William in Trouble Read Online Free PDF Page B

isn’t?’
    ‘’Course there isn’t. You’d read about it in the newspapers if there was.’
    ‘P’raps the newspapers don’t know about it. Jus’ think,’ went on William, warming to his subject, ‘what a big place England is, an’ jus’ think of
all the woods in it, an’ d’you think that anyone’s ever walked right over every inch of every one of those woods? Huh!’ he gave a scornful laugh, ‘I bet they haven’t. Who’d do it, anyway? Everyone’s too busy to go searchin’ about every inch of every wood. I bet we’d find some unexplored tribes ’f we looked
prop’ly for ’em. I bet no one’s ever looked before. They jus’ took for granted there wasn’t any, but I just bet there is. I bet—’
    The road was now leading them through woods stretching into the distance on either side. ‘Look at those!’ said William dramatically. ‘Look at ’em! You can’t see to
the end of them. D’you think that anyone’s ever took the trouble to walk right over every inch of ’em? I bet there’s – there’s – vast tracks of
unexplored land there what no one’s even set their feet in, an’ I bet there’s unexplored tribes, too, if only one was to look for them.’
    The others gazed at him open-mouthed. Then Ginger gave vent to their feelings by a simple, but heartfelt ‘Crumbs!’
    Henry already had his foot on the lowest rung of the fence that separated the road from the wood.
    ‘Come on!’ he said.
    ‘Of course,’ said William, slightly disconcerted by the immediate effect of his eloquence, ‘we don’ know there is any.’
    ‘No, but we can see,’ said Ginger, assuming the grim expression he considered suitable to an intrepid explorer.
    ‘They might be dangerous, you know,’ cautioned Douglas, hanging back.
    ‘All right, you stay behind ’f you’re afraid,’ said Ginger.
    ‘I’m not afraid for myself,’ said Douglas hastily, ‘I was only thinkin’ of you others.’
    ‘Come on, then,’ said William, assuming leadership and making an unsuccessful attempt to vault the fence. ‘We’ll have a jolly good look for ’em,’ he added as
he picked himself up from the ground and removed the bits of bracken from his mouth, ‘we’ll have a jolly good look!’
    The undergrowth grew thicker, and they walked now in single file. ‘Well, I bet no white man’s ever set his feet here before,’ said William as he forced
his way through a bramble.
    ‘I say,’ said Ginger, ‘wun’t it be fun if we found a tribe of savage tree dwellers. You know, the sort that lives up in trees.’
    ‘You’re thinkin’ of monkeys,’ said Douglas gloomily.
    ‘I’m not either,’ said Ginger indignantly. ‘I know what I’m thinkin’ of, an’ I’m not thinkin’ of monkeys. I’m thinkin’ of people what built sort of nests in trees.’
    ‘It’s birds what you’re thinkin’ of, then,’ said Douglas.
    ‘Well, whatever they are, let’s join ’em,’ said William, ‘an’ live a savage life with ’em, and not go back to school.’
    ‘Let’s hope they’re not cannibals,’ said Douglas, still gloomy.
    ‘P’raps,’ said Henry, ‘they’ll think we’re gods an’ make us kings. I once read a tale where they did that.’
    The Outlaws did not seem to think this probable.
    William put the matter succinctly. ‘The people in your book must’ve sort of looked different from us if anyone’d think they was gods. . . . Anyway, I think we’ll join ’em an’ live a savage life with ’em.’
    ‘I hope you’re all keeping a lookout for wild animals,’ said Henry. ‘I think I saw a leopard vanishin’ in the distance jus’ then.’
    ‘’F I’d known what we were goin’ to do,’ said William, ‘I’d’ve brought my air-gun.’
    ‘Yes ’n if they hadn’t took my fret-work tools off me they might’ve saved my life,’ said Ginger, bitterly. ‘They cut holes right through things.’
    ‘ Coo! ’ said Douglas, who had just fought his way through a thorn bush only to