Chapter 11 A NICE LITTLE PLAN
　　The five of them told Captain and Mrs. Johnson about their afternoon's experience, as they werehaving supper.
　　'Patrins!' said Mrs. Johnson. 'So Sniffer told you about those? But I really don't think you should visitthe gypsy camp. Those particular gypsies are a surly, bad-tempered¹ lot.'
　　'Did you ever hear the tale of the Big Bartles?' said Henry, getting ready to relate it, and add little bitsof her own, here and there!
　　'No. But it can wait, I'm sure,' said Mrs. Johnson, knowing Henry's habit of leaving her food quiteuneaten once she began on some marvellous tale. 'Is it one of your tales? You can tell it after supper.'
　　'It's not Henry's tale,' said George, annoyed that Henry should get all the limelight again, and take theblacksmith's tale for her own. 'It's one old Ben told us. Ju, you tell it!'
　　'Nobody is to tell it now,' said Captain Johnson. 'You came in late for supper, we waited for you, andthe least you can do is to get on with your eating.'
　　The five juniors at the other table were disappointed. They had hoped to hear another of Henry'smarvellous stories. But Captain Johnson was hungry and tired.
　　'Old Ben is a great age, as you said,' began Henry, after a few mouthfuls. 'He -'
　　'Not another word, please, Henrietta,' said the captain, curtly². Henry went red and George grinned,kicking at Dick under the table. Unfortunately she kicked Henry instead, and the girl glared at her fora whole minute.
　　'Oh dear!' thought Anne. 'Just as we'd had such a lovely day! I suppose we're all tired and scratchy.'
　　'Why did you kick me?' began Henry in a cross voice, as soon as she and George left the table withthe others.
　　'Shut up, you two,' said Julian. 'She probably meant to kick me or Dick, not you.'
　　Henry shut up. She didn't like Julian to tick her off. George looked mutinous³ and went off withTimmy.
　　Dick yawned. 'What jobs are there to do, if any?' he said. 'Don't say there's washing-up again. I feel Imight break a few things.'
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　　Mrs. Johnson heard him and laughed. 'No, there's no washing-up. The woman has come in to do ittonight. Have a look at the horses - and see that Jenny the mare⁴ is not with Flash, you know shedoesn't like her for some reason, and will kick out at her. She must always be kept in another field.'

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