FIVE ON A HIKE TOGETHER by Enid Blyton

14 WHERE IS THE 'SAUCY JANE' ?

They walked beside the lake-side as best they could. It was difficult because bushes and trees grew right down to the edge. It seemed as if there was no boat-house at all.

And then George came to a little backwater, leading off the lake. "Look!" she called. "Here's a sort of river running from the lake."

"It's not a river. It's only a little backwater," said Dick. "Now we may find a boat-house somewhere here."

They followed the backwater a little way, and then Julian gave an exclamation. "There it is! But it's so covered up with ivy and brambles that you can hardly see it!"

They all looked where he pointed. They saw a long low building built right across the backwater, where it narrowed and came to an end. It was almost impossible to tell that it was a building, it was so overgrown.

"That's it!" said Dick, pleased. "Now for the Saucy Jane!"

They scrambled through bushes and brambles to get to the entrance of the building. It had to be entered by the front, which was over the water and completely open. A broad ledge ran right round the boat-house inside, and the steps that went up to it from the bank outside were all broken away, completely rotted.

"Have to tread warily here," said Julian. "Let me go first."

He tried the old wooden steps, but they gave way beneath him at once. "Hopeless!" he said. "Let's see if there's any other way into the boat-house."

There wasn't - but at one side some of the wooden boards that made the wall of the boat-house were so rotten that they could be pulled away to make an opening. The boys pulled them down and then Julian squeezed through the opening into the dark, musty boat-house.

He found himself on the broad ledge that went round the great shed. Below him was the dark, quiet water with not even a ripple on it. He called to the others.

"Come along in! There's a wooden ledge to stand on here, and it's hardly rotted at all. It must be made of better wood."

They all went through the opening and stood on the ledge, peering down. Their eyes had to get used to the darkness at first, because the only light came through the big entrance at the farther end - and that was obscured by big trails of ivy and other creepers hanging down from roof to water.

"There are boats here!" said Dick, excited. "Tied up to posts. Look - there's one just below us. Let's hope one of them is the Saucy Jane!"

There were three boats. Two of them were half full of water, and their bows were sunk right down. "Must have got holes in them," said Julian, peering about. He had got out his torch and was shining it all round the old boat-house.

Oars were strung along the walls. Dirty, pulpy masses of something lay on the shelves too - rotted cushions probably. A boat-hook stood in one corner. Ropes were in coils on a shelf. It was a dreary desolate sight, and Anne didn't like the queer echoes of their voices in the damp-smelling, lonely boat-house.

"Let's see if any of the boats are called Saucy Jane," said Dick. He flashed his torch on to the nearest one. The name was almost gone.

"What is it?" said Dick, trying to decipher the faded letters. "Merry something."

"Meg!" said Anne. "Merry Meg. Well, she may be a sister of Saucy Jane. What's the next boat's name?"

The torch shone steadily on to it. The name there was easier to read. They all read it at once.

"Cheeky Charlie!"

"Brother to Merry Meg!" said Dick. "Well, all I can say is that these poor old boats look anything but merry or cheeky."