Free Five Go to Billycock Hill by Enid Blyton Page A

want to take back."
    „I see - and I suppose Mr Brent was afraid the rain might wash away the clinging moths,"
    said Dick. „Well, they"l both be caught in the storm, that"s certain. Hark at the rain pelting down on the tent now!"
    Timmy squeezed into the tent, not liking the sting of the heavy raindrops. He sat down by George and Anne.

    „You do take up a lot of room in a smal tent, Tim," said George. „Can"t you make yourself a bit smal er?"
    Timmy couldn"t. He was a big dog, and rather a sprawly one. He put his wet head on George"s knee and heaved a heavy sigh. George patted him.
    „Humbug!" she said. „What are you sighing about? Because you"ve finished your bone?
    Because it"s raining and you can"t go and sit and bark at anything moving on the hil ?"
    „What shall we do now?" said Julian, setting his torch on the radio set, so that it more or less lighted up the tent. „There"s nothing on the radio we want to hear."
    „I"ve got a pack of cards in the pocket of my mac," said George, much to everybody"s joy, and she got them out. „Let"s have a game of some sort."
    It was rather dificult in the smal tent, with Timmy sometimes getting up just when al the cards were neatly dealt, and upsetting the piles. The storm grew fiercer and the rain tried its best to lash its way through the canvas of the little tent.
    Then Timmy began to bark again, startling everyone very much. He climbed over legs and knees and poked his head out of the tent opening, barking loudly.
    „Good gracious - you almost gave me a heart attack!" said Dick, pulling him back. „You"l get soaked out there, Tim. Come back - it"s only those mad Moth-men out there picking moths off rain-soaked honey-traps. Don"t worry about them. They"re probably enjoying themselves enormously."
    But Timmy simply would NOT stop barking, and even growled when Julian tried to drag him into the tent.
    „Whatever"s up with him?" said Julian, bewildered. „Oh, stop it, Timmy! You"re deafening us!"
    „Something"s upsetting him - something unusual," said George. „Listen - was that a yell?"
    Everyone listened, but the rain was pelting down so hard that it was impossible to hear anything but the slashing rain and the wind.
    „Well, we can"t do much about it, whatever it is that"s upsetting Timmy," said Dick. „We can"t possibly go wandering about in this storm - we"d get soaked through and probably lost!"
    Timmy was stil barking, and George grew cross. „Timmy! Stop! Do you hear me? I won"t have it."
    It was so seldom that George was angry with him that Timmy turned in surprise. George pounced at his col ar and dragged him forcibly into the tent. „Now - be QUIET!" she commanded. „Whatever it is, we can"t do anything about it!"
    Just then another noise rose above the howling of the wind and the torrents of rain, and the Five pricked up their ears at once, sitting absolutely stil .
    „R-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r! R-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r! R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R! R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R!"
    They all looked round at one another. „Aeroplanes!" said Dick. „Aeroplanes! In this weather, too. Whatever is going on?"

Chapter Twelve
WHAT HAPPENED IN BILLYCOCK CAVES

    The little company in the tent were amazed. Why should aeroplanes take off from the airfield in the middle of a stormy night?
    „For experiments in storms, perhaps?" said Dick. „No - that would be rather unnecessary."
    „Perhaps they were aeroplanes landing there, not leaving," suggested Anne.
    „Possibly - perhaps seeking the shelter of the airfield when they were caught in this storm,"
    said Dick. But Julian shook his head.
    „No," he said. „This airfield is too far off the ordinary air-routes - nobody would bother about it; it"s so small for one thing - more of a little experimental station than anything else.
    Any aeroplane in difficulties could easily go to a first-class airfield for shelter or help."
    „I wonder if Jeff went up in one of the two we heard,' said George.
    Anne yawned. „What about bedding down?"