Five Go Off to Camp by Enid Blyton

his table when he came home tired.
    'Would you like us to go, Mrs Andrews?' he asked politely. 'Perhaps Mr Andrews would like a bit of peace for his meal when he comes in - and we're rather a crowd, aren't we?'
    Jock's mother shook her head. 'No, you can stay. I'll get him a meal in the other room if he'd like it.'
    Mr Andrews came in. He wasn't in the least like Anne or the others had imagined him to be. He was a short, dark little man, with a weak face and a nose much too big for it. He looked harassed and bad-tempered, and stopped short when he saw the five children.
    'Hallo, dear,' said Mrs Andrews. 'Jock's got his friends here today. Would you like a bit of tea in your room? I can easily put a tray there.'

    'Well,' said Mr Andrews, smiling a watery kind of smile, 'perhaps it would be best. I've had a worrying kind of day, and not much to eat.'
    Til get you a tray of ham and pickles and bread,' said his wife. 'It won't take a minute.
    You go and wash.'
    Mr Andrews went out. Anne was surprised that he seemed so smal and looked rather stupid. She had imagined someone big and burly, strong and clever, who was always going about doing grand deals and making a lot of money. Well, he must be cleverer than he looked, to make enough money to give Mrs Andrews all she.needed for her farm.
    Mrs Andrews bustled about with this and that, laying a tray with a snow-white cloth, and plates of food. Mr Andrews could be heard in the bathroom, splashing as he washed.
    Then he came downstairs and put his head in at the door. 'My meal ready?' he asked.
    'Well, Jock - had a good day?'
    'Yes, thanks,' said Jock, as his stepfather took the tray from his mother and turned to go.
    'We went all round the farm this morning - and we talked and talked this afternoon. And oh, I say - do you know anything about spook-trains, sir?'
    Mr Andrews was just going out of the door. He turned in surprise. 'Spook-trains? What are you talking about?'
    'Well, Julian says there's an old deserted railway yard a good way from here, and spook-trains are supposed to come out of the tunnel there in the dark of night,' said Jock. 'Have you heard of them?'
    Mr Andrews stood stock stil , his eyes on his stepson. He looked dismayed and shocked.
    Then he came back into the room and kicked the door shut behind him.
    'I'll have my tea here after al ,' he said. 'Well, to think you've heard of those spook-trains!
    I've been careful not to mention them to your mother or to you, Jock, for fear of scaring you!'
    'Gee!' said Dick. 'Are they real y true then? They can't be.'
    'You tell me all you know, and how you know about it,' said Mr Andrews, sitting down at the table with his tray. 'Go on. Don't miss out a thing. I want to hear everything.'
    Julian hesitated. 'Oh - there's nothing real y to tell, sir -just a lot of nonsense.'
    'You tell it me!' almost shouted Mr Andrews. 'Then I'l tell you a few things. And I tel you, you won't go near that old railway yard again - no, that you won't!'

8 A lazy evening
    The five children and Mrs Andrews stared in surprise at Mr Andrews, when he shouted at them. He repeated some of his words again.
    'Go on! You tell me all you know. And then I'll tel you!'
    Julian decided to tell, very shortly, what had happened at the old railway yard, and what Wooden-Leg Sam had said. He made the tale sound rather bald and dull. Mr Andrews listened to it with the greatest interest, never once taking his eyes off Julian.
    Then he sat back and drank a whole cup of strong tea in one gulp. The children waited for him to speak, wondering what he had to say.
    'Now,' he said, making his voice sound important and impressive, 'you listen to me. Don't any of you ever go down to that yard again. It's a bad place.'
    'Why?' asked Julian. 'What do you mean - a bad place?'
    'Things have happened there - years and years ago,' said Mr Andrews. 'Bad things.
    Accidents. It was al shut up after that and the tunnel wasn't used any more. See? Nobody was allowed to go there, and