Five on Finniston Farm Read Online Free PDF

it?"
    „Half past seven," said George. „I asked. We"d better go back now, because we"ll have to get ourselves clean - and Anne and I want to help lay the table."
    „Right. Back we go," said Julian. „Come on, Tim. Stop sniffing about that old rubbish. Surely you can"t smel anything exciting there!"
    They went back to the farm-house, and the girls went to wash at the kitchen sink, seeing Mrs Philpot already preparing for supper. „Won"t be a minute!" called Anne. „We"ll do those potatoes for you, Mrs Philpot. I say, what a lovely farm this is. We"ve been exploring those old sheds."
    „Yes - they need clearing out," said Mrs Philpot, who looked better for the rest she had had. „But old Great-Grand-dad, he won"t have them touched. Says he promised his Grand-dad not to let them go to anyone! But we did sel some of those lovely old grey tiles once - to an American, of course, a friend of Mr Benning"s - and Grand-dad almost went out of his mind. Shouted day and night, poor old chap, and went about with a pitch-fork in his hand all the time, daring any stranger even so much as to walk over the fields! We had such a time with him."
    „Good gracious!" said Anne, having a sudden vision of the grand old man stalking about his fields, shouting, and waving a great pitch-fork.
    Supper was real y a very pleasant meal, for Mr Henning and Junior didn"t come in. There was much talk and laughter at the table, though the twins, as usual, said hardly anything.
    They puzzled Anne. Why should they be so unfriendly? She smiled at them once or twice, but each time they turned their eyes away. Snippet lay at their feet, and Timmy lay under the table. Great-Grand-dad was not there, nor was Mr Philpot.
    „They"re both making the best of the daylight," said Mrs Philpot. „There"s a lot to do on the farm just now."
    The children enjoyed the meat-pie that Mrs Philpot had baked, and the stewed plums and rich cream that followed. Anne suddenly yawned a very large yawn.
    „Sorry!" she said. „It just came al of a sudden. I don"t know why I feel so sleepy."
    „You"ve set me off now," said Dick, and put his hand in front of an even larger yawn. „Well, I don"t wonder we feel sleepy. Ju and I set off at dawn this morning - and I know you girls had a jolly long bus-ride!"
    „Well, you go to bed, all of you, as early as you like," said Mrs Philpot. „I expect you"l want to be up bright and early in the morning. The Harries are always up about six o"clock -
    they just wil not stay in bed!"
    „And what time does Junior get up?" asked George, with a grin. „Six o"clock too?"
    „Oh, not before nine o"clock usual y," said Mrs Philpot. „Mr Henning comes down about eleven - he likes his breakfast in bed. So does Junior."
    „WHAT? You don"t mean to say you take breakfast up to that lazy little pest?" said Dick, astounded. „Why don"t you go and drag him out by the ankles?"

    „Well - they are guests and pay well for being here," said Mrs Philpot.
    „I"l take Junior his breakfast," said George, much to everyone"s astonishment. „Timmy and I together. We"d like to. Wouldn"t we, Timmy?"
    Timmy made a most peculiar noise from under the table. „That sounded like a laugh to me," said Dick. „And I"m not surprised! I"d just like to see Junior"s face if you and Tim walked in on him with his breakfast!"
    „Do you bet me I won"t do it?" demanded George, real y on her mettle now.
    „Yes. I do bet you," said Dick at once. „I bet you my new pocket-knife you won"t!"
    „Taken!" said George. Mrs Philpot looked puzzled. „No, no, my dears," she said. „I can"t have one guest waiting on another. Though I must say those stairs are a trial to my legs, when I"m carrying up trays!"
    „I"l take up Junior"s tray and Mr Henning"s too, if you like," said George, in a half-kind, half-fierce voice.
    „NOT Mr Henning"s," said Julian, giving George a warning look. „Don"t go too far, old thing.
    Just Junior"s tray wil be enough."
    „Al right, al right," said