meeting the train if we stand here all day looking at the island.'
They got the pony and trap and set off down the hard lanes. Kirrin Island disappeared behind the cliffs as they turned inland to the station.
'Did all this land round abojit belong to your family once upon a time ?' asked Julian.
'Yes, all of it,' said George. 'Now we don't own anything except Kirrin Island, our ov/n house - and that farm away over there - Kirrin Farm.'
She pointed with her whip. The children saw a fine old farm-house standing on a hill a good way off, over the heather-clad common.
'Who lives there ?' asked Julian.
'Oh, an old farmer and his wife,' said George. 'They were nice to me when I was smaller. We'll go over there one day if you like. Mother says they don't make the farm pay any more, and in the summer-time they take in people who want a holiday.'
'Hark! That's the train whistling in the tunnel!' said Julian, suddenly. 'Buck up, for goodness' sake, George. We shan't be there in time!'
The four children and Timothy looked at the train coming out of the tunnel and drawing in at the station. The pony cantered along swiftly. They would be just in time. '
'Who's going on to the platform to meet him?' asked George, as they drew into the little station yard. Tm not. I must look after Tim and the pony.'
'I don't want to,' said Anne. Til stay with George.'
'Well, we'd better go, then,' said Julian, and he and Dick leapt out of the trap. They ran on to the platform just as the train pulled up.
Not many people got out. A woman clambered out with a basket. A young man leapt out, whistling, the son of the baker in the village. An old man climbed down with difficulty. The tutor could be none of those!
Then, right at the front of the train, rather a queer-looking man got out. He was short and burly, and he had a beard rather like a sailor. His eyes were piercingly blue, and his thick hair was sprinkled with grey. He
glanced up and down trie platiorm, and then beckoned to the porter.
'That must be Mr. Roland', said Julian to Dick. 'Come on - let's ask him. There's no one else it could be.'
The boys went up to the bearded man. Julian raised his cap politely. 'Are you Mr.
Roland, sir ?' he asked.
'I am,' said the man. 'I suppose you are Julian and Dick?'
'Yes, sir,' answered the boys together. 'We brought the pony-trap for your luggage.'
'Oh, fine,' said Mr. Roland. His bright blue eyes looked the boys up and down, and he smiled. Julian and Dick liked him. He seemed sensible and jolly.
'Are the other two here as well?' said Mr. Roland, walking down the platform, with the porter trailing behind with his luggage.
'Yes - George and Anne are outside with the trap,' said Julian.
'George and Anne,' said Mr. Roland, in a puzzled voice. 'I thought the others were girls. I didn't know there was a third boy.'
'Oh, George is a girl,' said Dick, with a laugh. 'Her real name is Georgina.'
'And a very nice name too,' said Mr. Roland.
'George doesn't think so,' said Julian. 'She won't answer if she's called Georgina.
You'd better call her George, sir!'
'Really?' said Mr. Roland, in rather a chilly tone. Julian took a glance at him.
'Not quite so jolly as he looks!' thought the boy.
'Tim's out there too,' said Dick.
'Oh - ana is i im a ooy or a gin'. inquired ivir. noiana, cautiously.
'A dog, sir!' said Dick, with a grin.
Mr. Roland seemed rather taken-aback. 'A dog?' he said. 'I didn't know there was a dog in the household. Your uncle said nothing to me about a dog.'
'Don't you like dogs?' asked Julian, in surprise.
'No,' said Mr. Roland, shortly. 'But I daresay your dog won't worry me much. Hallo, hallo - so here are the little girls! How do you do ?'
George was not very pleased at being called a little girl. For one thing she hated to be spoken of as little, and for another thing she always tried to be a boy. She held out her hand to Mr. Roland and said nothing. Anne smiled at him, and Mr. Roland thought she was much the nicer of
They got the pony and trap and set off down the hard lanes. Kirrin Island disappeared behind the cliffs as they turned inland to the station.
'Did all this land round abojit belong to your family once upon a time ?' asked Julian.
'Yes, all of it,' said George. 'Now we don't own anything except Kirrin Island, our ov/n house - and that farm away over there - Kirrin Farm.'
She pointed with her whip. The children saw a fine old farm-house standing on a hill a good way off, over the heather-clad common.
'Who lives there ?' asked Julian.
'Oh, an old farmer and his wife,' said George. 'They were nice to me when I was smaller. We'll go over there one day if you like. Mother says they don't make the farm pay any more, and in the summer-time they take in people who want a holiday.'
'Hark! That's the train whistling in the tunnel!' said Julian, suddenly. 'Buck up, for goodness' sake, George. We shan't be there in time!'
The four children and Timothy looked at the train coming out of the tunnel and drawing in at the station. The pony cantered along swiftly. They would be just in time. '
'Who's going on to the platform to meet him?' asked George, as they drew into the little station yard. Tm not. I must look after Tim and the pony.'
'I don't want to,' said Anne. Til stay with George.'
'Well, we'd better go, then,' said Julian, and he and Dick leapt out of the trap. They ran on to the platform just as the train pulled up.
Not many people got out. A woman clambered out with a basket. A young man leapt out, whistling, the son of the baker in the village. An old man climbed down with difficulty. The tutor could be none of those!
Then, right at the front of the train, rather a queer-looking man got out. He was short and burly, and he had a beard rather like a sailor. His eyes were piercingly blue, and his thick hair was sprinkled with grey. He
glanced up and down trie platiorm, and then beckoned to the porter.
'That must be Mr. Roland', said Julian to Dick. 'Come on - let's ask him. There's no one else it could be.'
The boys went up to the bearded man. Julian raised his cap politely. 'Are you Mr.
Roland, sir ?' he asked.
'I am,' said the man. 'I suppose you are Julian and Dick?'
'Yes, sir,' answered the boys together. 'We brought the pony-trap for your luggage.'
'Oh, fine,' said Mr. Roland. His bright blue eyes looked the boys up and down, and he smiled. Julian and Dick liked him. He seemed sensible and jolly.
'Are the other two here as well?' said Mr. Roland, walking down the platform, with the porter trailing behind with his luggage.
'Yes - George and Anne are outside with the trap,' said Julian.
'George and Anne,' said Mr. Roland, in a puzzled voice. 'I thought the others were girls. I didn't know there was a third boy.'
'Oh, George is a girl,' said Dick, with a laugh. 'Her real name is Georgina.'
'And a very nice name too,' said Mr. Roland.
'George doesn't think so,' said Julian. 'She won't answer if she's called Georgina.
You'd better call her George, sir!'
'Really?' said Mr. Roland, in rather a chilly tone. Julian took a glance at him.
'Not quite so jolly as he looks!' thought the boy.
'Tim's out there too,' said Dick.
'Oh - ana is i im a ooy or a gin'. inquired ivir. noiana, cautiously.
'A dog, sir!' said Dick, with a grin.
Mr. Roland seemed rather taken-aback. 'A dog?' he said. 'I didn't know there was a dog in the household. Your uncle said nothing to me about a dog.'
'Don't you like dogs?' asked Julian, in surprise.
'No,' said Mr. Roland, shortly. 'But I daresay your dog won't worry me much. Hallo, hallo - so here are the little girls! How do you do ?'
George was not very pleased at being called a little girl. For one thing she hated to be spoken of as little, and for another thing she always tried to be a boy. She held out her hand to Mr. Roland and said nothing. Anne smiled at him, and Mr. Roland thought she was much the nicer of
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