse-brasses, please. i won't bother you for long. we're staying atfinniston farm, and...'

'ah - at finniston farm, did you say?' said the old man, his face brightening. 'then you've met mygreat friend, dear old jonathan philpot. my very great friend!'

'is that mr. philpot, the twins' father?' asked george.

'no, no, no - it's old great-grand-dad! we went to school together,' said the old man, excited.

'ah - i could tell you some tales of the finnistons and the castle they once owned. yes, yes - i'm adescendant of the owners of that castle, you know - the one that was burnt down. oh, the tales i couldtell you!'

and it was just at that moment that the adventure began - the finniston farm adventure that thefive-were never to forget!