13.Mystery Moor
Sniffer and his family share a lot in common with the Five when it comes to drinking water on the move:
‘Surly folk, aren’t they?’ said Dick to Julian. ‘I suppose they think we’re spying on them, or something. I wonder how they manage about food on this moor, no shops or anything. I suppose they take it all with them.’
‘I’ll ask them,’ said Henry, not at all put off by the surly looks.
She rode right up to Sniffer’s father.
‘How do you manage about food, and water?’ she asked.
‘We got food there,’ said Sniffer’s father, jerking his head back towards one of the caravans. ‘As for water, we know where the springs are.’
If it's good enough for Sniffer,it's good enough for The Famous Five!
They all listened. Yes, there was a little bubbling, tinkling noise. Anne got up to trace it. She found it in a few minutes and called the others. There was a round pool, cool and blue, lying two or three feet down, and into it, from one side, fell a crystal clear spring of water, tinkling as it fell.
‘One of the springs that the gypsies use, when they travel this deserted moor, I expect,’ said Julian. He cupped his hands under the falling water and got his palms full. He carried the water to his mouth and sipped it.
‘Delicious! Cool as an ice-box,’ he said. ‘Taste it, Anne.’
They rode a little farther, but the moor seemed the same everywhere, heather, wiry grass, gorse, a clear spring falling into a pool or tiny stream here and there, and a few trees, mostly silver birch.
The Five camp on the moor and need to find water:
‘Yes. Let’s camp here,’ said Anne, pleased. ‘There are quite a lot of nice holes to store our things in.’
‘What about water?’ asked George. ‘We want to be fairly near it, don’t we? Timmy, find some water! Drink, Timmy, drink! Aren’t you thirsty! Your tongue looks as if it is, the way you are hanging it out like a flag!’
Timmy put his head on one side as George talked to him. Water? Drink? He knew what both those words meant! He ran off, sniffing the air. George watched him.
He disappeared round a bush and was away for about half a minute. When he came back George gave a pleased shout.
‘He’s found some water! Look - his mouth is all wet! Timmy, where is it?’
Timmy wagged his tail vigorously, glad that George was pleased with him. He ran round the bush again and the others followed.
He led them to a little green patch and stopped. A spring bubbled up like a small fountain, dancing a little in the sunshine. The water fell from it into a little channel it had made for itself in the sand, ran away for a short distance, and then disappeared underground again.
‘Thank you, Tim,’ said George. ‘Julian, is the water all right to drink here?’
‘Well I can see some that is!’ said Julian, pointing to the right. ‘The Bartles must have put a pipe in that bank, look, and caught another spring there, a much bigger one. It’s as clear as can be. That will do fine for us!’
‘Good,’ said Anne, pleased. ‘It’s hardly any way from the quarry. It’s as cold as ice, too - feel!’
They felt, and then they drank from their palms. How cold and pure! The moor must be full of these little bubbling springs, welling up from underground. That explained the brilliant green patches here and there.
It's obvious that more or less from the outset The Famous Five have absolutely no desire in humping containers of clean,safe, water around with them.They will drink water straight from a stream without boiling it or filtering it in any way.
What's their stance on aluminium containers,by the way?
Nobody wanted much supper. Julian took a little aluminium jug to the spring and filled it once for everyone. It really was lovely water from that bubbling spring!