Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO So that afternoon, the Five set off to walk to Beckton. The wind was in their faces, and it was very cold indeed; but they were soon warm with walking, and even Anne began to enjoy striding out against the wind.

Timmy loved it, of course. He was full of high spirits, and pranced and capered and bounded about joyfully. He wagged his long tail nineteen to the dozen, chased dead leaves as if they were rats, and made everyone laugh at him. 'Dear Tim,' said Anne. 'It must be lovely to be a dog, and have four legs to leap about on, instead of just two!' Halfway to Beckton they came to a big, rather lonely-looking house called Tarleys Mount. The gates opened on to a short drive that ran to the front steps of the house. On the top of one of the stone gateposts sat a BIG black cat. It looked disdainfully down at Timmy.

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At first Timmy didn't see it, and then he suddenly caught sight of it and stopped. A cat! And a big one, too. But sadly, just out of reach! Timmy pranced in front of the gatepost and barked loudly. The cat yawned widely, and then began to wash one of her paws, as if to say- 'A dog! Nasty smelly creature! Not worth taking notice of!'

But Timmy could leap very high, and the cat was suddenly startled to see his head appearing near the top of the gatepost as he jumped. She hissed and spat. 'Stop it, Timmy,' said George. 'You know you're not allowed to chase cats. Come here!'

The cat spat again. That was too much for Timmy, and he jumped so high that the cat was really alarmed. She leapt right off the gatepost, and shot into the bushes at the side of the drive. Timmy was after her in a flash, yelping madly. George yelled, but he took no notice at all.