10
　　A disturbing night
　　The sun was shining brightly when the camp awoke next day. It made them all feel cheerful andlively. Snowy, who had resented David sleeping with Philip and Jack¹ the night before, and hadbutted him continually, bounded about lightly everywhere, butting² David whenever he met him.
　　‘What happened to you last night, David?’ asked Jack, when they were all having a meal. ‘Whywere you so frightened?’
　　‘Noises,’ said David.
　　‘What sort?’ asked Philip curiously³. ‘We didn’t hear any.’
　　David made some surprising noises that sent Kiki sailing into the air and Snowy bounding awayin fright. The children stared at David in astonishment⁴.
　　By means of odd words and gestures David managed to convey to the children that he had goneto see if the donkeys were all right in the night, and had heard these noises near by where theywere tethered.
　　‘That explains why we didn’t hear them, I suppose,’ said Jack. ‘David makes them sound likeanimal noises – fierce and savage⁵!’
　　Lucy-Ann looked scared. ‘Oh! You don’t think there are wild animals anywhere about here, doyou, Jack? I mean, fierce wild animals?’
　　Jack grinned. ‘Well, if you are thinking of lions and tigers and panthers and bears, I think I cansay you needn’t be afraid of finding those here. But if, like Dinah, you include snakes, foxes,hedgehogs and so on in your list of fierce wild animals, then I should say, look out!’
　　‘Don’t be silly, Jack. Of course I don’t mean those,’ said Lucy-Ann. ‘I don’t quite know what Idid mean. I just felt scared – and wondered what animal had made the noises David heard.’
　　‘Probably his own imagination,’ said Philip. ‘Or a bad dream. That could scare him.’
　　David did not seem to want to go any further. He kept pointing back over the way they hadcome. But the children were not going to let their trip come to such a disappointing end. Theymeant to go and find the Butterfly Valley, if it took them all week! There was a lot of flapping tomake David understand this.

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