Chapter 17 THE BIG, BIG HOLE
Next morning everyone was awake early. They had slept well, and were full of beans - and excited tothink that an adventure lay ahead. To get into that old house, with its many secrets, would bemarvellous!
Aily followed Julian about the room like a little dog. She wanted to have her breakfast on his knee,just as she had had her supper the night before, and he let her. He was ready to do anything shewanted - if only she would show them the way into Old Towers!
'We'd better set off pretty soon,' said Anne, looking out of the window. 'It's snowing pretty fast again- we don't want to get lost!'
'No. That's true. If Aily is going to take us across country, we shan't have the faintest idea wherewe're going, in this heavy snow!' said Julian, rather anxiously.
'I'll just clear up a bit, then we'll go, shall we?' said Anne. 'Do we take any food with us, Ju?'
'We certainly do - all of us,' said Julian, at once. 'Goodness knows what time we'll get back to thishut. George, you make sandwiches with Anne, will you? And put in some bars of chocolate too, andsome apples if there are any left.'
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'And for pity's sake, remember your torches,' said Dick.
Aily watched while the sandwiches were made, and scraped up the bits that fell on the table to give toDave, her small dog. The lamb frisked about, quite at home, getting into everyone's way.
But nobody minded it - it was such a charming little long-leggitty creature!
At last all the sandwiches were made and put into two kit-bags. The hut was cleared up and tidied,and the children got into their out-door clothes.
'I think it would be easiest to toboggan down the slope, and half-way up Old Towers' slope,' saidJulian, looking out into the snow. 'It would take us ages to walk - and it's no good skiing, becauseAily hasn't any skis - and couldn't use them if she had!'
'Oh yes - let's take the toboggans!' said George, pleased. 'What do we do with the lamb? Leave ithere? And must we take Dave the dog, too?'
However, that was not for them to settle! Aily absolutely refused to go without her lamb and dog. Shegathered them up into her arms, looking mutinous¹, when Julian suggested they should be left in thewarm hut. Neither would she allow herself to be wrapped up warmly - and only consented to wear ascarf and a woollen hat because they happened to be exactly the same as Julian was wearing!
They set off at last. The snow was still falling, and Julian felt seriously doubtful whether they wouldbe able to find their way down the hill and up the other slope without losing their sense of direction.
The toboggans were rather crowded! Julian and Dick were on the first one, with Aily and the lambbetween them, and Anne and George were on the second one, with Timmy and Dave between them.

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