Five Go Adventuring Again Read Online Free PDF Page A

warm kitchen again. 'It's a most exciting cupboard, Mrs.
    Sanders,' said Julian. 'I do wish we lived in a house like this, full of secrets!'
    'Can we come and play in that cupboard again?' asked George.
    'No, I'm afraid you can't, Master George,' said Mrs.
    Sanders. 'That room where the cupboard is, is one the two gentlemen are going to have.3
    'Oh!' said Julian, disappointed. 'Shall you tell them about the sliding back, Mrs.
    Sanders ?'
    'I don't expect so,' said the old lady. 'It's only you children that get excited about things like that, bless you. Two gentlemen wouldn't think twice about it.'
    'How funny grown-ups are!' said Anne, puzzled. 'I'm quite certain I shall be thrilled to see a sliding panel or a trap-door even when I'm a hundred.'
    'Same here,' said Dick. 'Could I just go and look into -the sliding panel in the hall once more, Mrs. Sanders? I'll take the candle.'
    Dick never knew why he suddenly wanted to have another look. It was just an idea he had. The others didn't bother to go with him, for there really was nothing to see behind the panelling except the old stone wall.
    Dick took the candle and went into the hall. He pressed on the panel at the top and it slid back. He put the candle inside and had another good look. There was nothing at all to be seen. Dick took out his head and put in his arm, stretching along the wall as far as his hand would reach. He was just about to take it back when his fingers found a hole in the wall.
    'Funny!' said Dick. 'Why should there be a hole in the stone wall just there ?'
    He stuck in his finger and thumb and worked them about. He felt a little ridge inside the wall, rather like a bird's perch, and was able to get hold of it. He wriggled his fingers about the perch, but nothing happened. Then he got a good hold and pulled.
    The stone came right out! Dick was so surprised that he let go the heavy stone and it fell to the ground behind the panelling with a crash!
    *The noise brought the others out into the hall. 'Whatever are you doing, Dick ?' said Julian, 'Have you broken something ?'
    'No,' said Dick, his face reddening with excitement. 'I say - I put my hand in here -
    and found a hole in one of the stones the wall is made of - and I got hold of a sort of ridge with my finger and thumb and pulled. The stone came right out, and I got such a surprise I let go. It fell, and that's what you heard!'
    'Golly!' said Julian, trying to push Dick away from the open panel. 'Let me see.'
    'No, Julian,' said Dick, pushing him away. 'This is my discovery. Wait till I see if I can feel anything in the hole. It's difficult to get at!'
    The others waited impatiently. Julian could hardly prevent himself from pushing Dick right away. Dick put his arm in as far as he could, and curved his hand round to get into the space behind where the stone had been. His fingers felt about and he closed them round something that felt like a book. Cautiously and carefully ne brought it out.
    'An old book!' he said.
    'What's in it ?' cried Anne.
    They turned the pages carefully. They were so dry and brittle that some of them fell into dust.
    'I think it's a book of recipes,' said Anne, as her sharp eyes read a few words in the old brown, faded handwriting. 'Let's take it to Mrs. Sanders.'

    The children carried the book to the old lady. She laughed at their beaming faces.
    She took the book and looked at it, not at all excited.
    'Yes,' she said. 'It's a book of recipes, that's all it is. See the name in thes front -
    Alice Mary Sanders - that must have been my great-grandmother. She was famous for her medicines, I know. It was said she could cure any ill in man or animal, no matter what it was.'
    'It's a pity it's so hard to read her writing,' said Julian, disappointed. 'The whole book is falling to pieces too. It must be very old.'
    'Do you think there's anything else in that hidey-hole ?' asked Anne. 'Julian, you go and put your arm in, it's longer than Dick's.'
    'There didn't seem to be anything else