Five on a Treasure Island Read Free

and that was all. When the figure stirred a little, Anne spoke.
    "I say! Are you Georgina?"
    The child in the opposite bed sat up and looked across at Anne. She had very short curly hair, almost as short as a boy's. Her face was burnt a dark-brown with the sun, and

    her very blue eyes looked as bright as forget-me-nots in her face. But her mouth was rather sulky, and she had a frown like her father's.
    "No," she said. "I'm not Georgina."
    "Oh!" said Anne, in surprise. "Then who are you?"
    "I'm George," said the girl. "I shall only answer if you call me George. I hate being a girl. I won't be. I don't like doing the things that girls do. I like doing the things that boys do. I can climb better than any boy, and swim faster too. I can sail a boat as well as any fisher-boy on this coast. You're to call me George. Then I'll speak to you. But I shan't if you don't."
    "Oh!" said Anne, thinking that her new cousin was most extraordinary. "All right! I don't care what I call you. George is a nice name, I think. I don't much like Georgina.
    Anyway, you look like a boy."
    "Do I really?" said George, the frown leaving her face for a moment. "Mother was awfully cross with me when I cut my hair short. I had hair all round my neck; it was awful."
    The two girls stared at one another for a moment. "Don't you simply hate being a girl?" asked George.
    "No, of course not," said Anne. "You see— I do like pretty frocks— and I love my dolls— and you can't do that if you're a boy."
    "Pooh! Fancy bothering about pretty frocks," said George, in a scornful voice. "And dolls! Well, you are a baby, that's all I can say."
    Anne felt offended. "You're not very polite," she said. "You won't find that my brothers take much notice of you if you act as if you knew everything. They're real boys, not pretend boys, like you."
    "Well, if they're going to be nasty to me I shan't take any notice of them ," said George, jumping out of bed. "I didn't want any of you to come, anyway. Interfering with my life here! I'm quite happy on my own. Now I've got to put up with a silly girl who likes frocks and dolls, and two stupid boy-cousins!"
    Anne felt that they had made a very bad
    beginning. She said no more, but got dressed
    herself too. She put on her grey jeans and a
    red jersey. George put on jeans too, and a
    boy's jersey. Just as they were ready the boys
    hammered on their door.
    "Aren't you ready? Is Georgina there?
    Cousin Georgina, come out and see us."
    George flung open the door and marched
    out with her head high. She took no notice of
    the two surprised boys at all. She stalked
    downstairs. The other three children looked at
    one another.
    "She won't answer if you call her
    Georgina," explained Anne. "She's awfully
    queer, I think. She says she didn't want us to
    come because we'll interfere with her. She
    laughed at me, and was rather rude."

    Julian put his arm round Anne, who looked a bit doleful. "Cheer up!" he said. "You've got us to stick up for you. Come on down to breakfast."
    They were all hungry. The smell of bacon and eggs was very good. They ran down the stairs and said good-morning to their aunt. She was just bringing the breakfast to the table. Their uncle was sitting at the head, reading his paper. He nodded at the children.
    They sat down without a word, wondering if they were allowed to speak at meals. They always were at home, but their Uncle Quentin looked rather fierce.
    George was there, buttering a piece of toast. She scowled at the three children.
    "Don't look like that, George," said her mother. "I hope you've made friends already.
    It will be fun for you to play together. You must take your cousins to see the bay this morning and show them the best places to bathe."
    "I'm going fishing," said George.
    Her father looked up at once.
    "You are not," he said. "You are going to show a few good manners for a change, and take your cousins to the bay. Do you hear me?"
    "Yes," said George, with a scowl exactly like her father's.
    "Oh,