The Secret Mountain - - Страница 6

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“Can we get out, Ranni?” called Mike, who was simply longing to explore. Ranni nodded. He could see no one about at all. All the five children rushed out of the plane and jumped to the ground. It was lovely to feel it beneath their feet again.

“I feel as if the ground ought to bump and sway like the plane,” said Nora, with a giggle. “You know — like when we get out of a boat.”

“Well, I jolly well hope it doesn’t,” said Jack. “I don’t want an earthquake just at present.”

The sun was very hot. Pilescu got out some marvellous sun-hats for the five children and for himself and Ranni too. They had a sort of veil hanging down from the back to protect their spines from the sun. None of them were wearing very many clothes, but even so they felt very hot.

“I’m jolly thirsty,” said Mike, mopping his head. “Let’s have a drink, Ranni.”

They all drank lemonade, sitting in the shade of the plane. The sun was now getting low, and Pilescu looked at the time.

“There’s nothing more we can do today,” he said. “Tomorrow we will find some local people and see what we can get out of them by questioning them. Ranni thinks he can make them understand, for he picked up some of their language when he was here hunting animals for the Baronian Zoo.”

“Well, surely we haven’t got to go to bed already?” asked Nora in dismay. “Aren’t we going to explore a bit?”

“There won’t be time — the sun is setting already,” said Ranni. As he spoke the sun disappeared over the horizon, and darkness fell around almost at once. The children were surprised.

“Day went into night, and there was no evening,” said Nora, looking round. “The stars are out, look! Oh, Mike — Jack — aren’t they enormous?”

So they were. They seemed far bigger and brighter than at home. The children sat and looked at them, feeling almost afraid of their strange beauty.

Then Nora yawned. It was such an enormous yawn that it set everyone else yawning too, even big Ranni! Pilescu laughed.

“You had little sleep last night,” he said. “You must have plenty tonight. In this country we must get up very early whilst it is still cool, for we shall have to rest in the shade when the sun climbs high. So you had better go to sleep very soon after Ranni has given you supper.”

“Need we sleep inside the plane?” said Jack. “It’s so hot there. Can we sleep out here in the cool?”

“Yes,” said Ranni. “We will bring out rugs to lie on. Pilescu and I will take it in turns to keep watch.”

“What will you watch for?” asked Peggy, in surprise. “Not enemies, surely?”

“Well, Captain and Mrs. Arnold disappeared just here, didn’t they?” said Pilescu solemnly. “I don’t want to wake up in the morning and find that we have disappeared too. I should just hate to go and look for myself!”

Everyone laughed — but the children felt a little queer too. Yes — this wasn’t nice, safe old England. This was a strange, unknown country, where queer, unexpected things might happen. They moved a little closer to red-bearded Pilescu. He suddenly seemed very safe and protective as he sat there in the starlight, as firm and solid as one of the big dark rocks around!

Ranni provided a good meal, and Pilescu built a camp-fire, whose red glow was very comforting. “Wild animals will keep at a safe distance if we keep the fire going well,” said Pilescu, putting a pile of brushwood nearby. “Ranni or I will be keeping guard tonight, and we will have a fine fire going.”

Rugs were spread around the fire, whose crackling made a very cheerful sound. The five children lay down, happy and excited. They had come to the right place — and now they were going to look for Captain and Mrs. Arnold. Adventures lay behind them, and even more exciting ones lay in front.

“I shall never go to sleep,” said Nora, sitting up. “Never! What is that funny sound I hear, Ranni?”

“Baboons in the hills,” said Ranni. “Never mind them. They won’t come near us.”

“And now what’s that noise?” asked Peggy.

“Only a night-bird calling,” said Ranni. “It will go on all night long, so you will have to get used to it. Lie down, Nora. If you are not asleep in two minutes I shall put you into the plane to sleep there by yourself.”

This was such a terrible threat that Nora lay down at once. It was a marvellous night. The little girl lay on her back looking up at the enormous, brilliant stars that hung like bright lamps in the velvet sky. All around her she heard strange bird and animal sounds. She was warm and comfortable and the fire at her feet crackled most comfortingly. She took a last look at big Ranni, who sat with his back to the plane, gun in hand, and then shut her eyes.

“The children are all asleep,” said big Ranni to Pilescu in his own language. “I think we should not have brought them on this adventure, Pilescu. We do not know what will happen. And how shall we find Captain and Mrs. Arnold in this strange country? It is like seeking for a nut on an apple tree!”

Pilescu grunted. He was very tired, for he had flown the plane all the way, without letting Ranni help. Ranni was to watch three-quarters of the night, and Pilescu was to sleep — then he would take the rest of the watch.

“We will see what tomorrow brings,” he said, his big red beard spreading over his chest as his head fell forward in sleep. And then another noise was added to the other night-sounds — for Pilescu snored.

He had a wonderful snore that rose and fell with his breathing. Ranni was afraid that he would wake up the children and he nudged him.

But Pilescu did not wake. He was too tired to stir. Jack awoke when he heard the new sound and sat up in alarm. He listened in amazement.

“Ranni! Ranni! Some animal is snorting round our camp!” he called. “Are you awake? Can’t you hear him?”

Ranni smothered an enormous laugh. “Lie down, Jack,” he said. “It is only our good friend Pilescu. Maybe he snores like that to keep wild animals away. Even a lion might run from that noise!”

Jack grinned and lay down again. Good gracious, Pilescu made a noise as loud as the aeroplane! Well — almost, thought Jack, floating away into sleep again.

Ranni kept watch most of the night. He saw shadowy shapes not far off, and knew them to be some kind of night-hunting animals. He watched the stars move down the sky. He smelt the fragrance of the wood burning on the fire, and sometimes he reached out his hand and threw some more into the heart of the leaping flames.

A little before dawn Ranni awoke Pilescu. The big Baronian yawned loudly and opened his eyes. At once he knew where he was. He spoke to Ranni, and then went for a short walk round the camp to stretch his legs and get wide awake.

Then Ranni slept in his turn, his hand still on his gun. Pilescu watched the dawn come, and saw the whole country turn into silver and gold. When daylight was fully there he awoke everyone, for in such a hot country they must be astir early whilst the air was still cool.

The children were wild with excitement when they awoke and saw their strange surroundings. They ran round the camp, yelling and shouting, whilst Ranni cooked a delicious-smelling meal over the camp fire.

“Hie, look! Here’s a kind of little lake!” shouted Jack. “Let’s wash in it. Ranni, Pilescu! Could we bathe in this lake, do you think?”

“Not unless you want to be eaten by crocodiles,” said Ranni.

Nora gave a scream and tore back to the camp at top speed. Ranni grinned. He went to look at the lake. It was not much more than a pond, really.

“This is all right,” he said. “There are no crocodiles here. All the same, you mustn’t bathe in it, for there may be slug-like things called leeches, which will fasten on to your legs and hurt you. Please remember to be very careful indeed in this strange country. Animals that you only see at the Zoo in England run wild here all over the place.”

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