FIVE RUN AWAY TOGETHER - by Enid Blyton

14 DISTURBANCE IN THE NIGHT

IT was dark in the cave, not really quite dark enough to light a candle, but the cave looked so nice by candlelight that it was fun to light one. So Anne took down the candle-stick and lighted the candle. At once queer shadows jumped all round the cave, and it became a rather exciting place, not at all like the cave they knew by daylight!

"I wish we could have a fire," said Anne.

"We'd be far too hot," said Julian. "And it would smoke us out. You can't have a fire in a cave like this. There's no chimney."

"Yes, there is," said Anne, pointing to the hole in the roof. "If we lighted a fire just under that hole, it would act as a chimney, wouldn't it?"

"It might," said Dick, thoughtfully. "But I don't think so. We'd simply get the cave full of stifling smoke, and we wouldn't be able to sleep for choking."

"Well, couldn't we light a fire at the cave entrance then?" said Anne who felt that a real home ought to have a fire somewhere. "Just to keep away wild beasts, say! That's what the people of old times did. It says so in my history book. They lighted fires at the cave entrance at night to keep away any wild animal that might be prowling around."

"Well, what wild beasts do you think are likely to come and peep into this cave?" asked Julian, lazily, finishing up a cup of cocoa. "Lions? Tigers? Or perhaps you are afraid of an elephant or two."

Everyone laughed. "No, I don't really think animals like that would come," said Anne. "Only, it would be nice to have a red, glowing fire to watch when we go to sleep."

"Perhaps Anne thinks the rabbits might come in and nibble our toes or something," said Dick.

"Woof!" said Tim, pricking up his ears as he always did at the mention of rabbits.

"I don't think we ought to have a fire," said Julian, "because it might be seen out at sea and give a warning to anyone thinking of coming to the island to do a bit of smuggling."

"Oh no, Julian... the entrance to this cave is so well-hidden that I'm sure no one could see a fire out to sea," said George, at once. "There's that line of high rocks in front, which must hide it completely. I think it would be rather fun to have a fire. It would light up the cave so queerly and excitingly."

"Oh good, George!" said Anne, delighted to find someone agreeing with her.

"Well, we can't possibly fag out and get sticks for it now," said Dick, who was far too comfortable to move.

"You don't need to," said Anne, eagerly. "I got plenty myself today, and stored them at the back of the cave, in case we wanted a fire."

"Isn't she a good little house-wife!" said Julian, in great admiration. "She may go to sleep when she's look-out, but she's wide-awake enough when it comes to making a house for us out of a cave! All right, Anne... we'll make a fire for you!"

They all got up and fetched the sticks from the back of the cave. Anne had been to the jackdaw tower and had picked up armfuls that the birds had dropped when making their nests in the tower. They built them up to make a nice little fire. Julian got some dried seaweed too, to drop into it.

They lighted the fire at the cave-entrance, and the dry sticks blazed up at once. The children went back to their heather-beds, and lay down on" them, watching the red flames leaping and crackling. The red glow lit up the cave and made it very weird and exciting.

"This is lovely," said Anne, half-asleep. "Really lovely. Oh Timmy, move a bit do. You're so heavy on my feet. Here, George, pull Timothy over to your side. .You're used to him lying on you."