Five Children and It

hich none of the party was quite itself. When they grew calmer, Anthe

with our handkerchiefs in the morning. They'll be

ril gloomily; 'and we shall be

tealing. You said you

NOW,' said C

tly thing slap away a

no one can do

ed one - 'and hit some chap on the head, and

ere all night,' said Ja

' said Robert; 'you've on

begin talking about stopping up here all night. O

Don't, dear. It'll be all ri

ly; 'if she howls loud enough, someo

tly. 'Robert, don't be a brute. Oh, Jane, do try

a man' - and reduced

ers keep well in front of me. There are lights in the clergyman's house. They've not gone to bed yet. We must just yell as loud as ever we can. Now all scre

evening, and a maid at one of the Vicarage wi

the Vicarage window and ran down the Vicarage stairs and into the Vicarage kitchen, and fainted as soon as she had explained to the man-servant and the

s doorstep by this time, and there was

red in the church! Give me my hat and a thick stick, and tell Andre

his front door. They had seen his dark form on the doorstep, an

ck for his hat, C

heard something. You don't hal

nd the Vicar's wife flung her arms round h

and came out of the kitchen - 'send Andrew at once. There's a dange

h the kitchen door. 'Here, Andrew,' she said, there's someone screaming li

ew in low firm tones. To his ma

rd those

ced a sort of somet

go!' He pushed her gently into the sitting-room, bange

it died into silence Andrew shouted

ed four far-

he air,' said the Vic

w: and Cyril replied in his de

! TOWER

said Andrew; and th

DOOR L

he Vicar. 'Andrew, fe

well to fetch another

ap - well, may I never! There's cook's cousin at the back door now. He's a keep

ril from the church-tower

ndrew. 'I'm a-going to g

aid the Vicar, 'tha

gh, sir, for th

e lantern and the co

ged them all to

ed to lead the way up the worn steep dark steps of the church-tower. He did lead the way, with the lantern in one hand and the gun in the other. Andrew went next. He pretended afterwards that this was because he was braver than his master, but really it was because he thought of traps, and he did not like the idea of being behind the others for fear someone should come soffly up behind him and catch hold of his legs in the

was a gamekeeper, kicke

, you

door, and trembling with anxiousness - and very hoarse with their

, you

you get u

ying 'We flew up

the door was locked and we coul

u are there?' a

ur,' sai

you a

we

tricks,' said the keeper. 'If we open the door, wil

said all the c

Vicar, 'surely that

per. Andrew went down a few steps, 'to lea

aid through the keyhole, 'we have come to release you.

'anyone 'ud think it hadn't been drawed for

, the keeper spoke deep-chest

e over to the other side of the tower. An

n the other side,

t door, and, stepping out into the leads, flashed the full light of the stable lantern on

, and he nearly dr

ied, 'if they ain't

ar now

e?' he asked severely

, 'and we'll tell you anything you like. You won't

had enough to do with the soda-water syphon, which would keep slipping d

as far out of the lant

do take

the soda-water syphon. It would keep trying to get away. Half-way down the ladder it all but escaped. Cyril just caught it by its spout, and as nearly as poss

per caught Cyril and

s, sir,' said he; 'you an

't running away. We haven't hu

yril dared not oppose him with violence, beca

the Vicarage study, and the

are you safe

ned to allay

at all. And please, we're very late, and they'll be an

e could get a carriage from,' said Anthe

o a chair, overcome by

ing forward with his elbows on his kn

be locked up in the churc

ired, and we all went to sleep, and when we woke

e. 'Frightening everybody out of their wits li

said Jan

d the door?' a

Robert, with perfect truth

uppose we'd better. Andrew, put the

on't,' said And

g. He was looking at the unfortunate Cyril. He knew all about poachers of course, so he knew how people look when they're hiding something. The Vica

ared his shoulders and tried to look noble, like the boys in books that no one can look in the face of and doubt that t

ere you a

yril went on - there w

help its being the soda kind -just the necessaries of life; and we left half-a-crown to pay for it, and we left a letter. And we're very sorry. And my father will pay a fine or anything you li

up to the larder wi

you that,' sai

h you've been telling m

no good asking. Oh, do forgive us and take us home!' She ran to the Vicar's wife and threw her arms rou

r - I expect it's a pa

it, and they won't pea

car kindly, 'are you s

e anything to

king of the Psammead; 'b

hen let's say no more about it. Only just

ly didn't seem like stealing then. But afterwards, when we found we couldn't get d

nother time just think before you take other people's

o the trap that he had plainly seen from the first, he found the children eating cake and

got off better t

drive home with them, and Andrew was only too glad to have

k-quarry and the gravel-pit, the children were very sleepy,

word. 'You get along home,' said the Vicarage cook's cousin

ent with the children to the door, and, when they had been swept to bed in a whirlwind of reproaches, remained to explain to Mar

d see Martha; and in the end - but that

s the next day for a punishment. But she wasn't at all snarky about it, and agreed to let Robert go

d the Psammead, and presently wished