Chapter 7 BACK AT THE FARM AGAIN
Anne came running to meet Dick and Julian. 'Oh, I'm glad you're back!' she said. 'It's beginning to getdark, and I was afraid you'd lose your way!'
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'Hallo, George!' said Julian, seeing her behind Anne, in the darkness of the passage. 'How's Timmy?'
'All right, thank you,' said George, sounding quite cheerful. 'Here he is!'
Timmy barked loudly and jumped up at the boys in welcome. He was very glad to see them, for hehad been afraid that they had gone back home. They all went into the living-room, where there wasan enormous wood- fire, looking very cheerful indeed. Julian and Dick fell into the two mostcomfortable chairs and spread their legs out to the fire.
'Ha! This is good!' said Dick. 'I couldn't have walked another step. I don't believe I can even go upthe stairs to wash. We've walked MILES!'
They told the girls about their day, and when they described the little summer chalet, the two girlslistened eagerly.
'Oh - I wish we'd gone with you,' said Anne, longingly¹. 'Timmy would have been quite all right,wouldn't he, George? We've decided² it's only a skin-wound. Actually, you can hardly see it now.'
'But all the same, I'm going back home tomorrow,' said George, determinedly³. 'I'm sorry I made sucha fuss this morning - but honestly I thought Timmy had been badly bitten. Thank goodness he wasn't.
Still, I'm not risking such a thing again. If I stay on here with him, he's sure to have those three dogsattacking him sometime or other, and he might be killed. I don't want to upset your holiday - but I canNOT stay on here with Tim.'
'All right, old thing,' said Julian, soothingly⁴. 'Don't get so up-in-the-air about it. There - you've goneand started your cough again! Do you know, Dick and I haven't coughed once today!'
'Nor have I,' said Anne. 'The air is marvellous here. I think I ought to go back with George, though,Ju. She'd be miserable⁵ all by herself at home.'
'Listen,' said Julian. 'We've got an idea, Dick and I - one that means old George won't have to gohome, and...'
'Nothing will make me stop here,' interrupted George at once. 'NOTHING!'
'Give me a chance to tell you what I've got up my sleeve,' protested Julian. 'It's about that mountain-hut we've been to - Dick and I thought it would be a marvellous idea if we could all five of us go andspend our time there - instead of here. We'd be ABSOLUTELY on our own then - the way we like tobe!'

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